Donegal brothers once again win Ireland’s largest currach race
Battling a field of 19 boats and over 60 crew members, the trio of Simon, Ronan and Michael Ó Domhnaill were first across the finish line on Saturday afternoon at the Three Island Challenge in Skerries
The Ó Domhnaill brothers from Gweedore have again claimed victory in Ireland’s largest traditional currach race, the 2025 Three Island Challenge, held this weekend in the Dublin town of Skerries.
Battling a field of 19 boats and over 60 crew members, the trio of Simon, Ronan and Michael Ó Domhnaill were first across the finish line on Saturday afternoon, repeating their success of 2023, taking home the Denis Guiney Perpetual Cup, first awarded in Skerries in 1959.
Second place went to Kilrush Currach Rowing Club, racing in Na Breathnaigh, while local pride was secured by Currachaí na Sceirí, whose team in Meabh took third.
The first all female crew to cross the finish line was the team from Tullaghan Bay Rowing Club in Erris, Co. Mayo, made up of Kathleen Doocey, Emma Gaughan and Lorraine Keane. The club, founded on the salmon fishing heritage of Tullaghan Bay, combines currach and coastal rowing and has become a beacon for traditional maritime sports in the West.
A standout moment in the race came in the Work Currach category, where Crosscare Youth Services rowed a 40-year-old currach, newly restored by inmates of the Mountjoy Prison Training Unit, to victory in the Working Currachs category.
And the second all female team to cross the finish line was the Pink Ribbon team from Kilrush Currach Rowing Club. The 20 year old boat was recently restored in bright pink fiberglass, in support of the Pink Ribbon campaign - an initiative to raise awareness of breast cancer and promote support for women affected.
The Three Island Challenge, hosted by Currachaí na Sceirí, is a 7km currach race that circles Colt, St. Patrick’s and Shenick Islands, with each crew required to land and retrieve a flag on Shenick before making a final sprint back to the South Strand. The event has grown from a one-day race into a full weekend festival of currach racing, heritage boat displays, music, food, and family-friendly activities.
“This year’s race brought together the past, present and future of currach rowing,” said Teddy Otto, captain of Currachaí na Sceirí. “It’s been an honour to host such incredible crews, and to be part of this celebration of traditional Irish craft, athleticism and community spirit.”