2022/2023 | UL Award: Paddy McHugh (Club Fresher of the Year) |
2021/2022 | UL Award: Paddy McHugh (Club Fresher of the Year) |
2019/2020 | UL Award: Club Individual of the Year |
2019/2020 | UL Award: Paddy McHugh (Club Fresher of the Year) |
2019/2020 | UL Award: Jason Hackett (Outstanding Club Individual) |
2018/2019 | UL Award: Club Event of the Year |
2018/2019 | UL Award: Paddy McHugh (Fresher of the Year) |
2017/2018 | UL Award: Paddy McHugh (Fresher of the Year) |
2016/2017 | UL Award: Paddy McHugh (Fresher of the Year) |
2013/2014 | UL Award: Club of the Year |
2013/2014 | UL Award: Club Event of the Year |
2012/2013 | UL Award: Club of the Year |
2012/2013 | UL Award: Club Event of the Year |
2011/2012 | UL Award: Club Event of the Year |
2010/2011 | UL Award: Jason Hackett (Outstanding Club Individual) |
2008/2009 | UL Award: Club Individual of the Year |
2008/2009 | UL Award: Jason Hackett (Outstanding Club Individual) |
2007/2008 | UL Award: Club of the Year |
2007/2008 | UL Award: Club Event of the Year |
2005/2006 | UL Award: Club Individual of the Year |
2005/2006 | UL Award: Jason Hackett (Outstanding Club Individual) |
2004/2005 | UL Award: Club Individual of the Year |
2004/2005 | UL Award: Club Event of the Year |
2003/2004 | UL Award: Jason Hackett (Outstanding Club Individual) |
2002/2003 | UL Award: Club of the Year |
2001/2002 | UL Award: Jason Hackett (Outstanding Club Individual) |
Posted | 26th Apr 2023 |
Author | Aaron Thompson (Polo Officer) |
Suited and Booted has been a fan favourite in the club, but the event has not run since pre-pandemic. As a club, we wanted to get this event back on the calendar for 2023.
In the past, this event is simply a night of formal dress, usually set in Stables, Scholars or some other local venue, and is a night of socializing, live music and club bonding. This year, we wanted to do something a bit different, we wanted to make the event more of a fundraiser, and incorporate our club awards ceremony, to create a night of glamour, live music and inter-club bonding.
The event was held in Cask, a live music venue in castletroy. Local talent Annabelle Toone was the opening act for the evening, performing live, from 8pm whilst all guests were arriving.
Following Annabelle's performance, we proceeded with the club awards ceremony. These awards are a mix of acrediting the achievements within the club, but also the standout moments over the past semester. Here's the highlight of the main awards;
Once the awards were out of the way, we collaborated with UL DJ Society, and acquired the services of Greg Shiels to provide music for us for the rest of the night. We threw in a few minigames, such as Mr&Mrs, along with raffles.
The event was a huge success, having raised over €700 for the club!!!!!
Huge thanks to everyone who came along and made the night possible.
Posted | 8th Feb 2023 |
Author | Adam Ryan (Captain) |
With the Annual General Meeting finished last night in the Student Life building, there have been several changes to the our constitution, and most importantly; the next committee has been elected. The current committee is still in place, with the hand over being on the last day of the kayaking intervarsities on the 19th of February.
Captain: Aysha Griffin
Secretary: Lily Michaud
Treasurer: Calvin McDonnell
Safety and Technical Development Officer: Rian O'Connell
Assistant Safety and Technical Development Officer: Odran Furlong
Public Relations Officer: Eva McCormack
Equipment Officer: John Flynn
Assistant Equipment Officer: Sean Hogan
Disciplines Officer: Oisín Brady
First Year Representative: Orlagh O'Regan
Trips Officer: Isobel Reidy
Polo Officer: Aaron Thompson
Web Administrator: Luke O'Sullivan
Spare Person: Adam Ryan
Posted | 18th Oct 2022 |
Author | Aaron Thompson (P.R.O.) |
Taking place Wednesday 19th to Friday 21st of week 7, this is an event not to be missed with competitions for everyone, from freshers to intermediate/advanced paddlers.
Proudly sponsored by ICanoe, we have some amazing prizes t give away on Friday evening, at the closing ceremony.
Sign Up Now to secure your place!!!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuQnHmvdgEb6Wr3RULUZ-qUv9gvrYabYRL8vxTGVvkqSGTZQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Polo:
Typical polo, but with our specialist canoe polo boats. Score as many goals as possible to win!!!
