Be Suir to remember it - water means everything to the sport of rowing in Tipperary

Aficionados of rowing would have been keeping an eye on last weekend’s Oxford/ Cambridge Boat Race where Cambridge maintained their rich vein of form, winning both the men’s and women’s races convincingly. This may have been in part due to Oxford’s inability to carry out a full training programme on the water because of regular flooding on the Thames, much like our own situation in Clonmel where the River Suir has been in flood for most of the winter.

The Boat Race generated a lot of headlines around the world in the week preceding the event, as the water in the Thames was found to be heavily polluted with E. coli from sewage. The rowers were warned not to throw the cox into the water, as is customary for the winning crew, because of the danger of gastroenteritis.

So how does the river Suir stack up in terms of pollution and suitability for water sports? Active rower and environmental scientist with Tipperary County Council, Ruth Hennessy, assures us that water quality on the Suir is fairly good these days. 

There are some localised issues on some stretches from wastewater, but overall the water from Newcastle to Clonmel is deemed to be satisfactory. Areas for improvement include the reduction of nitrates from the agricultural sector. The river Suir is a marvellous amenity for the people in Tipperary and beyond, so let’s strive to maintain and improve the water quality in our watercourses.

TABLE QUIZ

CRC held a very successful quiz in Carey’s Bar on Thursday last. We are indebted to our generous sponsors, who donated spot prizes for the raffle and especially indebted was club captain Alan Prendergast, who won his fair share of Easter eggs. All in all it was a great social occasion for one and all.

REGATTA SEASON

The regatta season kicks off this weekend with Neptune Regatta on Saturday and Commercial Regatta on Sunday, both taking place in Islandbridge.