FlowState Issue 8

PATRICK O’LEARY PARALYMPIAN INTERVIEW • SOUTHEAST FREESTYLE FEST
EMER CARTON ON WOMEN IN SPORT • CANOEING IRELAND GOVERNANCE AWARD WIN
ISSUE #8 DEC 2020
the official magazine of
EwoS
Happy Christmas!
LIAM
wins the gold medal!

A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
Welcome to the latest edition of Flowstate. As we
approach the end of 2020, we reflect on an unusual year
impacted solely by the global pandemic. We would like
to thank all our members who have continued to
provide an environment to support our community
during this time of uncertainty, despite many club
activities and discipline competitions being cancelled
both at home and abroad.
Canoeing Ireland has experienced a disrupted events calendar,
nevertheless 2020 has been a very constructive year with
many strategic objectives being achieved and exceeded. The
downtime dictated by Covid-19 has permitted more time to
review and reflect on our organisation’s purpose. We have used
this time productively to engage with staff, committees and
working groups to further understand their needs, document
requirements and continue planning for our future.
We congratulate Liam Jegou on his brilliant performance and on
making history by winning Ireland’s first ever World Cup Gold
medal in the C1 Men’s category at the ICF World Cup in Pau,
France. It was an exciting competition to watch that showcased
the talent of our athletes at the highest level.
In August, Canoeing Ireland held its 59th Annual General
meeting by video conference. The meeting was well attended
with strong club representation from across the country. Luke
Logan was re-elected as Honorary Secretary, Lynda Byron was
re-elected to Executive Member and Déaglán O’Drisceoil was
elected as Olympic Discipline Representative by majority vote
of the meeting. Members approved the motion to amend Rule 21
which defines the role of the Olympic Discipline Representative
to reflect the current professional structure of Canoeing
Ireland. At the Board meeting on the 24th August 2020,
Brendan Quinn and Eoin Brereton were reappointed to the
Board as Independent Directors. The 2019 Annual Report has
been approved and adopted by the Board.
A principal undertaking for us this year has been Canoeing
Ireland’s new Strategic Plan 2021 - 2023. The Board would like
to thank all our members and stakeholders who have
contributed to the development of the new plan. Having
commenced our consultation process at the start of this year, a
framework identifying 4 strategic priorities and 12 goals with
associated and measured actions has now been established.
These four priorities of Sustainable Development,
Strengthening Leadership, Enhancing Experience, and Athlete
Progression define the direction and ambition for Canoeing
Ireland during the life of the plan. The 2021 - 2023 Strategic
Plan is in its final design stage with publication expected by the
end of the year and we look forward to its implementation in
2021.
The Board also welcomes the publication of the 2020 Awards
Scheme Review, findings and recommendations. We would like
to thank everyone who contributed to the report and in
particular, those who were involved in its preparation, evaluation
and analysis. The report is the product of an extensive
consultation process and will form the basis for future
development of the Awards Scheme. This work will be aligned
with the strategic goals outlined in the Canoeing Ireland
Strategic Plan 2021-2023. Specific focus will be given to
supporting the advancement of club volunteer instructors
through additional resourcing. To optimise the work associated
with this review, activities will be benchmarked against best
practice as various actions are completed. Further reviews will
be carried out biennially.
The Board has continued to prioritise implementing practices to
promote better governance and in particular aligning Canoeing
Ireland’s compliance with the Governance Code. We were
delighted to be announced the winner of the 2020 Carmichael
Good Governance Awards following submission of our Annual
Report to the competition earlier this year. The awards were
developed by Carmichael who are a leading specialist training
and support body for non-profits in Ireland with the support of
their partner organisations, sponsors and leading national
bodies in the non-profit sector.
Winning the award is particularly important to us as an
organisation as it recognises, validates and consolidates the
pathway of change, which we as a National Governing Body have
taken over the last number of years. It is a significant milestone
for Canoeing Ireland which acknowledges and confirms that the
collective responsibilities which have been implemented for
driving positive change through a series of measures designed
to increase accountability and transparency are effective.
Improving our governance structures, policies and practices
has been a core enabler to facilitate this transformation
process.
The Board continues to implement and prioritise new initiatives
to support and facilitate club formation and growth. Next year
will see the introduction of a standardised membership year,
improved club portal and the trialing of an exciting new club
development programme targeted at identifying common
challenges and opportunities that clubs face in devising
sustainable development plans.
As we move to 2021, I would like to thank all our paddling
community who continue to adhere to published health advice
and guidelines. The behaviour of our sport has been exemplary
in how we are managing our way through this pandemic. I would
like to especially acknowledge the dedication and commitment
of our staff led by Moira Aston for their high degree of
professionalism and ability to adapt to the current challenges.
My very best wishes to you and your families,
B Oе
PRESIDENT
Member Spotlight
Interview with Patrick O’Leary 10
Interview with Emer Carton 18
Paddling News
LKA Charity 10K 4
#BEACTIVE Paddle Day 2020 6
Limerick Fun Junior Boatercross 17
Canoe Slalom
World Cup, Pau 21
2020 European Championships 22
Canoe Sprint
World Cup, Szeged 23
RIP Rodger Greene 26
Southeast Freestyle 28
Performance Corner
The Controllable and Uncontrollable with Aoife Hanrahan 14
Flowstate Focus
Governance Corner 24
Liffey Descent 26
Volunteer Ivan Barrett 30
2 3