BoaterX:
Simple. Its a race!! Ran in heats, just be the first to the finish
Freestyle:
All those fancy tricks you've learned, now is the time to show them off. Everything from waving to the judges to loops will earn points. Person with the most points awarded wins!!
Whitewater:
Its a race against the clock on a section of rapids on Castleconnell Fastest time wins!!!
Long Distance:
It's exactly what it says on the tin. This is a test of endurance and stamina. Ran in heats, just be the first to the finish to win!!!
Event When Where Who Opening Ceremony Wednesday 21:00 Courtyard Everyone! Polo Wednesday 21:45 UL Sports Arena Inter/Advanced Boater X Thursday 10:00 Outback Everyone! Advanced Freestyle Thursday 14:00 Outback Inter/Advanced Fresher Freestyle Thursday 21:45 UL Sports Arena Freshers Whitewater Friday 09:00 Castleconnell Inter/Advanced Long Distance Friday 15:00 Castleconnell to Boathouse Inter/Advanced Closing Ceremony/Awards Friday 18:00 UL Boathouse Everyone!
Posted | 10th Oct 2022 |
Author | Aaron Thompson (P.R.O.) |
PHARMACIA
Tuesday 11th
9pm - 2am
Tickets €8
It's been a few years, but its fantastic to see the ULKC UV Paint Party back on the calendar.
Everyone will be given some UV Paint upon entry. Its up to you what you do with it :)
There are still tickets available. DM us on Instagram to get yours!!!
THIS IS A TICKET ONLY EVENT.
NOTE: UV paint WILL NOT WASH OUT. It's recommended to wear old clothes.
Don't miss out. This will be a night to remember!!!!
Posted | 13th Sep 2022 |
Author | Aaron Thompson (P.R.O) |
Hello everyone and welcome back to ULKC.
For both new and existing members, we are delighted you have decided to join us for the 2022/23 Academic Year.
We have lots planned for the upcoming year, including overnight trips, day trips, competitions and much much more....
For now... here's the schedule.
Pool Sessions:
The pool is the perfect way to learn the basics of kayaking in a warm and safe environment. It's also a great opportunity to meet new people in the club.
Beginner: If you are new to kayaking, then our beginner sessions are for you. Our experienced members will be on hand to get you comfortable in the water and teach you the fundamentals of kayaking.
Advanced: If you've been paddling loads, you're comfortable on the water and want to push your limits, then our advanced sessions are for you. We will work on freestyle techniques, more advanced skills and play some Canoe Polo matches.
Tuesday (Beginner): 9:45 - 10:45pm
Wednesday (Beginner): 9:45 - 10:45pm
Thursday (Advanced): 9:45 - 10:45pm
Whitewater Wednesdays:
Our weekly Whitewater river trips are back for 2022/23. For anyone who doesn't know, this is the opportunity to experience Whitewater Kayaking on our local stretch of the Shannon. We will be commuting to Castleconnel, to get on the river, and will face multiple rapids and river features while on the water. Our experienced members will be on hand to show you the ropes and teach you everything you'll need to know.
Stay tuned for more information!!!!!
This year promises to be bigger and better than ever... so make sure you follow us on on our socials and are keep an eye on our weekly emails so you don't miss out!!!!
We look forward to seeing you on the water really soon!!!
Posted | 13th Jun 2022 |
Author | Fia Coghlan & Aaron Thompson |
THROWBACK TO OUR WEEK 10 TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT!!
The Triwizard Tournament came to life for two important reasons:
1) Harry Potter is amazing;
2) I wanted a competition that everyone, regardless of kayaking ability could win.
We utilized the week 10 pool sessions and made it a week-long event, running 3 events over 3 pool sessions.
The first event was freestyle, where everyone had two 45 second runs to show what they had to offer. Anything Harry Potter related was given extra points. Freestyle is an important kayaking discipline here in Ireland. Also, within the club it is the easiest to practice, through pool sessions and offers the foundations for all the other disciplines.
The second event was boater-cross, a very common whitewater race, where every competitor starts at once. We had balloons in the pool and winning the races involved not only getting the boats across the line, but the unpopped balloon too. The rule for the first race was that the team's balloon couldn't leave the water, which resulted in some very interesting techniques to maneuver the balloon to the finish line. The second race involved keeping the balloon out of the water. It was great to see everyone really taking the rules of boater-cross seriously and trying to find inventive ways to win.
The final event of the week was polo. This is another major discipline the club caters for, but in keeping with the Harry Potter theme, it had to be quittich. We set up a snitch that was a lemon, having first proven it floated:), and then bluggers that were space hoppers.
