Portora Boat Club travelled to Dublin on Sunday last for the Irish Indoor Rowing Championship at UCD Sports Complex. This annual trek usually produces good results but this year the entry was very big with big numbers in the Junior classes.

Five schools from Enniskillen were represented under the Portora banner. These championships give a good indication of how training is going before the sessions on the water events start in the New Year.

In the Junior 16 event for boys, the Portora young men had nine in the top 30 with William Melanophy and Finn Gebler the two top local boys with very impressive scores.

In the Women's Junior 16 event, over 2,000m, the local rowers were well to the fore with Carla Nixon home just ahead of Nicole Doonan.

Real excitement for home fans came in the Junior 14 events. In the girls' Junior 14, Megan Henry, of Mount Lourdes, won the bronze medal with Alex Hamilton of the same school in fourth place and Holly Nixon of the Collegiate in 5th.

In the boys' Junior 14, Mark Coalter won a gold in a new Irish record but the strength and depth of this age group was shown when James Howdon took silver just ahead of Stephen Prentice in third. These Portora schoolboys were outstanding and in seventh place was young Matthew Monteith, who has another year in this grade – a good prospect.

Naoira Conlon of The Integrated College won the Women's Junior 18 title in a remarkable time of eight minutes 12 seconds with Rebecca Humphries in record place.

A tired but happy bus load arrived back in Enniskillen aware that they were well prepared for the year ahead. This finished the rowing for 2006.

Nearly £3,000 was raised in a recent sponsored row for oars and weights, so, along with some more new equipment, the young people of the Erne will be able to take on the best in Ireland.

Leo Murphy, no relation of Gerry Murphy, but a new addition to the Portora staff, won a bronze medal in the 50–59-year-old age group.