The event raised €6,600 for
RCM.
From a Bridge The Gap
perspective, of the 147 paddlers
the gender breakdown was 84
(57%) female and 63 (43%) male.
Numbers involved on the day:
147 paddlers, 37 bank
volunteers. Total 184.
(200 max outdoor gatherings
Gov. guidelines)
Thank you so so much to
everybody who supported this
event. We hope you enjoyed it
and look forward to seeing you
again next year. Save the date;
Sat 14th August 2021!!
CHARITY PADDLE
5th Annual Rape Crisis Midwest And
Bridge The Gap 10k Charity Paddle
T
he annual RCM 10k Charity Paddle took place in
Limerick Saturday 15th August last on the
beautiful River Shannon.
The annual RCM 10k Charity Paddle took place in
Limerick Saturday 15th August last on the beautiful
River Shannon. Despite the challenges of Covid-19
and the necessary restrictions around this virus, we
struck gold… we got a window of opportunity in terms
of timing and permitted gathering sizes in the
outdoors and managed to run a safe event meeting
all necessary Government, HSE and Canoeing Ireland
guidelines. Our club, Limerick Kayaking Academy and
the Rape Crisis Midwest organisation certainly
encountered challenges in organising this year’s
event, particularly around Covid-19 safety and
compliance. Thankfully, for every problem that
presented, a solution was found. What resulted
was an event with a new Get On, an altered Get Off
area and our 10k distance became 12.8k!
While L.K.A. club and Verena Tarpy of RCM are
the drivers of this event, it is very much run by the wider
paddling community. Canoeing Ireland have supported
this annual community event since it’s inception in
2016. This year, we were delighted to incorportate C.I’s
Bridge The Gap initiative as part of the event and are
very grateful for the huge support provided by Emer
Carton and C.I. on the lead up up to the event and on
the day itself.
The generosity and support from Clubs, Providers
and Kayak Instructors ensures we have sufficient boats,
equipment and paddling expertise to run the event
safely each year. This year was no different. We are
indebted in particular to Limerick Kayak Club, our sister
club, My Next Adventure, Kilfinnane Outdoor Education
and Training Centre and Munster Kayak Adventures.
The goal of this event is to raise awareness and much needed funds for Rape
Crisis Midwest, an amazing organisation that supports victims of sexual violence
on their journey towards recovery and rebuilding their lives.
Essentially, the event offers an opportunity for absoulte beginnners or those
with very little paddling experience, to complete a 10k stretch of the River Shannon
while being guided and minded by C.I. recognised Kayak Instructors. This year, RCM
and ourselves decided to reduce the entry fee pricing by 50% in acknowledgement
of financial struggles many in our community are experiencing associated with the
pandemic. Our club ran a well subscribed Beginners Course on the lead up to the
event to offset reduced entry fees revenue and the course fee included entry to the
Charity paddle. Given the separation and isolation many in our communities are
experiencing, we agreed a key focus of this year’s event was “getting together
safely on the water.”
The morning of the event involved setting up our Get On and Get Off
locations, boats and equipment were dropped off by clubs and providers for
cleaning at Shannon Rowing Club, Annacotty. Participants parked their cars in a
car park provided by Limerick City and County Council, adjacent to the Get Off in
the city and shuttled out to Shannon Rowing Club.
At 12 noon, following warm welcomes, an
introduction to the Bridge The Gap Initiative, a safety
briefing and a warm up, the flotilla of 147 paddlers set
out from Shannon Rowing Club in a blaze of colour.
The stretch of river from Shannon Rowing Club into
the City centre is predominantly flat water with a
number of small features. The flotilla stopped at
predesignated points to regroup and allow rest breaks.
When and where necessary our amazing rescue
rangers paddled ahead and positioned themselves to
guide paddlers through sections of the course.
Limerick Suicide Watch volunteers very kindly
shadowed the flotilla on the bank, providing
land-based First Aid if needed.
The weather co-operated on the day and
sunshine helped maintain good spirits as the flotilla
navigated the course and safely reached the city and
the Get Off at 3.30pm. Bank support volunteers
assisted tired paddlers carry boats 80 metres to
Cleeves Car Park where RCM volunteers provided
much appreciated refreshments and goodies kindly
supplied by local sponsors.
Huge thank you to all our bank volunteers;
Registration and Sanitising Stations, Bus Drivers,
Traffic Management, Car Park Management, First
Aiders, Photographer, Equipment Management and
Scout volunteers. Many thanks to Shannon Rowing
Club and Limerick City and County Council for
providing new Get On and Get Off area’s required to
meet our Covid safety plans. Thanks also to Limerick
Sports Partnership for the invigorating warm up and
high tempo tunes.
A very special thank you and well done to the
group of Special Olympic Athletes from Mallow who
took part in the event. We hope to see you again next
year. Come on the Rebels!!
Limerick Kayaking Academy
Written by Martina Slevin
4 5

ACTIVE
PADDLE DAY 2020
D
uring this exceptional year there have been very
limited opportunities to host events, with this in
mind we were extremely lucky to be able to hold the
#BeActive Paddle Day, a nationwide participation
focused event to get people out on the water for
the first time.
This event was made possible with a successful
funding application to Sport Ireland and the EU
Commission for support in running an event as part
of the 2020 European Week of Sport (23rd-30th
September). The whole week, and our event, was aimed
at getting more people active and out exercising,
in some cases for the first time or to rekindle their
exercise habits.
With a massive amount of work put in behind the
scenes, led by Events Manager Ciaran Maguire, the
finer details of the event were ironed out and the
wheels were put in motion. To get as many new people
trying out paddlesports for their first time we partnered
with affiliated clubs, Outdoor Education Training Centres
and Local Sports Partnerships all over the country to
make the event accessible to as many people as
possible. These partner locations held a morning and
an afternoon session, run by registered instructors
for the participant’s safety and to ensure the best
experience for all involved. All of the equipment provided
for the participants was also fully sanitized between the
sessions to ensure hygiene standards were adhered to
for the safety of the participants. These measure in
place due to no small amount of work from Emer Carton,
to ensure that bookings and the locations themselves
were coordinated to the highest standard, running both
smoothly and safely.
The event launch, held on the Leinster aqueduct
over the River Barrow in Monasterevin, invited local club
members to come and take part and ensure the focus
on clubs and participation for the event. Thanks to
Sam Curtis, Canoeing Ireland’s Communications
lead, we had fantastic branding graphics made for
the day, followed up with great visibility of the event
and branding for the entire Week of Sport. We were
very pleased as well to have representatives from
Sport Ireland at the event to support the launch.
In the lead up to the Paddle Day itself we were
delighted to partner with Mazda Ireland, who provided
us with a Canoeing Ireland branded CX-30 to help in
our transport for the Paddle Day organisation, and
the work across the Week of Sport itself.
On the 26th September the #BeActive Paddle
Day kicked off on a cold but bright morning, a brief gap
in the cold and wet weather preceding the weekend.
In total 45 event locations were holding a variety of
morning and evening beginner sessions across 21
counties. On the day itself thanks again to Mazda
Ireland the CEO, Moira Aston, and Events Manager,
Ciaran Maguire, were able to get out to many event
locations to both see the success of the event and
touch base with our fantastic clubs who were making
the event possible. Across the sessions being held
throughout the day the Canoeing Ireland team were
able to visit event locations at Trim Canoe Club,
Ribbontail Paddlers Canoe Club, Inny Kayak Club,
Laois Kayak and Canoe Club, and the Athy Sports Hub.
These locations all ran brilliant sessions, with a great
attendance, loads of fun for all involved, and most
importantly were run safely for all participants and
instructors. The events that the team attended were
reflective of each of the 45 event locations all of
which showed this same level of excellence in their
respective session. A barrage of brilliant photos were
posted during the day from all the clubs, OETCs and
6 7

LSPs. In total across these locations 1045 people
were out on the water, some of them for their very first
time in a boat. Among the locations and events were
some fantastic set ups and causes, such as the West
Cork Kayakers running a session in support of breast
cancer, and the Limerick Kayaking Academy putting
on a full Junior fun race in conjunction with the
#BeActive Paddle Day, with a full day of Boatercross
racing on the Castleconnell S Bend. It didn’t stop here
with clubs and various partners running events
affiliated with the Canoeing Ireland Paddle Day
through the entire European Week of Sport. With all
these people trying out paddlesports for their first time
doing so through clubs and their own community we
hope that they will continue to engage with and pick up
the love of our sport through their fantastic local club.
Talking about the success of the event Ciaran
Maguire said, “Blown away the uptake on this event.
When we contacted the clubs who were interested,
all they said was yes! The YES turned into a mass
participation event that would not have been possible
without the network of clubs involved rolling up their
sleeves and running great session around the country.
From Leenan and Letterfrack to Villlerstown and
Lough Hyne, Baltinglass to Donegal we had am
impressive spread. The big thanks to all who ran
sessions and to those first timers who came along
to enjoy the sport.”
We would like to again extend a massive thank you
to the affiliated clubs, OETC’s and LSP’s who got
involved and helped in running sessions, and
especially to Sport Ireland and the European
Commission whose support made this event possible.
Written by Sam Curtis
8 9