Overall, it was amazing to see everyone getting involved and all skill abilities able to win!!
The event was such a success that it has now become the Annual Triwizard Tournament.
Thanks a million to everyone who helped out and took part during the week. See you all again next year!!
Posted | 15th Apr 2022 |
Author | Aaron Thompson (PRO) |
After two long years, our famous Alps Trip is finally back!!
The Alps trip has always been a highlight of the year for kayakers. Due to Covid, we haven't been able to travel since 2019 so we are delighted to see this trip back on the calendar.
The Alps is more than just 2 or 3 weeks paddling in Europe.
Its an opportunity to improve your paddling ability at a rate, that would simply not be possible in Ireland. For our experienced paddlers, the Gene17 training camp is an opportunity to become leaders in the club and push their limits on some of the worlds best whitewater rivers. Completing Gene17 has long been a milestone in the club, to graduate from fresher to leader.
Speaking of our freshers, we couldn't just leave them behind. The freshers will get to fly out at the start of the trip's second week, to join in on the action. Throughout the year, our experienced leaders have been watching the newbies learn and develop in the club, to the point where they're confident enough to tackle the Alps rivers. This trip will challenge the club's newest members in new ways, on new rivers surrounded by stunning scenery (even the questionable haircuts).
More than that though, the Alps is a bonding experience. The kayak club is like a family, and spending 2 - 3 weeks together in tents is the best way to bring that family closer together, share memories and make new ones.
Our committee has been hard at work to make all of this possible, and its all falling into place. Counting down the days until we get the sprinter on the road to Europe!!
Posted | 21st Feb 2022 |
Author | Éidín Dowling (Secretary) |
The 2022 Kayak Intervarsities took place on the 18th-20th February in Cork. UCC were this year’s hosts having originally planned to host it in 2021. After cancellation due to COVID-19 UCC had many a storm to fight through to get their event running. However they did a spectacular job. Overall UL Kayak Club had 60 paddlers competing across all the competitions. We left on Friday morning with the Whitewater and freestyle teams heading down first for their heats.
Due to storm Eunice which carried a red warning for Cork, the whitewater race had to be postponed to 2 o clock. Our whitewater team consisted off Éidín Dowling, Eoghan O’Duffy, Kirsten Hand Howard and Adam Kennedy. With a last-minute location change and a battle through sleet, snow, hail and wind, the weekend did not get off to the greatest start. We placed 9th overall but did not let it get us down.
UL came back strong in possibly the coldest freestyle competition ever to run at an intervarsities. Our team (Éidín Dowling, Fia Coughlan, Emma Doyle, Kirsten Hand Howard, Adam Kennedy, and Thomas Nash) really pulled it out of the bag. In the girl’s heat Éidín won gold, Emma won bronze and Kirsten and Fia came 5th and 7th! Adam Kennedy managed to place 4th in an extremely competitive men’s competition and Thomas Nash placed 19th. Overall, the team placed 1st out of all the colleges, placing UL back at the top in the discipline.
After a class night in the Old Oak our polo team were up at 6am to head out the Ballyhass mallow. Competition was extremely tough but UL managed to win 2 games in the prelims, making it to the quarter final. Unfortunately we were knocked out in quite a well matched game against trinity. The polo team really smashed it in not the best of conditions. The pizza in Ballyhass made it all worthwhile.
In the afternoon it was time for the largest event of the competition, long distance. Hundreds of paddlers from all of Ireland took on the course in Ballyhass in boats of all shapes and sizes. UL’s 60 competitors really did us proud. The course consisted of 4 laps of the Ballyhass lakes for high performance categories and 2 laps for general purpose. We came back with 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 2 bronze as well as having multiple paddlers in the top 10. The freshers in particular did a stand out job. After loading all 60 boats into our trailers and the sprinter we were delighted to hear that once again we had placed first as a college in long distance above the others. If it were not for the training and dedication of our members on outback before the competition, this would not have been possible.
Last but not least was the boater x. Taking place on Sunday morning on the river lee, there were many groggy heads but the UL team used this to our advantage. All 3 of the girls in the competition (Jill Pitcher Farrell, Fia Coughlan and Emma Doyle) smashed it though the first 2 stages making it right into the final. Our boys were not so lucky, getting knocked out in the quarter finals. Fia, Jill and Emma placed 4th,5th and 6th respectively. UL were awarded best college in boater cross putting us into second place overall just behind UCC.
