Limerick school enjoys stellar rowing success at national championships
Villiers School enjoyed success across multiple categories at the Irish Schools Regatta
VILLIERS School, Limerick, recently celebrated another outstanding performance in rowing, at this year’s Irish Schools Regatta, held earlier this month, with crews and individual athletes delivering impressive results across multiple categories.
In the J16 Double, Jennifer and Olivia Moloney produced a superb row to secure first place in their heat, setting the tone for a successful day on the water for Villiers.
Matthew Gouws delivered a standout performance in the J14 scull, claiming gold in style. Notably, Matthew competed in a boat previously rowed by Irish international Sam Lynch—an inspiring connection that we hope signals a bright future ahead as he follows in those accomplished footsteps.
The U23 Men’s 8 crew also delivered a remarkable result, finishing third overall in Ireland. In a fiercely competitive race, they narrowly missed second place by just one second to Methodist College Belfast, with Enniskillen taking the top spot.
The Villiers crew, who were the fastest Republic of Ireland competitors in the race, consisted of Cormac Welch, Cace Mac Millan, Eoin O’Sullivan, Barry Wilmot, Noah Quinton, Art Thornbury, Sean Hayes and Matthew Gouws.
These latest successes build on an already impressive year for rowing at Villiers School. At the 2026 Irish Indoor Rowing Championships, the school secured victory in the Men’s 6th Year Relay, with Timothy Gouws, Art Thornbury, Cormac Welch, and Noah Quinton delivering a powerful and well-executed 2000m performance.
In September 2025, Villiers rowers also achieved national recognition by setting a new Irish record in the Concept2 Men’s U19 100,000m Row.
With a rowing history dating back to the 1960s, and strong links to local clubs such as St Michael’s and Castleconnell, Villiers continues to excel and uphold a proud rowing tradition.