Breast Cancer Dragonboat Club
The resumption today of midweek evening training was a welcome sign of Springtime and of longer days. Two boatloads of Plurabelles headed out on the dock for an intense training session before the sun set over Dublin and our beautiful Grand Canal Dock.
We’re delighted for – and very proud of – Plurabelle Paddler, Marion Egan, who has been announced as the new IBCPC National Representative to Ireland. Marion takes over from Donegal Dragons’ Deborah Bonner. A long-time friend of the Plurabelles, Deborah has done a terrific job in promoting the IBCPC and BCS paddling in Ireland since 2017. The responsibility now rests on the very capable shoulders of Marion – a super paddler, helm and a much-loved and respected member of the Plurabelle Paddlers. The IBCPC is lucky to have Marion on board, as are all BCS paddlers in Ireland. Best of luck in your new role, Marion!
The Plurabelle Paddlers team travelling to Spain for the Barcelona Dragonboat Festival in May 2023 has been announced.
Under Team Managers Margaret Mulcahy (waterside) and Mairead O’Riordan (landside), the 22+ strong team are already training hard for races on both the Saturday (Senior Women’s 500m) and the Sunday (2 x 10 person BCS category).
The Plurabelle Paddlers have their sights set firmly on medal success . . . so, fellow competitors, you have been warned!
The Plurabelle Paddlers were delighted to once again participate in the All In A Row fundraiser that raises money for the RNLI and the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit. The Plurabelle Paddlers joined two Dublin Viking dragon boats and countless rowing boats, kayaks and canoes in a large flotilla that travelled up the River Liffey to the very heart of Dublin City, passing under numerous iconic Dublin bridges, including the Samuel Beckett Bridge, the O’Connell Street Bridge and the Ha’penny Bridge. It was a wonderful experience for the Plurabelles, who not only got to see Dublin City from a very different viewpoint but who also got to experience using the 226-year-old lock to get from the Grand Canal Dock to the nearby River Liffey.
Although it was a bright and crisp start to the day at the Grand Canal Dock, the Plurabelle Paddlers had no time
to enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the dock in the early morning sunshine; they were too busy training hard! But, after all that hard work on the water, a brunch with paddling friends was very welcome indeed, so the hungry Plurabelles gathered en masse for a post-training brunch in a nearby restaurant. It wasn’t just the tasty food that proved to be a winner, but also the opportunity to chat outside the boat and to socialise together.
Despite the lack of fabulous weather, the Pink Regatta was an enormous success. Plurabelle Paddlers came together and
showed wonderful team spirit by
organising and managing a regatta that ran like clockwork. To our delight, over 100 BCS paddlers and additional supporters travelled from all corners of Ireland to the Grand Canal Dock in Dublin for the Pink Regatta. With composite teams comprising paddlers from different dragon boat teams, the Pink Regatta proved to be a fantastic opportunity to paddle alongside old friends and to make new ones.
The regatta had time for reflection too as paddlers and supporters gathered in boats at the dockside for an emotional Flower Ceremony. As the BCS paddlers and supporters threw flowers into the Dock they remembered fellow paddlers, much-loved teammates and friends who had passed away from breast cancer. The Flower Ceremony was a moment to pause in a day that was filled with plenty of good-natured competition, fun and laughter. The Pink Regatta was truly a wonderful day and undoubtedly a highlight of the Plurabelle Paddler paddling year.
Original Sponsors:
Breast Cancer Ireland
HSE Health Promotion Unit Dublin North East
Charities Regulator 20079857
CHY 20152
Company Number 496744