The awards took place that evening. UL paddlers took home prizes such as Helly Hanson gear bags and surf ears. Aysha Griffin was awarded most improved female fresher for her dedication to the sport to date! After a clean sweep of medals and officially receiving second place, we were quite happy to go home to our own beds and catch up on some much needed sleep.
Achievements:
Team medals:
Gold:
Freestyle team (Éidín Dowling, Fia Coughlan, Kirsten Hand Howard, Emma Doyle, Adam Kennedy, Thomas Nash)
Long Distance (Everybody)
Boater X team (Fia Coughlan, Jill Pitcher Farrell, Emma Doyle, Thomas Nash, Adam Ryan, Rian O'Connell
Individual medals
Gold:
Éidín Dowling (Women's Freestyle)
Éidín Dowling (Women's Sea Kayak Long Distance)
Sean Hogan and Aaron Thompson (T2 Long Distance)
Rob Campbell and Thomas Reidy (Duo Long Distance)
Silver:
Fia Coughlan (Women's High Performance Long Distance)
Bronze
Emma Doyle (Women's Freestyle)
Jill Pitcher Farrell (Women's High Performance Long Distance)
Laura Molloy (Women's K1)
Posted | 14th Feb 2022 |
Author | Isobel Reidy |
After a year of Covid, of an empty campus and online lectures, the shift from the virtual to the real world was a welcome yet worrying change. Come September, I was ready for a more involved college experience and to get to know more than the handful of fellow architecture students I had met last year. Joining clubs seemed to me, the quickest and easiest way to do this.
One of the beginner whitewater trips to Castleconnell, with the ULKC, was the first thing I did with any club. I remember sitting at my desk in studio trying to convince those around me to sign up as well. In the end I managed to drag along two of my housemates after pestering them all day. We didn’t quite know what we were signing ourselves up for but at the end of the trip we were ready for more. By week 6, the Lahinch trip, I had managed to make two Castleconnell trips and a handful of pool sessions, but I still didn’t really know anyone. I remember worrying about it all week, debating whether to go and spend a weekend with people I hadn’t met or people I had but who didn’t remember me. In hindsight though, that was the best way to go about it. Within minutes of sitting on the bus I made friends with a girl I had only met two nights ago at the pool.
Lahinch was the highlight of my semester. After that weekend I was hooked on kayaking, while it had seemed intimidating breaking into the club where everyone had known each other throughout Covid, I now had my fellow freshers. We went to every pool session we could, staying up till midnight to book spots, every trip and every party. As we got to know the club, as a group, it didn’t matter as much if we turned up as a squad. For me, the ULKC represents the best part of my college experience so far.
Posted | 8th Nov 2021 |
Author | Daniel O'Reilly (PRO) |
To reduce our number of high contact points in the boathouse and reduce the risks of COVID-19 spread, we have decided to move to an entirely digital gear sign-out system! We have a lovely new app available on the play store which lets you sign out everything by just tapping your phone against a small NFC tag on each bit of gear.
We have tagged over 300 pieces of gear so far so you should be able to sign out everything really easily. This system must be used by all members when going on trips (pool sessions exempt).There is also now a system in place to report broken and missing gear through the app and the website after a trip.
Download it here:
ULKC Gear Sign Out - Play Store
For everyone on iPhone we unfortunately don’t have an app yet but you will still be able to sign out your gear buy going to https://ulkayak.com/gear/
Where to find tags:
Boats: On the back left of the backrest
Paddles: On the back of the left blade
Spraydecks: Top side of the grab loop
Helmets: At the end of the strap
BA’s: Inside on the back left side
Cags: On the left wrist cuff
Ropes: Top of the bag
Wetsuits: On the zipper
Please contact our equipment officer Eoghan O'Duffey if you have any questions
Posted | 8th Nov 2021 |
Author | Daniel O'Reilly |
To reduce our number of high contact points in the boathouse and reduce the risks of COVID-19 spread, we have decided to move to an entirely digital gear sign-out system! We have a lovely new app available on the play store which lets you sign out everything by just tapping your phone against a small NFC tag on each bit of gear.
We have tagged over 300 pieces of gear so far so you should be able to sign out everything really easily. This system must be used by all members when going on trips (pool sessions exempt).There is also now a system in place to report broken and missing gear through the app and the website after a trip.
