UCD Boat Club - Dublin | Irish Rowing Clubs | Row HQ

UCD Boat Club was founded in March 1917 as the men's rowing club of University College Dublin. It began in Ringsend and later established its home on the River Liffey at Islandbridge, Dublin 8.

The club shares the Islandbridge boathouse with UCD Ladies Boat Club and Old Collegians Boat Club. Land training takes place at Belfield in a dedicated ergometer room and the university's High Performance Gym, while senior crews also use the wider water at Blessington.

Novice recruitment assumes that most new members have never rowed. The published pathway begins with campus circuits and weekend sessions in eights and fours on the Liffey before crews progress through winter heads, university racing and the national championships.

UCD became a dominant force in Irish rowing during the 1930s and 1940s. Five rowers and the cox from the club formed the core of Ireland's men's eight at the 1948 London Olympic Games, and an Old Collegian coached the crew.

A second successful era produced three consecutive Irish senior-eight titles in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The club's 1974 crew won the Ladies' Challenge Plate at Henley Royal Regatta, and UCD later won the Prince Albert Challenge Cup there in 2010.

At the Irish Championships reported by the club in 2022, UCD collected 48 tankards and six national titles. The wins included the intermediate eight, club coxed four and novice coxed quad.

UCD competes annually for national and university championships, the Gannon and Corcoran Colours cups, and Henley honours. Its 2025-26 season record includes another Gannon Cup and reports a defended men's senior-eight national title.