GALLERY: Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club hosts Irish Open
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At the Canoe Polo Irish Open Championships, held in Mullingar over the weekend of September 7 and 8, are Joseph Round from the Titans Canoe Polo Club visiting from Scotland, and Conor McIntyre from the host team Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club. (Photo by Noel McIntyre) Noel McIntyreImage 2 of 9
Kilkenny Canoe Polo Club and Wild Water Kayak Club, Palmerstown Weir, Dublin competing in division 1. (Photo by Noel McIntyre) Noel McIntyreImage 3 of 9
Mullingar’s Jack Joyce with the ball and Donnchadh Farrell, Kilcullen Canoe Club. Noel McIntyreImage 4 of 9
Donnacha Flynn from the host club, Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club, and Michael Reid from the Scottish team, Granite City Canoe Polo Club. Donnacha scores to win the Division 1 match. (Photos by Noel McIntyre) Noel McIntyreImage 5 of 9
Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo score against Kilcullen Kiwis in a Division 3 match. (Photo submitted by Gavin Heap).Image 6 of 9
Robert Cain from Titans Canoe Club, visiting from Scotland, leading the charge, and in hot pursuit, members of the host club, Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club, No2 Oscar Swanson and No5 Orla Manning, both from Mullingar. (Photo by Noel McIntyre) Noel McIntyreImage 7 of 9
Patrick MacDonald (No 2) from the host team, Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club, and Michael Reid from the Scottish team Granite City Canoe polo Club. At the throw-in, a sprinter from each team sprints to compete for the ball. (Photo by Noel McIntyre) Noel McIntyreImage 8 of 9
Eoin Sheil (Mullingar) getting ready to score in a game against Kilcock. In background are his team mates Jack Joyce (1) and Dominic Flynn (4). (Photo submitted by Gavin Heap)Image 9 of 9
Mullingar’s Jack Joyce with ball, Connor Joyce (8), Brian Jamieson (5) and Eoin Sheil (8). (Photo submitted by Gavin Heap)More than 300 canoe polo players from across Ireland and the UK descended on Mullingar recently for the Irish Open tournament, which was hosted by the Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club for the first time.
Over the course of Saturday September 7 and Sunday September 8, a total of 37 teams played 130 matches in a weekend of non-stop competitive canoe polo in Mullingar Harbour.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, one of the founders of Mullingar Harbour Canoe Polo Club, Ivan MacDonald, said that the club are delighted with how the event went. Visitors were particularly complimentary about the suitability of the canal harbour for a tournament like this.
Ivan also paid tribute to everyone who contributed to making the event such a success.
“The feedback from visiting teams was that Mullingar is a great venue – the canal harbour is large enough for four pitches and we had great parking facilities at Loreto College and camping at the Coláiste Mhuire, Harbour Field.”
Ivan explained how the tournament was split up into four divisions, Division 4 for novice and beginner players and Division 1 for the top teams.
“We had teams from Wales (Dragon) and Scotland (Granite City) take part in Division 1 and two Scottish teams from Titan take part in Division 2. In terms of Irish players, we had players from all around the country, north and south.
“Our Mullingar club had the biggest representation at the tournament, with 57 players taking part on eight teams. It was our first time our young club took part in Division 1, where we came sixth out of nine teams, a great result for our first showing against more established clubs.
“Our Division 2 team had a great tournament, narrowly missing out on third place in a cliffhanger game against Titans from Scotland that went to extra time, and our Division 3 team, who are all under 14, did brilliantly, coming second of out 17 teams taking part in their division.
“Next for our club is a trip to Scotland, where we have five teams taking part in the Scottish Open.
“Earlier this year we travelled to Lithuania, and also to Hull for the Joy Davis International Canoe Polo tournament, where we had 35 players take part and took first, second and third and ninth out of 15 teams in our division.”