Download it here:
ULKC Gear Sign Out - Play Store
For everyone on iPhone we unfortunately don’t have an app yet but you will still be able to sign out your gear buy going to https://ulkayak.com/gear/
Where to find tags:
?Boats: On the back left of the backrest
Paddles: On the back of the left blade
Spraydecks: Top side of the grab loop
Helmets: At the end of the strap
BA’s: Inside on the back left side
Cags: On the left wrist cuff
Ropes: Top of the bag
Wetsuits: On the zipper
Please contact our equipment officer Eoghan O'Duffey if you have any questions
Posted | 16th Sep 2021 |
Author | Daniel O'Reilly (PRO) |
ULKC is back! We're running outback beginner sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with beginner white-water sessions on Wednesday afternoons. Sign up for all sessions is on UL Wolves.
Everyone is welcome, even if you've never paddled before. We will have experienced coaches to take you through everything from getting into a boat, to basic skills and how to improve. Just bring swimwear, a towel and a water bottle.
To return back to paddling safely we've adopted a number of guidelines for your safety and ours. These are available online at UL Wolves and ulkayak.ie/covid19 . New procedures also follow with a requirement that access is limited to the boathouse and there will be no access to the changing rooms, come ready to paddle. Gear will now be signed out through our app 'UL Kayak Gear Sign Out' for Android, or online at ulkayak.ie
Renew your membership and sign up on UL Wolves.
Posted | 21st Dec 2019 |
Author | David Leahy |
Kicking off 2020 in style. ULKC will be sending it!
This time we're heading off to Wales for our January trip. With beginners and some oldies. This trip will feature heavily on safety training some challenging rapids. And like every trip we do, will feature the best craic of any UL club!
Be sure to like us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated!
Posted | 15th Sep 2019 |
Author | David Leahy |
To promote female paddling us gals here in ULKC like to have the
occasional girls only day. These days are a great opportunity to learn
new skills, have the craic and make new friends. This will be a beginner
friendly flat water session, perfect for freshers.
When?
Thursday 19th September from 4-6pm
Where?
University of Limerick Boat House
https://goo.gl/maps/PmoPotNcVTHX9Bx26
What do I bring?
Swimwear, towel & old shoes if you have them. The club can provide everything needed to get you on the water.
Posted | 26th Mar 2018 |
Author | Erin Carey |
Posted | 9th Oct 2016 |
Author | Tom O'Brien PRO |
It was that time of year again. The time of year for the kayak club to make its yearly pilgrimage to the seaside village of Lahinch, Co. Clare. Some say UL kayakers have been going to Lahinch since before kayaks began. Other more learned people say it’s closer to the last 30 years.
The weekend started at our own boathouse with a flurry of last minute packing of boats, wetsuits and enthusiastic but nervous new kayakers. With everyone piled onto three buses and what seemed like 100 head counts we were on our way west to Lahinch. The hour and half journey felt like so much less than that with songs being sung and stories being told for the entire journey. By the time the hostel was reached everyone was assured of exactly what the hole in the Rattlin bog contained.
A game of room roulette divided up the beds to ensure that everyone was making friends with someone new. The night continued with name games and after an exhausting night of getting names wrong everyone dropped away to bed with dreams of surfing some of the best waves in Ireland.
Saturday morning most of the kayaking contingent was woken by a Leitrim man with an eagerness to kayak beyond our understanding. Soon everyone was fed, geared up, and rearing to go. We got into our kayaks, and after a prolonged struggle to shimmy off the sand everyone was tackling or being tackled by the best waves Lahinch had to offer. A variety of skill was on display for the Lahinch locals but we didn’t mind one bit. Everyone managed to surf a wave by the end of the session and that gave all the instructors a warm fuzzy feeling walking back up the beach at the end of the day.
Saturday night was spent dressing up as every and any kind of criminal and heading to the local nightclub. We had some questionable costumes but ones that stood out for me were Donald Trump and Team Rocket from Pokémon.
Sunday morning, we tackled more Atlantic coast waves after a lovingly cooked breakfast. Everyone was determined to improve on the previous days surfing performance. It was a real pleasure to see so many beginner kayakers improve between the two days and get hooked on the sport of kayaking.
The journey home to limerick was a more relaxed affair with everyone being able to sit back and take in what a great experience the weekend had been. The trip was concluded with a mass clean-up of all the gear and everyone went home for a well-deserved, and probably long awaited, good night’s sleep!
It was an absolutely amazing weekend. I hope you all had as much fun as I had. I can’t wait to see everyone for our next trip.
Posted | 1st Apr 2015 |
Author | Public Relations Officer - Corma |
Posted | 12th Oct 2014 |
Author | Borys Stan |
Posted | 17th Aug 2014 |
Author | Dana Griepentrog |
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