Gaoth Dobhair brothers aim for Skerries Three Island Challenge defence
A team of brothers from Gaoth Dobhair are aiming to win the annual Three Island Challenge in Skerries for the fourth time.
A team of brothers from Gaoth Dobhair are aiming to win the annual Three Island Challenge in Skerries for the fourth time.
Simon, Ronan, and Michael Ó Domhnaill have won the sea-based event in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and enter this year’s event, taking place on June 28 and 29, as reigning champions.
The Three Island Challenge takes place over a 7km course, looping around three islands off the mainland, with each team racing to collect a flag before the final sprint back to the South Strand in Skerries.
Teams race in currach boats, a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame.
For this year’s event, currach crews from Clare, Cork, Down, and the USA will aim to topple the Ó Domhnaill brothers as champions.
The Skerries Three Island Challenge differs from other regattas in that it is open to all types of currachaí, including two, three, and four-hander boats, with a handicap system being applied.
The race is a showcase not just of athleticism, but also of the many different crafts involved in traditional Irish boats.