Euan Cradock produced a season’s best to claim bronze at the Irish Indoor Rowing Championships this weekend (17/Jan/2026) in UL. The Junior 15 Mens event had an entry of 70 rowers from all over the country meaning the race had to be run over two separate timetrials. The subsequent results would be combined to get the overall leaderboard. Euan raced in the first heat and was in contention with the leaders right from the off. In the early stages of the race Liam Roche from Garda Síochána Boat Club (Dublin) took a slight lead while Euan and Jasiu Walkowiak of Tribesmen Rowing Club (Galway) battled to stay with the leader, swapping with each other between second and third as the race developed. Meanwhile, another Grammar student, Ben Foley was also racing in the same heat and was doing well to keep his position close to the top in the field of over 40 competitors. Both these students had proved their form at the Sligo Schools Competition last month where Euan won the J16 event with a distance of 1400 meters and Ben also medalled with a 3rd place finish of 1350m. By the half way mark it was clear that the leader had gone off at a blistering pace and although the rest of the field fought hard to chase him down it was the Dublin man Roche who won with a distance of 1463m and the battle for second and third finished with the Galway man Walkowiak scoring 1421m and Sligo man Cradock 1416m. Ben Foley had an epic race finishing in 8th position with a score of 1373m. This was a personal best for the young man and shows continuing improvement after a successful regatta season last year. This first heat of the competition proved the more competitive as the results of the second heat made no change to the standings of the top three rowers. Euan Cradock was delighted with his performance finishing third overall and claiming the bronze medal. Ben Foley also benefitted from being in the faster heat but with the merged scores he did slip down two positions to 10th. Still, with a field of 80 competitors Ben can take pride in finishing in a top 10 position and improving his PB.
Bens older brother Adam was competing later in the day in the J18 Boys competition which is in the format of 2000m distance and racing to get it covered in the quickest time possible. This is most definitely the elite of junior racing with competitors hoping to make a name for themselves in contention for the Rowing Ireland squads. And Adam Foley certainly did shine on the big stage. Adam was going into this competition having recently established a new PB of 6 minutes 40 seconds for this distance. But he knew he would need to step it up again in this crowded field of over 60 elete juniors. First home was Mattias Cogan of Skibbereen Rowing Club in a time of 5 minutes 52 seconds, while Belfast man Harry McCartney of Methodist College Boat Club finished second with a time of 6 minutes and 11 seconds. There was only 10 seconds separating the next eight rowers. Adam was part of this group so he knew he had finished in the top ten but it was only after all the competitors had finished racing and they caught their breaths that the rest of the placings became clear. Harry George of Bann Rowing Club Coleraine secured the third position in a time of 6 minutes 29 seconds. Adam earned himself sixth position overall in a time of 6 minutes 36 seconds. This was an outstanding result as he goes from strength to strength with this new personal best score.
Earlier in the day first year student Oran Reid took on the challenge of the 3 minute timetrial and finished with a very respectable score of 703 meters placing him midway on the leaderboard. Second year Searlan Sibartie took on the 4 minute challenge and scored 990m, again finishing halfway on the leaderboard. Both these students have been training hard since September and have excelled in earning a PB in their respective events. They will be looking to return to Limerick next year to build on the experience gained this weekend.
If you are interested in rowing please come along to our rowing club on Friday after last class in the school gym.
