‘Magnificent seven’ dragons all set to compete at world championships in Germany

SEVEN of Carlow’s dragon boat paddlers are set to make sporting history when Ireland fields its first-ever team at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Germany later this month.

The Irish senior women’s dragon boat team will compete at the 17th IDBF championships in Brandenburg from 14-20 July, marking a milestone moment for the sport in Ireland. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the strong Carlow connection – seven members of the national squad hail from the county.

Among them is Anita Comerford, a Dublin-based Carlow native who has been dragon boating for 13 years and is a long-standing member of the Carlow Dragon Boat Club. She will compete as a paddler alongside fellow Carlow club members Allison Harper, Hilda Byrne and Valerie McDonagh. The team also includes Valerie Robinson as helm (the person who steers from the back) and Jane Tynan as drummer.

The Carlow contingent extends beyond the water, with Rathvilly’s Mick Doyle serving as coach and Susan Dundon, also from the club, taking on management duties.

“It’s a complete honour to be able to wear the jersey to represent the country,” Anita told The Nationalist. “It’s the very first time Ireland has been represented at the world competitions. We’ve done Europeans before, but we’ve never competed at world level. Just to be on that first team going for that world level is mind-blowing really.” 

The selection process was rigorous, with 28-30 athletes competing in time trials in Athy in March. The final team was chosen based on performance in both ergometer (paddling machine) and single boat time trials, along with technical paddling ability.

Dragon boating arrived in Ireland in 2010, starting with the Pleurabelle Paddlers breast cancer survivors team in Dublin. The sport has since grown to include clubs across the country, accommodating everyone from recreational paddlers to competitive athletes across all ages, with junior programmes now starting from age eight.

For Anita, who first tried the sport in her 30s after being invited by a colleague from the Coombe Hospital, the journey to international competition has required intense dedication. Current training involves daily gym sessions, single boat training and big boat sessions three times a week.

“You do have to be very dedicated,” she explained. “It does take up a lot of time, but for the level that we’re at now, it’s every day.” 

The sport itself involves teams of paddlers working in perfect synchronisation in 40-ft boats (or 30-ft boats for this competition) with the front two paddlers setting the pace for the rest of the crew. Success depends on technique, timing and teamwork – qualities that the Carlow contingent has in abundance.

“We’re strong of mind and body,” Anita noted about the Carlow representation. “We have that will to do well. In fairness to the Carlow club, we’ve always been quite strong when it comes to competition. We are quite determined and we work very well together as a team.” 

The team will compete on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during the championships, which will feature approximately 4,500 athletes from 1,900 crews. Supporters back home will be able to follow the action through a live stream broadcast.

As a non-Olympic sport, the team receives no funding from Sport Ireland, making the achievement even more impressive as it’s entirely self-funded. The athletes are currently fundraising to help cover travel, entry fees and equipment costs.

Ireland previously competed at European level, with the first European championships taking place in Rome in 2016. This world championships appearance represents the next step in Irish dragon boating’s evolution and is a proud moment for the sport nationwide.

For the seven representatives from Carlow, it’s validation of years of dedication and training and proof that determination and teamwork can take you to the highest levels of international competition.

The fundraising link is at: www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/DragonBoatIreland.