Gormley meets rowing club amid fears for town’s weir

ARE members of one of Ireland’s leading rowing clubs “green” enough to think John Gormley will rescue them from the rare lamprey? Time will tell.

The Minister for the Environment was electioneering in Fermoy, Co Cork, yesterday where he fulfilled a promise to meet members of the town’s 125-year-old rowing club who are in a right tizzy about the lampreys.

It’s hard to imagine that these little eel-like creatures, which grow to about 30cm, could sound the death knell of the club which has spawned Olympian rowers Gearoid Towey and Denis Rice. But it’s actually true.