PATRICK
O’LEARY
the balance was very careful between both. I was still on the cusp of
qualifying for the K1 as before, but I felt I was improving in the Va’a and that
proved to be the case finishing 5th for a clear qualification and with a year
to go to the Games (or 2 as it happens). There was considerable relief to
get it done a year out and, I was the first person to qualify a slot for Team
Ireland in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo which is a great place to be. I
don’t think any race to qualify for a Games can be easier. It is a huge
amount of pressure but I always race myself and never the opposition. My
lane is in my control and only my lane, so I go as fast as I can in the lane and
if that’s good enough -so be it.
For the Rio 2016 Paralympics you qualified in the KL3 category, and for
these upcoming Games you qualified through the VL3, finishing 5th in
the World Championships. Why the change in category? And how did
you find the switch? Was there much of a change in the training?
Patrick O’Leary made history at the
2016 Paralympic Games becoming
Irelands first ever Paralympian in
paddlesports. There, racing in the
KL3 category, Patrick made the final at the Rio
Paralymipcs. Since this fantastic performance
Patrick has started into a new category in
Paracanoe, the Va’a, and has gone on to qualify
for the upcoming Tokyo Paralympics in the
VL3 category. We spoke to Patrick about his
training during lockdown, qualifying for his
second Games, and how the lead in to an
uncertain 2021 is looking.
To get right to the main question on everyone’s minds, what
are your thoughts on the postponement of the Tokyo
Paralympic Games? And what are your views on the running
of the event in 2021?
Obviously I was really disappointed with the postponement but, it
was the right decision. Part of the Paralympic experience is the
ability to mix with your fellow athletes and be part of a global
community. Given the uncertainty in the summer, if the Games
were held, it would have been a very isolated experience with
everyone in very strict pods and no family travelling. I think the
2020 +1 event will still be Covid affected but the world has much
more knowledge on what is required to keep us all safe. Of course,
I would love a vaccine to positively impact on the games running
and, there is hope of that but even without it I hope the games will
be a success. Just last week I finally bought the event tickets for
my family. I really hope the vaccine comes through and that they
can travel as they were such an important part of the journey and
were a huge support to me in Rio. It was a very strange season
with no races at all this year, just time trials and training so I hope
to be able to have some racing next season, starting in
March hopefully.
This will be your second outing flying the Irish flag at a
Paralympic Games. How was it qualifying for another Games?
Was it easier as you had experience of the level required? And,
was it just as exciting as qualifying for the first?
This was a very different experience. Paracanoe has two
qualification opportunities; one in the year prior to the games
(2019) and one in the year of the games which were held in Szeged
2020 this time round. Before the Rio Games (2016), I just missed
out on qualification the year before and had to qualify in Duisburg
(Germany) the May before the games. In that case because of
continental quotas I really had to win the B final to be sure of
qualifying and, I did! It was the real embodiment of all or nothing
and I was really proud to deliver that day. Qualifying in May was hard
and myself and Neil Fleming, my coach, learned some useful things
about the difficulty of coming down to earth after that high and
rebuilding for Rio in August/September.
This time round because I was trying to qualify in two events
So, I still race the K1 as well as the Va’a and the advantage is, as I have
qualified in one, I can race in both events. I have raced both at world
championships in both events previously. In Rio, the only events that were
in the Paralympic programme were the K1 events in which I am classified as
KL3. There are 3 classes KL1, KL2 and KL3. As a KL3 I am in the most able
class. Paracanoe as a newish sport has fewer classes than running or
swimming because paracanoe had a limit on the number of events in the
Games. Regarding my disability, I am an above-knee amputee on my left
side. This would be one of the more severe disabilities in my class. Many of
my competitors would have both legs, albeit with issues like fused ankles. I
am really competitive, but it does make it really hard racing. After Rio it was
announced that the Va’a events would be added to the Tokyo programme.
Va’a is an outrigger canoe paddled from a sitting position similar to an OC1.
It is propelled with a single blade and critically has no rudder, so all steering
is via either switching paddle side during the race (Polynesian or southern
hemisphere style -typically) or via a ‘J’ stroke (European style). It is an
event in which power is a critical factor. Looking at the power aspect which
is my strength and also looking at the slightly different classification rules
for Va’a it seemed there may be an opportunity for me. The VL3
classification requires at least an above-knee amputation or similar so I
would be on a more even playing field that way.
The big issue for me was that I had never paddled a canoe, I was a
kayaker. I borrowed and then bought an OC1 and removed the rudder and
then in the first year raced using the switching style and went from more
than 1 minute for 200m in my first race to a decent place in the B final of
the worlds in ~53 seconds. I knew I was capable of huge improvement and
bought a sprint Va’a for my second season training and racing. I decided I
was never switching again, now I only stroke on my strong side now. I got
my PB (personal best) down to 49 seconds and finished 5th in the World
Championships to qualify for Tokyo. Last year, I trained in both boats and I
have this year as well. I feel really comfortable in the Va’a now so I’m really
hopeful of pushing that PB down again. To medal in Tokyo I reckon I need
to be capable of a low 48 seconds race.
It’s a beast of a boat! Canoes can help their direction with a lean to
counteract the natural turning effect of always stroking on one side but
with the outrigger you can’t lean, so your stroke has to be very precise.
Also, the Va’a boats are longer than a K1 which means if they start to turn it
can be very hard to correct and correction costs speed. The only solution
to this is lots of Km’s in the boat. The advantage is that it adds variety as I
train on my own the majority of the time. Variety is nice.
Speaking of training. As with most Irish athletes you had to deal with
a new training environment during the lockdown earlier in the year
and now, again, during these Level 5 restrictions. How did your
training change during this time? And, what was your training set up
and routine?
I’m really lucky to have an erg’ (ergometer) in my shed so I could do my
paddle sets in there which, while boring, did get me through the complete
lockdown. I was working from home completely at that stage also. I am
currently Head of the School of Chemistry in NUI Galway and we were
10 11

