Rowing in a new direction

Early risers will notice keen young rowers from Athlone Boat Club and coaches on the Shannon just after 6.30am several mornings a week.

It's a clear sign of an active and progressive club boasting some 150 members, 100 of which are juniors, looking to the future.
Now, Athlone Boat Club is bidding to bring its infrastructure up to modern standards too, with major plans for a new €300,000 clubhouse, and has recently launched a new monthly development draw to help realise that aim.
Very much a family club, it is one of Ireland's oldest – 181 years young – and last year enjoyed probably its most successful to date. Members are hoping this move for improved facilities and equipment is one the Athlone community will recognise the value of and support.
“We saw that our facilities were not fit for purpose. We're running out of boat space, we're making racks that roll in and out everytime you go down to the club so that we can create space. 
“And the structure itself has been flooded twice so there's cracks appearing, the whole thing has been undermined by age and flooding so we really need to do something,” Paul Gallen, Safety Officer/Development Officer explains, adding that the new facilities will allow the club to expand where there are hampered at present.
To coincide with the 180 years celebrations last year, the club worked on a strategy to take them up to 2020, focusing on improving competitive rowing, but also expanding membership to adult beginners, parents and recreational rowing, something it maintains could provide a tourism boost in the years ahead by offering an active holidays.
However, the biggest plank of the vision is the upgrade of the current Athlone Boat Club building on Accommodation Road, which dates back to the 1960s. The upgrade is planned in three phases which it's aimed to complete in the summer of three consecutive years. 
“While the facilities 20 years ago were enough for what we were doing, now things have moved on. Equipment has got better, it's more expensive and needs more protection. To safeguard that, a development like this has to happen now,” President of the club Mark Egan explains, adding that will be more scope with this development to target recreational rowers, those who have never sat in a boat, who can take out a bigger recreational boat and develop a love for the sport.
Phase one will focus on flood defences and the building foundations, according to Paul Gallen, who stresses that the current building is dilapidated and the new design will improve the appearance of the promenade.
“The foundations of the club are very poor so they have to be pile driven. During that process we can also flood defence the club as well. 
“Stage two would be the two-storey structure, so you would have the shell going over the two storey structure and then put in the first floor but we may not have the funding to kit it out at that stage. What we'll have then is a boathouse without all the facilities.
Stage 3 involves kitting out the first level and putting in the facilities, including a gym, changing rooms and possibly a meeting room. Completing stage two will require €300,000. The club has €180,000 in capital grants but needs to fundraise the €120,000 shortfall.
Thankful for their support to date, the club is now hoping the public will get behind this ambitious project and support their fundraising bid.
“We're hoping to start (phase one) in August but we need the club to survive during the development as well. We'll have a lot of boats that will need to be removed which is another logistical nightmare,” he said.
If you want to support the club's efforts you can do so for just €10 a month, the first draw will commence after prizegiving at the annual Athlone Regatta on June 16 and monthly thereafter, with a first prize of €400, 2nd €150 and 3rd €50 on offer. The club also wants to tap into people who came through the ranks in the past and may not still be involved.
For more details, check out www.athloneboatclub.ie or on Facebook. Call Mark Egan 086 3852291.