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Vartry Rowing Club ‘pull like a dog’ for triple medal success 

Flogas sponsored Vartry Rowing Club won one gold and two bronze medals at the 2016 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships in Ballyshannon, Donegal

“Pull like a Dog”, the catchcry of the silver medal-winning Olympians, Paul and Gary O’Donovan, became the catchcry of the weekend as the Flogas sponsored Vartry Rowing Club won one gold and two bronze medals at the 2016 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships in Ballyshannon, Donegal on Friday 12th to Sunday 14th August. 

Coincidentally, Paul and Gary O’Donovan won gold at the same competition when it was held at Courtmacsherry, Cork in 2012.

l/r, Ryan Corcoran, John Paul Corcoran, Kevin Coughlan, Imantas Griegalius and George O’Brien,  gold medal and All-Ireland champions in the Intermediate Mens and Bronze medal winners in the Senior Mens
l/r, Ryan Corcoran, John Paul Corcoran, Kevin Coughlan, Imantas Griegalius and George O’Brien,  gold medal and All-Ireland champions in the Intermediate Mens and Bronze medal winners in the Senior Mens

In the Flogas sponsored boat, ‘Vartry Challenger’, the Vartry crews took on competitors from counties Wicklow, Wexford, Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, Cork, Donegal and Antrim in the various categories, winning gold in the Intermediate Men, and the Bronze in the Celtic Longboat and Senior Men.

George O’Brien, chairman of Vartry Rowing Club, Wicklow said “It was a magical weekend for all of the members of Vartry Rowing Club as the feel-good effect of the O’Donovan brothers’ fantastic feat at Rio had everyone in top form with plenty of goodwill and banter between all the competitors. The quality and standard of racing and organisation was just excellent and we are extremely proud to have taken home three sets of medals from such an outstanding field of competition. We are very grateful to Flogas for all of their support which has given our club a foundation upon which we can grow our club from strength to strength!”

See the Intermediate Mens Race on YouTube