Coupe de la Jeunesse

- Rowing on Inniscarra Lake
The National Rowing Center on Inniscarra Lake in Co. Cork is to be the venue for the 1999 Coupe de la Jeunesse. The course has grown in recent years, and is consistently used for Irelands major rowing events. Cork City Regatta, with its traditional venue on the Marina, has always been a major sporting event in Cork and one of the major regattas in Irish rowing, featuring the famous leader Trophy. With the development of multi-lane regatta courses, it became imperative that a major rowing centre like Cork needed a top class course to protect the importance of the Cork City Regatta. In 1975, Shandon Boat Club celebrated their centenary and as part of the celebrations, a regatta was held on Inniscarra lake. This was so successful that the IARU allocated the Home Internationals to the course in 1976.

Over the next ten years regattas were periodically held at Farran Woods, Innisleena and on the Dripsey river. The work involved in setting up the course allied to the lack of any permanent facilities told on even the most dedicated enthusiasts, and no regatta was held on the lake for five years. In 1993 the Cork City Regatta and the Irish Rowing Championships were held on the Farran Woods Course, and they have been held there ever since.

The Inniscarra course
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(View fullsize map - 133kb)

The boat house and dock
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- The new Development
Phase one of the new development (including the development of the Regatta Course is to be completed by July, in time for the competition. Further Rowing facilities and a community resource centre, in line with international standards, will be built on the site in coming years. The development is tipped to attract an extra 45,000 tourists anually, on top of the existing 50,000.

- Cork
The Inniscarra reservoir is only a short drive from Cork City, where manyof the South's rowing clubs are based.

Shandon Steeple, Cork

Cork is the second city of the Irish Republic. It is a small city with a population of around 250,000 and a compact city centre. Yet it has all the facilities of a modern city, as befits its status as the commercial, cultural and political capital of the South of Ireland.

The city has a long history, originating as a monastic settlement in the early 17th century. Later, in the 12th century, it became a Norman stronghold when Diarmud MacCarthy surrender -ed to King Henry the 2nd. Evidence of Cork's more recent prosperity as a major trading port for dairy produce is everywhere, as beautiful stone warehouses adorn the quays and elegant buildings line the city's main thoroughfares.

The city has a vibrant social scene, enhanced by the large student population. Quaint pubs, charming cafés and excellent restaurants abound. Cork is also a city of festivals -- The Choral Festival in May, the Cork Folk Festival in September, the Cork International Film Festival and the Guinness Jazz Festival in October and Artsfest in November.

Cork is a city on a human scale and, whatever your reason for visiting, you'll find that it's a friendly, charming place. For contact information on accommodation in and around cork city, goto the accommodation page.

- Where is Inniscarra + How to get here

Click for area map in full - 198kb Click for ireland map in full - 4kb