By Julie McLaughlin
A local organisation is keeping historic traditions alive through currach racing. The Carlingford Lough Currach Club hosted its 20th annual Irish International Currach Championships this past weekend in Warrenpoint. The event provided an opportunity for currach enthusiasts from near and far to come together and, for some, to test out their racing skills in Carlingford Lough.
This Weekend’s Events
The festivities began with an informal meet and greet at The Posh Pig Bar and Bistro in Warrenpoint on Friday night, before the opening heats of the International Currach Championships kicked off on Saturday. The finals were held on Sunday, with trophies handed out afterwards.
A variety of teams from across Ireland took part, including Kilrush, Eastwall (Dublin), Skerries, Donegal, and Connemara. Competitors also came from as far away as the United States and Australia. Among this year’s winners were the female trebles team of Madonna Jones (Carlingford Lough Currach Club), Shauna Johnston, and Mairead O’Brien (Kilrush Currach Club); and the male trebles race was won by brothers Simon, Ronan, and Michael Ó Domhnaill (Gweedore Currach Club). The mixed doubles title went to husband-and-wife team Stephen and Mairead O’Brien from Kilrush.
“For the past two years, in addition to individual winners of the women’s and men’s singles, doubles, and trebles races, we’ve had an award called Rower of the Championships,” explained Dermot Russell, chairperson of the Carlingford Lough Currach Club. “This year, the winner was Mairead O’Brien from Kilrush.”
To mark the 20th anniversary, the club formally named the perpetual award the Tom ‘Baker’ McCann Award for Rower of the Championship. “The Council supplied the beautiful glass bowl with Tom’s name on it and it was presented on the beach by the vice-chair of Council, Cllr Geraldine Kearns,” Dermot said.
New Members Welcome
As part of this year’s championships, the Carlingford Lough Currach Club hosted Family and Community ‘Come and Try It’ sessions on Thursday at the foreshore beside the Warrenpoint Baths for those interested in learning more about currach boats. “We provide ‘Come and Try It’ sessions for families and groups to encourage new members,” Dermot said.
The club currently has over 40 members, but is always open to welcoming more. Based in Warrenpoint in a building leased from the Council and known locally as the Boathouse, the club trains year-round—even in winter—two to three times a week. “We are tidal and therefore go out when the water is well in; otherwise, you’re up to your elbows in glar,” Dermot added.
Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, enthusiasm for the sport remained strong. “For most of Covid we were out on the water, in line with restrictions at the time. Because of the nature of the outdoor activity, our membership actually grew during that period,” he explained.
In addition to the annual championships, club members also race at events throughout Ireland, including the Skerries Three Island Race and competitions in Doonbeg. “We have some advanced rowers who compete throughout Ireland, and this helps attract others to our own event,” said Dermot. “We also had a team racing in the USA through the Albany Irish Currach Club, based on the Hudson River, with whom we have a long-standing connection.”
Club Founder and Legacy
This tradition of currach racing in Warrenpoint and the Irish International Currach Championships can be traced back to Tom ‘Baker’ McCann, a local resident who passed away in December 2023. Around the turn of the century, Tom acquired four currachs in Donegal and brought them back to Warrenpoint.
Dermot explained there had been some “ad hoc rowing and activity in the Lough” before Tom helped formalise the efforts into a club. The early years included races across the Lough, including to Omeath, promoted by Tom and other locals. One of them was the late Michael Durkin, a local schoolteacher who worked closely with Tom to grow this new activity in the area.
The club was originally named the Warrenpoint Currach Club, but after a couple of years, the name was changed to the Carlingford Lough Currach Club. “The thinking was that it better reflected where we do most of our rowing—out on the shared space of Carlingford Lough. And Tom, of course, always had his eye on the bigger picture,” Dermot said.
As the club grew in strength and began winning races, Tom was delighted to see his vision coming to life. Over the years, he also established a connection with the Albany Irish Rowing Club in New York, which eventually led to the founding of the annual Irish International Currach Championships.
“As Chair of the Carlingford Lough Currach Club, I would like to thank the Albany Irish Rowing Club for attending our championships over the past 20 years—particularly the support from Mikey Conners and Dick Adair,” Dermot said.
Tom was also active in many other community initiatives. “He was always keen to promote the welfare and interests of people in Warrenpoint, and this was evident in his involvement in many voluntary community-based groups—too numerous to mention over the years,” Dermot said. “He also developed great lobbying skills and became an expert in drawing down funding for many of these groups.”
Tom was an inaugural member of the Crotlieve DEA Committee and received an award from the local council in recognition of his service to the community. Dermot concluded, “If success in life means making a positive difference to others, we, in the Carlingford Lough Currach Club, confirm that Tom succeeded in th
