Irish Examiner view: Rowing in behind hero Damian Browne

Journey from New York to Galway took 112 days and he rowed over 3,450 miles

Former professional rugby player Damian Browne, his wife Rozelle Bothma, and daughter Elodie are greeted by crowds as he arrived in Galway on Tuesday. Picture: Niall Carson

Damian Browne’s achievement in rowing from New York clear across the Atlantic got its due on Tuesday when he was welcomed by hundreds in Galway docks.

The facts and figures of Browne’s journey are staggering: The journey took 112 days and he rowed over 3,450 miles. When emergency services personnel rescued him as his boat was driven onto the rocks on the Galway coast, he hadn't spoken to another person in 98 days.

Taking on a journey like Browne’s is a massive undertaking, with huge logistical demands on one hand, and the worries and concerns of family and friends on the other. 

It’s heartwarming to learn that charitable causes will benefit as a result of his efforts. Over €44,000 has been raised for the Galway Simon Community, Ability West, Madra, and the National Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation.

There are more diffuse benefits also. Browne’s feat has a simplicity to it — rowing across an entire ocean — which impresses itself immediately and clearly on people. The goal is well-defined, the result is obvious, and that result has a positive power to it which is empowering.

At a time when the news is consistently dismal and dreary, the story of someone choosing to test himself to his limits can offer welcome affirmation, an example we can all draw sustenance from.