Bring on the Dragons! Fast paced dragon boat racing returns to Donegal Bay

Dragon boat racing at Donegal Town Pier. PHOTOS Blaithín Murphy

placeholder image — Dragon boat racing at Donegal Town Pier. PHOTOS Blaithín Murphy

The Regatta is guaranteed to be a colourful and exciting spectacle

Donegal Dragons is set to host its first dragon boat regatta since 2019 and everyone is invited to come along and witness this wonderful, celebratory spectacle.

Dragon boating is a colourful and exciting sport where teams of 16 paddlers, a helm and drummer compete in fast paced 200m races.

The Donegal Town regatta is so popular that there is a waiting list of teams in the hope that slots will become available should any team be unable to travel.

Participants from all over the world have signed up, including paddlers from Italy, Canada, Australia, England and across Ireland.

Some of the teams are made up wholly or partly of breast cancer survivors who have embraced this sport for its physical and mental health benefits. While this is a fiercely competitive sport on the water, there is phenomenal camaraderie among participants.

The day’s events get underway with the hugely popular Zumba warmup by Sarah Marie from Pinehill Studios.

All teams will then race twice over the course of the afternoon evening, with the fastest securing a place in the final.

This will also be an opportunity for the host club to introduce its youth team, Donegal Dolphins.

As well an exciting racing programme, there will be live entertainment from the fabulous Bluestack Choir and from local musicians.

With hundreds of participants travelling to the area along with family and friends, the event will be a great boost for the local economy.

Indeed, many people who have come to this regatta over the years have returned on holidays with their families, and are always keen to come back and take part in racing.

Donegal Dragons would greatly appreciate local support for their own teams on the day as they take part in this highly competitive regatta.

More information can be found on the Donegal Dragons Facebook page.