dealing with trying to get researchers back into the labs and also
how to teach remotely and examine remotely so it was all a bit
crazy. Training has always been a quiet place where I process
thoughts but that is much easier on a river than in a shed. I
trained to my normal schedule 12-14 sessions per week. I
normally have 2-3 swims in that, and these were replaced with
erg paddles. I borrowed some gym equipment from NUI Galway
which helped enormously with the 2-3 gym sessions. I live more
than 5km from the river or lake, so I stayed off the water until the
restrictions eased. We altered the plan once it became clear
that there would be no Paralympic Games and hopefully the work
will have built my base and resilience for the coming year. There
was an allowance for elite athletes to train during recent
restrictions so I can train on the river which is right beside work.
I’m about 50:50 working from my office and home at this stage
which is an interesting balancing act. In winter I would normally
do more erg’ work anyway so it’s not that much different now and
I have upgraded my home gym with weights, safety cage, bench,
pull up, dips and bench pull equipment, so I am now
self-sufficient to deal with whatever happens with gym access.
The biggest issue is not meeting anyone when training.
When the lockdown eased, I got out for some sessions with the
gang in Galway Kayak Club which was great, and I swam with a
regular group in the Kingfisher pool in NUI Galway. Both of
those are gone for the moment.
What are the plans for the lead into the Tokyo Games next
summer? Will you get a chance to travel over for any camps
before? Or will it be the case of travelling over for the race itself?
I was fortunate to travel to Tokyo for the test event in September
2019 which was a great experience. Assuming the plan for this
year stays the same, I don’t intend to train in advance in Japan
prior to the Games. The logistics of having two training boats
available is horrendous! It’s too long a story for here but the
saga of the one training boat that went to Brazil a year before
Rio and never came back is worth talking about at some stage.
Instead, we will hold a training camp in Galway. We did this
before the worlds in 2019 and it was really successful. Neil
came down to Galway and Matt Skeels a chemist paddler from
the states came over to train and spar with me. We set up a
course on the Corrib and borrowed a launch from the NUI
Galway boat club and had some really high-quality training. If we
can replicate that prior to Tokyo maybe bringing in one or two
more paddlers that Neil works with from Celbridge and maybe
some of my paddler friends in Cork, it would be great- obviously
Covid allowing. The plan would be to travel to Tokyo directly and
arrive as the village opens. The Paracanoe events are on the
last three days of the Games so there will be plenty of time to
acclimatise.
You are the first ever athlete to qualify for Ireland in the
Paralympic Games. What are your hopes for the discipline
of Paracanoe in Ireland? Do you hope that your successes
in this sport will act as an inspiration to get more
prospective para-athletes into the sport?
Paracanoe is a really accessible sport. We definitely have clubs
that can support athletes with disabilities to compete at an elite
level. For my disability class there is really no adaption of
approach needed. I can bring my own boat to and from the water
and if I fall out, I can swim and get back in. For higher levels of
disabilities it does require more support initially. Help moving
boats and maybe someone in a more stable boat like a sea kayak
or launch as safety support, but it is really doable.
I would love to see people engaging with it as a sport. I
would love to see Canoeing Ireland engaging with the national
rehabilitation hospital and other organisations to try to actively
bring people into the sport. For a small nation we have
considerable experience with myself and Neil and we would love
to see more people taking part. I would love to be overtaken by a
younger generation - just maybe not before Tokyo!
Barry Loughnane
Performance
CORNER
Patrick hard at work in his home set up.
Aoife Hanrahan shares some sage advice on taking stock in the
midst of an overwhelming year and we look forward to the Coach
Education Awards in 2021.
12

THE CONTROLLABLE
with Aoife Hanrahan
eeling overwhelmed? Frustrated? Anxious?
Low in energy? Zero motivation? And all round
confused as to why our lives have come to what
Ffeels like an almost stand still?
That is 100% normal, you are human. So many people think that it is not ok to
feel these emotions. But can I let you in on a secret??….. IT TOTALLY IS! If you
want to let these emotions out by screaming, laughing or crying, just let it all
out. We are in the middle of a pandemic right now, that is hard enough to accept,
don’t be hard on yourself, listen to your body and just breathe….
I was going to write about lockdown 1.0, but I think now more than ever we
need to talk about the present and what we are going to do moving forward! Do
not look in the past – it has appened - and yes, the future is very much an
unknown, but live in the present and ask yourself what is controllable and what
is uncontrollable in your life?
For those of you who may not know, my name is Aoife Hanrahan and I am
the current Irish National Freestyle Kayak Champion and a 2nd Year Masters in
Pharmacy student at the Royal College of Surgeons.
After lockdown 1.0, I ended up in hospital for 10 days with a hematoma on
my liver and a bruised kidney after falling off a bike. I was told I would be out for
2-3 months and that the recovery would be slow.
After feeling the fittest that I had ever felt coming out of lockdown 1.0 I
had to start all over again. I couldn’t believe it, all the hard work I had put in had
just gone to waste. As I started to begin my recovery, I began to realize that I
had not lost everything. Your body remembers far more than you think and with
thanks to my partner Barry, coach Jacko, physio Eimear and gym coach John,
they reshaped my mindset and allowed me to look at the bigger picture. I asked
myself the question, what could I control? What could I do to bring myself that
step closer to becoming the best kayaker possible? What could I do to strive
not only in my sport but also in college?
Before I go further into this, I am going to be honest. I could write all these
tips and make myself out to be this perfect role model, but my life is by no
means perfect. I have slump days too and days where all I want to do is lay on
the couch because my body is aching for rest and sleep (for a matter of fact I
had one of those yesterday!). We are all human and no one is perfect, just
remember to tell yourself that.
What I will do is tell you some of the tips that help me each day to stay
motivated and pumped to keep pushing hard.
1. Tell yourself every morning that it is going to be a great day!
Barry told me about this one a few months back and it has been a game
changer. Every evening before bed, before I switch off, I tell myself “Tomorrow is
going to be a great day”. No matter how nervous I am for the day ahead or how
daunting it may seem I still make sure to say it. When my alarm goes off in the
morning, I then tell myself again “today is going to be a great day”. I say it again
in the shower and then again as I bop down the stairs. If you tell yourself it
enough times, then how can it not be a good day?? It cannot but not put you in
good form!!
2. Team up & surround yourself with positive,
like-minded people!
Some people have asked about paddling alone and how it is challenging. Why
do it alone? Where’s the fun in that? It’s already hard enough as it is to work out,
go for a run or paddle by yourself. If you can get a buddy to be in your “bubble”
then great, if not, then do it virtually! During lockdown 1.0 a group of kayakers
and I from around the world posted in our group chat every time we went for a
paddle, run or gym workout and bounced different ideas off one another. It
ended up being very enjoyable and made it feel like we were doing it all together.
With your paddling friends set up group chats, organize going for a run virtually
together/ share gym plans/ water session plans/ give kudos on their strava
activities. At the end of the day why do it if you’re not enjoying it? For me, people
are my energy. If I don’t have them then my motivation usually hits rock bottom.
3. Set daily and weekly goals
I bought a journal for the first time on amazon this year. It has a section in every
week where you write what you are thankful for, your goals, your to do list and
who to contact. We live in a time that is so unpredictable. For a lot of us, our
seasons have been cancelled and our future season is unknown. I find setting
long term targets and goals right now are too unpredictable. We have no idea
what the future is going to look like so let’s just take it each day and week at a
time! Start with small goals, for example I am going to go for one run this week”
even if it is only 1km. “I am going to do a virtual paddle session with friends” (with
this you message your friends and say that you are going to go for a paddle this
evening at 6pm, then ask would anyone else be up for doing the same. The idea
is that you are not doing it alone, it helps big time with motivation).
4. The only way to succeed in life is to just get out there
and do it
How do you do it? How do you keep going? How do you stay motivated? How
did you do it during the 5km restrictions during Lockdown 1.0 and 2.0?
My little trick is that I look into the future for a quick second. When I lack study
motivation, I imagine myself graduating with my college friends and I imagine
myself in a great job, living the comfortable life that I would love to live. That’s all
it takes for me to hit refresh and to get back into my study.
For kayaking, if I need the motivation to go, I visualize myself on a worlds
podium, or if it’s for whitewater I imagine myself on the Zambezi river. I give
myself a few minutes to do so and then I am ready to go.
I guess my main point here is that if you want it in life, if you really want to
achieve your goals then you just have to get out there and do it. It is the only
way, and in our sport in particular it is the only way you are going to progress.
5. No water? No problem.
You may not be near water. That is ok, it is an uncontrollable factor, but what can
you control? Break it down, what muscles do you use when kayaking? What
energy do you exert? What fitness level do you want to get to? Freestyle
kayaking is very explosive, you need a lot of strength as well as stamina. You
have a 45 second ride, so why not work on explosive exercises at home that last
45 seconds and are composed of different movements using the different
muscles that you would in your boat? Then focus on some strengthening with a
gym coach (there are so many online right now with so many discounts) and
running to get your cardio game strong.
These are 5 little tricks that I have in life to help keep me going and I hope that
sharing these with you might help cast some positive light on your life during
these hard times.
14 15

