Six local rowing clubs combine to host this weekend's Limerick Regatta

LIMERICK Regatta returns to the O'Briens Bridge for two days of packed racing this weekend.

The regatta is hosted by Limerick's six clubs - Athlunkard, Castleconnell, Limerick, Shannon, St Michael's and UL is now celebrating over 150 years of racing, making it one of Ireland's longest running sporting events.

The course will be across four lanes and reach 1,400metres.

The locally run regatta has invested heavily in a number of areas including new stakeboats, life jackets, a traffic light starting system (the only event in Ireland to have it), commissioning a winners medal design showing Limerick city landmarks and most recently a new results app making it easier for everyone to keep up to date on races and results.

This year the organising committee have designed a new approach to improve the labour intensive process of laying down four lanes of buoys to mark the course.

The Regatta Committee recently made the historic and unique rowing trophies available to The People's Museum of Limerick, where they are proudly on display showcasing Limerick claim of being the Sporting Capital of the country.

Winter months see crews train and race over long distances but from April to July it's the fast and furious regatta season.

Crews from all over the country will take part with Saturday's schedule seeing a race every four minutes from 9am until 6pm.

Sunday's schedule sees a different event with a Master Regatta running over 1,000 metres. