They’re taking the river from under my sport

I RETURNED recently from Beijing where I had the privilege of representing Ireland in rowing for my third Olympic Games.

I was introduced to this sport that I love at the age of 10 on the beautiful River Blackwater in Fermoy, Co Cork.

My rowing career would never have existed if I didn’t have the support of a fantastic local club.

Fermoy RC has been nurturing kids from the area for 125 years, producing two Olympians and giving the opportunity to thousands more to take part in national competitions on rivers all over the country.

Being part of such a community opened my eyes to a whole world of possibilities — it gave me a chance to dream of the big stage and the facilities to exploit my potential to the fullest.

The river upstream of the weir in Fermoy is one of the most scenic places to pursue our sport in this country. The club, and this glorious stretch of river, will soon be a thing of the past if a Government decision to demolish the weir and lower the river is implemented. I ask all those who care about rowing, and all those who care about Fermoy, to take a look at www.savefermoyweir.com and to let their TDs know how they feel about this.

In a time when child obesity is becoming a huge problem in this country, the Government is going to eliminate another option to get our kids involved in healthy pursuits.

Our rowing club is one of the main sports attractions in Fermoy and its demise would keep even more young people indoors playing virtual Olympics rather than being given the chance to try it for real.

Returning from Beijing, the Irish Olympic team was criticised for under-par performances.

One has to wonder how any of us got to the start line at all when we come from a country that is seeking to wipe out some of our main sporting facilities instead of developing them.

Gearóid Towey

Mondrishane

Kilworth

Co Cork