Fun Junior Boatercross
O
n 26th September 2020 the fourth Limerick Fun
Junior Boatercross was held in Castleconnell on
the River Shannon. In a challenging year and after
some initial false starts we were delighted the
event could go ahead and coincided with
Canoeing Ireland’s #BeActive Paddle Day.
The event which is organised by Limerick Kayak Club
and the Limerick Kayaking Academy has grown to be
a huge success. It aims to bring together junior
paddlers from different clubs so that they can get to
know each other, build friendships, boost their skills
and have a great day paddling.
After a warm-up and paddle down to the race
course we kick off with two heats of Boatercross
races. The competition is always fierce but friendly
and in true Boatercross style makes for plenty of
after-race banter! A shout out is given to our top 3
fastest girls and boys but in keeping with our
emphasis on FUN the only prize on offer is glory!
In the afternoon it’s time for some team action.
With a mix of boys, girls, clubs, age and ability in each
group, teams are given 10 minutes before starting to
plan their race tactics. The race involves a slalom style
challenge of collecting targets ranging from easy to ‘I
think you should get that one!’ followed by a rescue
challenge. Teams must paddle the 500metre race
course as a unit and it’s always great to see how the
groups work so well together. The future of Irish
paddling is in safe hands!
To finish we paddle to the get out with a chance
for everyone to chill and play the river. A great spread
of home baking awaits us on the bank as we bring the
day to a close. A huge thanks to the organisations,
paddlers, parents and friends who help make the event
happen. To see us in action, check out our video
roundup by Neal Kelly.
Next year’s race takes place on 5th September
2021. We hope to see you there!
16 17

The success of the Bridge the
Gap programme since its
conception has been fantastic
to see. With more and more
ambassadors for women in paddlesports
coming on board the programme, and
with the support these ambassadors are
receiving to progress their leadership
journeys, it is clear to see that Bridge the
Gap has become a benchmark of
supporting women in sport. A huge
amount of this success can be attributed
to the creator and programme lead, Emer
Carton. We sat down with Emer to chat
through her own experiences as a woman
in paddlesports, and of course about the
Bridge the Gap programme, the current
inspiration the programme provides and
the plans for the future.
For a little bit of background on you, what is your
paddling story? When and where did you start? Was
anyone a big influence in getting you started? And
what are the things you love about the sport?
I began paddling while attending the Shackleton Adventure
Education & Facilitation course in Dublin six years ago. I
had plenty of experience with sailing and other watersports
before starting the course, so kayaking felt natural to me.
We were training to be instructors straight away which I
found was beneficial to my own learning as we were
practicing coaching skills on each other all the way
through training in various sports (windsurfing, rockclimbing,
sailing). I found a passion for leadership in
adventure sports and by my final year was the Captain of
our college Kayaking teams for the Kayaking Intervarsities
while taking on the role of coordinator for the Windsurfing
Intervarsities that year. Two months after this I qualified
as a level 3 River Instructor, a position I have worked in
ever since.
As a woman, I only had male role models before
beginning the course. In my experiences of sport, I had
never had a female coach or instructor before so it was
very refreshing to have two female paddlers in the years
above me to encourage me and be role models for me in
paddling – Sheelagh Hennessy and Sara Mason are
their names – and they still continue to inspire me!
Personally, what I love about paddlesports is that
it offers so much. I can enjoy a good adrenaline packed
day out on the river or sea, and some (not-so-competitive)
competition if I am in the mood, but I also have days
where I just want to explore a waterway and enjoy the
beauty of the environment I am in.
The sense of community and belonging I feel in the
paddling community in Ireland is one I have not felt in other
sports. Paddlers say hello when they pass, they always
offer help where it is needed and seeing how volunteers
bend over backwards for their clubs is inspirational!
What prompted you to start the Bridge the Gap initiative? Did
you feel there was a particular need for the initiative in
paddlesports?
The need for an increase in female development within
paddlesports is what prompted me to start the Bridge the Gap
Initiative. One of my greatest passions is witnessing others finding
a love for paddling as I have. Everybody deserves this opportunity.
Developing opportunities for minority groups in adventure sports is
something I have always made an effort towards and have focused
much of my studies on working with children with disabilities and
how I can drive positive change.
Women are a minority group in paddling in Ireland, with only 34%
of our membership being female.
I did feel like female participation levels were increasing as I went
through my training, hearing comments such as “this is the
first instructor training course I have ever run with more
females than males”, or “this is the first time we have had more
than 4 women in a class”. Hearing this was a positive thing.
Unfortunately as I moved up in skill level I also began to
hear the more disheartening comments such as – “she’s only
on the team because the rules say there has to be one
female”, or “don’t feel bad for messing up, you’re a girl – girls
just aren’t as strong at paddling as men”. Luckily I see women
across the world paddling just as well as men - so I have real
role models to aspire towards, and I know that women can be
as competent as men at paddling. It is unfortunate that some
people aren’t aware of this yet.
What is needed in paddlesports is a cultural change to a
lot of people’s perceptions of what a women can and cannot
do, should or should not do within the paddling community.
We can all be a part of the change by challenging peoples
EMER
CARTON
opinions when they make unhelpful comments.
What do you feel has been your biggest success with
the initiative so far? Has there been any particular
event or is it more the impact you’ve seen the initiative
have on the ambassadors and the community of
women in paddlesports?
When it comes to the successes resulting from the Bridge
the Gap Initiative, I do not see them as my own successes
but as successes of the paddling community as a whole.
I think that the successes which stemmed from the
ambassador leadership programme have had a big impact.
The group of ambassadors where possible have been
collaborating on projects, developing opportunities in their
discipline communities and in their local communities.
Bridge the Gap has supported ambassadors in their own
professional training through a series of Leadership
18 19

