The Foyle’s association with rowing dates back more than a hundred years. In 1912, the City of Derry Boating Club won the Irish Amateur Rowing Union’s first ever Senior Eights championship in Dublin. Today, the same club, at Prehen on the River Foyle, offers enthusiasts the opportunity to train and compete in this Olympic sport.
Enthusiasts — single sculls, double sculls, pairs, quads and eights — row on a magnificent stretch of tidal water flanked by wooded hills and the riverside gardens of grand Victorian homes. Given the currents and winds, rowing here isn’t without its challenges.