Thanks to the kind generosity of Dublin Port Company who came to our rescue with the sponsorship of our new skiff. This will benefit our members in keeping up with the other clubs on the east coast.

The new skiff was built from the design of the Mhaintain of Wicklow which was the last skiff to be built in Ringsend by the late Harry Smith and the late Patsy Whelan senior who was a young apprentice back then.

Patsy, after serving his time to Harry Smith, went on to build several skiffs and his last skiff that he built with his son young Patsy was the St Patrick’s which in my opinion is the best skiff of recent years. No other skiff has travelled as far and got the success as St Patrick’s.

At the end of the 2008 season it looks like we could see new skiffs for Greystones, St Patricks, Wicklow, Bray and Stella Maris. A great achievement by the clubs to help preserve the rowing tradition along the east coast.

When you take into consideration the cost of building a new skiff, you realise the struggle the clubs have had to raise the funds. It can be a committee’s worst nightmare, but in our case our Chairman Ritchie Saunders approached Enda Connellan, Brenda Daly and Charlie Murphy from Dublin Port Company, who listened to Ritchie on behalf of the youth of our club.

Dublin Port came to our rescue and sponsored the building of our new skiff. They sometimes don’t get the credit they deserve, but I would like to say on behalf of St Patrick’s Rowing Club, members and committee well done to Dublin Port Company without whose very kind generosity this new skiff would not have been possible.

The launch was carried out by Brenda Daly, Father Fergal and Charlie Murphy. A lot of past rowers turned up to be there. It was a great sight to see the new boat carried by them. A past member of the club, Peter Donaldson, was just back from rowing the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Barbados and setting three new World records in a time of 31 days.

Well done to Peter, who was also helped by the Dublin Port Company. It’s great to say a world champion came from our little village, Ringsend.

On behalf of our committee, I would like to thank all the past members and Father Fergal, the local councillor Kevin Humphreys and Chris Andrews TD and Eddie Byrne, Chairman of the Private Boat Owners, and the members from the East Coast Rowing Clubs who attended.

A special thanks to Niamh Barry, who followed in her late Grandfather Tommy Plunkett’s tradition with a great speech to thank Dublin Port for our new skiff, the St Patrick.

It was also nice to see Johnny Gregg, who gave a lot of his time to the club down through the years and Damien Cassidy for his kind speech. A special welcome to our newest member, Erin Lily from Massachusetts USA.