Development Programmes, delivered by Leadership Journeys
Ltd. We also ran a range of webinars, events, coaching clinics
and beginner courses across the country in various
disciplines.
It was a privilege to bring a group of dedicated and
inspirational female leaders together to envisage the future of
female paddling. It was a surprise to me that most of the
women in the ambassador group had never met before. Their
meeting and the collaboration that happened as a result has
been an inspiration to witness. 2020 has been an
unpredictable year with a very short window for carrying out
projects. Thanks to the work that the ambassadors and many
other members of the community have put in, 450 women
have completed 6-week beginners courses, 120 have
attended discipline specific coaching clinics, there have been
three events which saw more than 60% female attendance
[Baltinglass Networking Event, Limerick 10Km RCM,
#BeActive Paddle Day] and there has been a noticeable rise
in the number of females participating in new disciplines,
especially in Freestyle.
How much do you think the initiative has impacted you?
What have your main learnings about changing cultures
and fostering inclusion in sport been? And how much
have these learnings, and learnings from the participants
and ambassadors, helped you in running the initiative?
Instead of having 5 or 6 female role models, I now have about
100! The whole concept of a role model has changed for me. It
is not only women, or men more skilled at me in paddling who I
aspire to be like, but those who are putting in hours of their
time to raise money for charities through paddling. Those
driving change to minority groups in the community through
paddling and those who are continuing to paddle regardless of
how many times they have been put down. Those working at
the grassroots level who are changing culture and fostering
inclusion for women in paddlesports make me feel proud to be
a part of this community and I hope that I can support that in
my role.
My greatest learning about changing cultures so far
through Bridge the Gap is that visibility of women in paddling
is key. People often think that when visibility is referred to, it
only means online visibility – which is significantly important.
However, visibility on the ground, in all roles – referees, board
& committee members, coaches, organisers and all roles in
between, have a massively positive impact on other paddlers,
regardless of gender. It is important for our younger
generations to see and experience an equal number of men
and women in leadership positions and participating in
activities across the board so that in time equity at all levels
of participation will be the norm.
Another key aspect to culture change is to recognise
that the goal that we are working towards is a common goal.
We want to see equity at all levels of participation in paddling,
and to do this we often have to collaborate with those we
usually prefer not to. We are all responsible for being leaders
and setting a good example to the generations of paddlers
who are yet to come. I encourage you all to make that effort.
For the average club and member of the paddlesports
community in Ireland what are the steps they can take in
order to foster an inclusive environment and promote
women in in the sport?
Everybody has the ability to foster an inclusive environment
for female paddlers, you just need to choose to use this ability.
The viewpoint that women should not be paddling at certain
levels, or at all, is no longer acceptable. There are steps that
you as members can take to be more inclusive and proactive
towards growing the number of females who find longevity in
paddlesports.
1. Talk about the possibilities in paddling – not
impossibilities. Just because it has not been
before, does not mean it cannot be.
2. Extend the invite when training and going to events
3. Promote yourself and other females on social medias
and in your club
4. Organise more entry level events and programmes
in various disciplines
5. Aim for gender equity in your club committee
6. Aim for gender equity in the paddlers put forward
for competition
7. Be remembered for the positive changes you
supported for women’s participation
If you/your club is on Instagram make sure to follow
@bridgethegap_ire and tag it in your posts when celebrating
women’s achievements and experiences of paddling. Use the
#shesonthewater, #womeninsportIRE & #cantseecantbe
when posting also.
If you are a female paddler, there is a Facebook group set
up by Canoeing Ireland called Women’s Paddling Community
Ireland – this is a space where we share stories of our
experience of paddling, offer advice and celebrate each
other’s achievements.
What are the plans for Bridge the Gap throughout the
next year? And the plans for continuing to promote
women in paddlesports in the future? New events?
The main point to remember about the Bridge the Gap
Initiative is that it will be here until the gender balance in our
sport is consistently equal. Canoeing Ireland will continue to
seek and secure funding towards this area and keep moving
forwards. In the next year we hope to get as many of the
pre-planned projects off the ground when we can.
There are a number of exciting projects in the pipeline
which we hope to show our members throughout 2021. All
developments are dependent on restrictions; however we
endeavour to make as many of them ‘Covid-Restriction-Proof’
as possible – focusing on what can be done at county level
and local community level.
Thank you very much for taking time to do this interview
WORLD CUP, PAU
T
he last race of the canoe slalom season took place
in southern France at the start of November. The
white-water course in the city of Pau has for many
years now been a prominent venue for canoe
slalom, always delivering exciting racing, and this
most recent weekend being no exception.
Ireland were again fortunate to be able to send such a
strong team to the race, with future Olympian Liam Jegou,
and previous Olympian Hannah Craig, both on the start
line. Also racing at his first ever senior World Cup was
junior Athlete Tom Morley, coming straight from racing at
the Junior European Championships in Poland.
The race itself was held behind closed doors for the
entire weekend, to ensure the health of both the athletes
and the organisers. This however did nothing to diminish
the level of competition which was seen across every run
of the competition. Racing itself began on Friday, the lower
numbers able to attend the race meant the qualification
race would be unofficial, with all athletes qualifying
through to the weekends finals. Nonetheless Liam Jegou
still put down the fastest time in the C1 Men category,
making an announcement of his current form.
The Saturday of racing saw Hannah Craig and Tom
Morley racing the K1 Women and K1 Mens Semi Finals
respectively. On what was a very difficult course Hannah
Craig put down a very solid run, staying cool and collected
to flow down the 25 gate course to finish in 13th place,
barely missing out on a spot in the final. Giving Hannah
great motivation to take on her bid to qualify for the Tokyo
Games in early next year. In the K1M Tom Morley displayed
some great paddling in his first senior outing, picking up
some unfortunate penalties in the middle of course to
knock him down the final standings, but getting great
experience at World Cup level and paving the way for a
bright future.
Liam Jegou has just made history taking Ireland’s
first ever World Cup Gold medal in the C1 Men category. In
the final of the ICF World Cup in Pau, France, Liam put
down a stunning run of 100.35 seconds to take the top
spot and secure his first ever World Cup medal, 0.73
seconds ahead of the Czech Republic’s Vaclav Chaloupka
. This medal performance followed brilliant racing during
the whole competition, with Liam producing further
composed racing to finish in 6th in the semi final, to
secure his final spot.
Liam in the past few years had moved to Pau to train
full time so was effectively racing on home water, showing
his mastery of this course with consistently fast racing
across the whole competition. This outstanding result
reflects the hard work the Irish athlete has been putting in
all summer in the lead in to next years Tokyo Olympic
Games, where Liam is the first athlete to have qualified for
Team Ireland at the upcoming Games.
In an interview with the ICF Liam said, “I’ve been
pushing myself really hard now for several years, and all
summer, preparing for events like this. So I’m absolutely
thrilled to put down a big run like this in the seniors, it
means a lot.”
20 21

