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This was an extraordinary weekend at the Junior Irish rowing championships which nearly didn't happen at all. The forecast for the both days was for mountainous waves and rain and it was only after a miraculous change of heart by the weather gods that the event went ahead.

As a result Portora dominated the regatta with nine wins three seconds and four third places. These bald facts cover a multitude of stories from over 50 young athletes who braved the heavy conditions and intermittent rain over the two days.

After over twenty years of trying, the Junior 18 men's eight got a bronze medal in a hotly contested final. Galway and Carlow were the favourites and the traditionally strong St Michael's club from Limerick made up the field.

Portora who were a young crew stayed with the pace until 750 metres and then the two first named clubs pulled slightly away.

Portora were then faced with holding off the Limerick men and every man played his part - in rowing there can be no stars as each man is an equal part of the boat including the cox and the team held on for the win.

Relief all round and an emotional return to the slipway showed how much it meant to the men and women from the Erne - supporters and rowers alike.

The future beckons, as it does for the Womens J18 crew who had a similar type of race. They were in the hunt for a silver medal against Commercial from Dublin and St Ignatius College Galway who were the form crew of the year and showed it by leading from the front. But they could not shake off the Portora girls or the Dubliners and on the line there were barely seconds in it.

This showed remarkable progress from a crew who are mostly 16 years of age but began to show serious form on the Erne in training a month ago and on their last spin before Cork did a very fast time. The coaches knew it was on the cards but kept the expectations low key.

The famed Tribesmen crew from Galway were vanquished in the heat so it was game on when the final came.

Portora won the Junior 16 mens and womens eights with relative ease and have now set themselves up as a club with strength in depth. Proof of this follows. The boys won the J14 and 15 single sculls, Stephens and Magwood respectively, and were third in the J16 sculls; The boys won in the J14, J15, J16 quad sculls. Holly Nixon won the J15 womens sculls imperiously and Katie Cromie won the J14 event and nearly won the J14 double sculls with Meghan Madigan.

The boys were second in the J14 double sculls and the girls were second in the J15 quads. A bronze medal early on the Saturday set the tone for the weekend when Karen Craig and Carla Nixon took third place in a field of 15 scullers.

This was momentous as the belief then went through the whole squad that many things were possible. Portora Boat Club, representing six schools, is now a major player in Irish rowing.

They were the most successful club of over thirty clubs and will go from strength to strength. Some rowers won three medals including Evan McClean the young cox, but without good steering and exhortation the fastest crews can lose lengths.

The Little boys from Newtownbutler in the J18 eight were the first Portora brothers in many years to medal at this level. The Nixon girls repeated the formula in the J18 girls eight. Medal crews J18 Men: Gebler, Burns, Andrew Little, Stephens, Humphreys, Thomas Little, Sheridan, Coalter, Byrne. J18 Women: Henry, Carla Nixon, Hamilton, Holly Nixon, Craig, McConville, Dempster, Maguire, St. Ledger.

J16 Eight women Henry, Hamilton, Smith, Howard, McConville Dempster, Maguire, St.Ledger.

J16 Men's Eight: Smith, O'Reilly, Monteith, Houston, Humphreys, Stephens, Prentice, Coalter, Byrne.

J 16 Quad: Humphreys, Prentice, Stephens, Coalter, McClean.

J15 Quad: Magwood, O'Reilly, N O'Reilly, A Monteith, McClean. J14 Quad: Slevin, Edwards, Thornton, Stephens, McClean.