2020 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
T
he European Canoe Slalom Championships (18th-
20th September) saw a very welcome return to
international competition for us and our athletes.
Held in Prague, Czech Republic, these Championships
were a replacement for the original Euros, scheduled
to take place in London in May 2020.
A strong team of athletes was in attendance from Ireland,
consisting of Eoin Teague, Noel Hendrick and Alistair
McCreery in the K1M, and Liam Jegou, Robert Hendrick
and Jake Cochrane in the C1M. With a coaching team of
Eoin Rheinisch, Nico Peschier and Richard Lee travelling
with them. The first day of competition, Friday 18th, was by
far the busiest, with all categories racing throughout the
day in the qualification rounds of the race. In the K1M Noel
Hendrick succeeded in progressing through to the
semi-final, finishing 10th in the second round of
qualification, just slipping through to the next round. Eoin
Teague was the next best placed, finishing 36th overall,
falling victim to time pentalties. Ali McCreey placed 45th,
again suffering from penalties. The C1M had a very
exciting day of racing with Liam Jegou, Tokyo Olympian,
finishing second overall in the qualification round with a
stunningly fast run, easily qualifying for the semi final.
Jake Cochrane also joined Liam in the semi final, placing
4th in the second round of qualifying. Robert Hendrick
came unstuck with penalties in his second run, finishing in
26 place overall.
Saturday then, was showtime. Semi finals, finals and
medals to be won. Noel Hendrick, first off in the K1M semi
final, put down a very solid run, placing him shy of the top
15 final, in 21st place. Racing again later in the day with
Eoin Teague and Ali McCreery in the K1M team event, Noel
joined his team mates in a 12th place finish, suffering
penalties in a very difficult race.
Sunday again was another big day with medals up
for grabs in the C1 class. Jake, off early in the semi final,
put down a storming run, just slipping off a wave at the
bottom of the course and having to paddle back up the
eddy costing him time and a probable place in the final.
None the less finishing in an excellent 12th place. Liam
Jegou off late in the semi final, couldnt recover from early
penalties and finished in 15th.
The highlight of the competition came later in the
afternoon where the Irish C1 Men took a silver medal in the
team race, behind the Slovenian Team, the newly crowned
European Champions. Liam Jegou, Jake Cochrane and
Robert Hendrick put together a very solid run to take
Irelands first team medal in a long time, doing so on what
was a very difficult course. Having been the second team
off in the race the 3 Irish athletes had a nervous wait,
watching teams including World, European and Olympic
Champions fall victim to the difficulty of the course in
Prague, and only being beaten to the gold by a strong
Slovenian team featuring the newly crowned individual
European Champion, Benjamin Savsek.
WORLD CUP, SZEGED
After the recent slalom action, canoe sprint made a very welcome return to international
competition. The season kicked off with a World Cup race in Szeged, Hungary, which ran from
the 25th-27th of September.
Team Ireland had only one competitor attending- Barry Watkins. Barry raced in the the K1 500m and 1000m.
While many teams had elected to not travel to the event due to Covid, the field was still awash with heavy
hitters; world, European and Olympic champions. The first race of the event for Barry was held on the Friday
morning with the blue ribbon K1 1000m. Conditions on the morning were very difficult, with a strong headwind
blowing which slowed down the race times. The conditions resulted in a choppy course which made it hard to
run smoothly on. In the 2nd heat of the qualifying round Barry battled through these conditions to come home
in 3min:58.7s to take 5th place in his heat. This resulted in achieving qualification into the afternoons
semi-final. Conditions were no better for the 500m later in the morning, with Barry finishing the tricky race in
1min:56.2s to take an impressive 2nd in his heat and another semi-final spot.
The conditions did not improve for the afternoon’s semi-finals which saw Barry having to race harder
again, battling conditions which were not to his favour or liking. In the 1000m semi-final Barry made what was
a characteristic strong finish to come across the line in 4min:01.92s, 4.09 seconds from a spot in the final.
This result meant that Saturday’s B final in the 1000m awaited. The 500m provided a similar story, Barry
made a late surge to finish in 5th place in an extremely competitive semi-final, featuring 2 athletes who would
go on to take medals in the A Final. These were Fernando Pimenta (POR) and Balint Kopasz (HUN).
Finals day on Saturday provided significantly better conditions, which proved to be a big boost for Barry.
In the B Final of the 500m Barry put in another massively strong finish, picking off the entire field to win the B
Final in a time of 1min:44.36s. This left the Kildare native and Salmon Leap CC member in 10th overall position
for the World Cup. It was to be a very difficult day from there on with a very short turn-around to get recovered
and ready to race the 1000m B Final which was half an hour later. In the B Final Barry would go on to finish 6th
in a time of 3min:52.26s.
As always in sport it was a weekend of ups and downs with some great racing on display from our Irish
athlete, and definitely a long overdue return to competition.
22 23

Gрe Coр
IS WINNER OF THE CARMICHAEL
GOOD GOVERNANCE AWARD 2020
Receives Dormant
Account Funding
ANNUAL REPORT
We at Canoeing Ireland were extremely pleased to earlier this year release our
2019 Annual Report. The report reminds us of some excellent results and big
wins achieved during 2019. From the 60th Anniversary race of the Liffey
Descent to qualifying 2 boats for the Tokyo Olympic Games, it was also a year
of growth and development for the organisation with an increase in staffing
and huge strides in the area of diversity and inclusion, not least the fantastic
success of the Bridge the Gap programme.
Canoeing Ireland CEO, Moira Aston, commented, “I welcome the publication of
the Canoeing Ireland Annual Report. 2019 was a very positive year for our
Sport and the contents of the report give us an opportunity to reflect on and
celebrate our achievements.”
The content of the report is a testament
to the excellent leadership and strategic
direction of the board.
The prestigious Good Governance Awards recognises
and encourages adherence to good governance by
non-profit organisations in Ireland. The awards were
developed by Carmichael who are a leading specialist
training and support body for non-profits in Ireland
with the support of their partner organisations and
leading national bodies in the non-profit sector.
The Governance Improvement Initiative award
recognises measures that have been taken by
Canoeing Ireland in the last 12 months to improve
the quality of its overall governance. Entrants for
this award had to submit their governance initiatives,
setting out the governance issues they addressed,
the actions they took and the impact that this has
had for the organisation.
The full document is available to read
here on our website
https://www.canoe.ie/2020/09/29/
canoeing-ireland-2019-annual-report/
W
e are delighted to have been included in the list of
recipients of a €7.3 million package of investment
for various sport and physical activity
programmes across the country. Canoeing
Ireland was awarded a total €84,235 to enable us
to run programmes to engage with
disadvantaged communities and those with
disabilities across 4 areas:
- Sports Inclusion Disability Programme – €11,235
- Volunteer Training and Support €15,000
- Youth Leadership – €8,000
- Community and Disability Projects – €50,000
We are now looking forward to implementing projects
in these areas to bring the benefits of sport and
physical activity to disadvantaged communities,
and those with disabilities, through paddlesports
and getting people on the water.
Moira Aston, the CEO of Canoeing Ireland,
commentated “We are delighted to have been awarded
substantial funding to progress our work across a
number of strategically important areas for Canoeing
Ireland. I would like to thank Sport Ireland for their
continued support”
The President of Canoeing Ireland, Brian
Ogilivie, also said “Canoeing Ireland’s inclusion in the
awarding of this funding is massively appreciated, and
we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Sport
Ireland. The area of inclusion is of high importance
to us, and with the awarding of this funding we can
provide greater opportunities to get these
communities active and involved in paddlesports.”
We would like to extent our thanks and gratitude
to Sport Ireland and the Department of Media,
Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht
for their support with this funding.
Photographer : Nancy Geary
AWARDS SCHEME REVIEW
We are pleased to also publish the 2020 Awards Scheme Review. The report
provides an analysis and evaluation of the Canoeing Ireland Awards
Scheme. Methods of analysis include consultation with users and
stakeholders and benchmarking against international best practice. Further
information on methods used to gather data and the respondent
demographics can be found throughout the document. Results of data
analysed show that while it is recognised by stakeholders that the Awards
Scheme content and delivery is meeting the needs of the community, there
are areas for improvement which are listed in the document.
“The Board of Canoeing Ireland welcomes
the publication of the Awards Scheme
Review and its recommendations. We would
like to thank our members and stakeholders
who contributed to the report and everyone
who was involved in its preparation,
evaluation and analysis.”
WATER SAFETY CAMPAIGN
This summer didn’t look like any of us expected, and as
a result we saw a massive increase in the number of
people staying in Ireland and exploring our beautiful
coastline and waterways. With the increase in activity
levels this summer we partnered with the RNLI and
Water Safety Ireland to run a safety campaign aimed
at new entrants to the sport to make sure everyone
getting out on the water did so in the safest manner
for them, their families, and the emergency services.
The ‘Paddle Safe’ campaign was focussed on 6 key
safety basics which, when adhered to, would give
beginners and even experienced paddlers the safest
experience in their boat, or on their board. The
campaign itself and the partnerships with the RNLI
and Water Safety Ireland were a great success,
building great relationships with these organisations
to help promote safety for all water users. We would
like to thank both the RNLI and Water Safety Ireland
for their support in the ‘Paddle Safe’ campaign.
The full Awards Scheme review is available
to read here on our website
https://www.canoe.ie/2020/10/29/
awards-scheme-review-2020-2/
24 25

LIFFEY
DESCENT
1961
1963 1975
With the unprecedented conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,
the 2020 Liffey Descent was very unfortunately cancelled. This decision
was made both for the safety of all participants and volunteers. We also
wanted to ensure that the race, when held, would provide the best racing
experience for all participants.
To make sure we all still get a taste of the Liffey Descent this year let’s look
back at the fantastic history of this race and why it is the highlight of the
Irish racing calendar every year.
1976 1982 1988
Roger Greene
RIP
This year the paddlesport community also lost a
pioneer of our sport. Roger Greene, a member of
Dun Laoghaire Canoe Club, won the first three
Liffey Races 1960-62. Roger became a great
volunteer in the sport as well, helping to organise
the early Liffey Descent races.
Roger Greene passed away peacefully on the 17th
September. Our sympathies go out to Rogers
Family & Friends.
1999 2004
2010 2019
26 27

FREESTYLE
The inaugural Southeast Freestyle
Fest took place on August 15th.
This grassroots event, organised
by Southeast Freestyle and
friends, gathered over 50 paddlers to a blue
skied Suir Blueway in Clonmel for a
combination of Elite, intermediate, novice
and junior freestyle, boaterX and SUP.
Although there was a large representation of the Irish junior and
senior freestyle squad hungry for competition in this unusual year,
the vibe on the day was craic first results second.
Having said that the boater X races, which were run in
playboats on the slalom course, were ruthless, and hard-fought.
Before the Freestyle finals the gentle sport of SUP, used for
everything from sightseeing to yoga, was given a freestyle make
over with more shouting than meditation.
One of the special parts of the event was the large number
of Women and Junior participants, which can be attributed to the
number of and range of clinics run by Southeast freestyle in
Clonmel over the summer. Not only do we have enough juniors for
three Southeast freestyle squads when this pandemic is over, we
have more women involved in the sport in Ireland than we have
ever before.
The main event took place in the Fish boxes and did not
disappoint, the competition was fierce and the large number of
spectators, many of whom were locals watching freestyle for the
first time, were not disappointed.
The event borrowed an alternative format of competition
from the Salt Kayak Fest in Spain where they go through to a head
to head final. We put U12's up to elite classes in head to head
finals to battle it out for the titles. We had 10 classes compete in
this way with 1 run and only 35 seconds to win. One of our more
exciting finals came in the U12 class with local brothers Jack and
Tony O'Brien battling it out for bragging rights, Our junior girls final
was hard fought between Beibhin Butler and Brianna O’Loan, with
the local Beibhin taking the win on home waters. In the U'18's class
rising prodigy Mark Kearney took the win in what is to be his last
junior event before joining the men's division. In the women's
classes, UCC paddler Eilish Kennedy took naming rights over rival
UCC paddler Ali Hill. Aisling Brennan won the elite women's class,
narrowly defeating Aisling McCarthy. Reigning Irish champion Aoife
Hanrahan watched on feigning injury due to nerves. (Or maybe it
was actually some nerve damage, I don't remember). Anyway, the
highly coveted elite men's title was taken by David McClure,
narrowly defeating Irish legends Tom Dunphy and Len Kelleher in
the semi's and finals respectively. It might have helped that David
organised, judged and scored the rides, but fortunately no-one
questioned that at the time.
The event was a huge success that will become a permanent
fixture on the Irish freestyle calendar. The success was due to the
hard work of many people, Mick Butler first and foremost for letting
us use his town and his river to host the event. Sean Kearney,
James O'Connor. Stephen Happe and Aoife Hanrahan deserve a
special mention for their help in putting on this event. A moment of
appreciation to our supporters Tipperary sports Partnership, The
Canoe Centre, SurfEars, Immersion Research, Dewerstone and
Canoeing Ireland for helping us make sure the event was well
supported and turned out great.
Stay safe and we’ll see ye all next year.
Photographers : Anthony Hawkins, Nancy Geary
Written by David McClure
28 29

IVAN BARRETT
van Barrett has been actively
volunteering as a kayak coach and
instructor for 23 years as member
of Malahide Sea Scouts and ICanoeing IreIand.
Malahide Sea Scouts have over 750 active members across all
ages and categories. The canoeing members are active members
of Canoeing Ireland and participate in the different disciplines and
engage with the award system through constantly developing
individual skills and a best practice culture for safety on the water.
Ivan’s volunteering is founded on a passion and dedication
to teaching canoeing to kids. He strives to provide a safe and fun
environment with a tireless energy, exemplary professionalism and
positivity. On an almost weekly basis, Ivan leads the cubs, scouts
and scout leaders on sessions to the ‘Arches’ – a well-known tidal
area on Broadmeadow River at Malahide. He also leads river trips
across the country and brings scouting groups to the various
events such as Junior Paddle Fest, Scout Liffey Descent, Liffey
Odyssey, Galway-fest and Crana-fest. His generosity extends to
regularly inviting other scout groups, for example, Skerries and
Raheny, to sessions and river trips.
Over the last 10 years Ivan has helped train
and deliver the Canoeing Ireland instructorship
programme to over 50 Scouters across Ireland.
At one stage the leadership of kayaking in DCU,
UCD, TCD were all past members of Malahide
Sea Scout group. Ivan and Robert McKernan
(also an active kayaker and long standing
volunteer with MSS) are currently leading a
concerted effort to progress the scouts and
leaders through the Canoeing Ireland award
system to strengthen and broaden the skills and
expertise throughout the group.
Ivan also responds to calls to volunteer on
various sea and river swims, and also participates
in charity work within Scouting Ireland.
Did Ivan save the day preventing the
imminent collapse of the railway bridge at the
Arches? Whilst it might be a stretch to suggest
this, the regular weekly sessions lead to the
observations highlighting the imminent danger.
Arising out of this incident was the building of the
ramp underneath which has provided a slide and
wave/hole for kayaking. Ivan has been spotted
lovingly brushing down and cleaning the slide of
weed and molluscs.
Ivan has undoubtedly lead and contributed
greatly to providing the environment for kids to
enjoy, learn and develop canoeing skills and
expertise. The evidence is in the numbers that
actively kayak in Malahide Sea Scouts, and the
numbers of events that they participate in across
the country. His infectious enthusiasm has
sucked in leaders that want to kayak or that have
kayaked in the past and want to get going again.
Further evidence includes the past members of
Malahide Sea Scouts that have represented
Ireland in Freestyle, Surf and Canoe Slalom.
Covid-19 couldn’t hold Ivan back. Within
the guidelines he managed to coordinate and
deliver a programme that included a successful
#BeActive Paddle day as part of Canoeing
Ireland’s campaign during the European-wide
week of sport late summer.
Ivan Barrett has a huge enthusiasm for
kayaking and is utterly selfless, with the great
majority of his kayaking time devoted to providing
the right environment for the introduction and
development of canoe sport to young kids and
adults in Malahide Sea Scouts and further afield.
He represents the very best of canoe sport and
scouting. He is an ambassador for the sport and
epitomises what volunteering is all about. He is a
fun canoeist, coach and leader.
What about his family? Well, he is a
granddaddy now (congratulations Ivan!) and what
is the betting he’ll have a nappy-clad babóg
bouncing on his spraydeck surfing the Arches?
Written by Coran Kelly
30 31

LIAM JEGOU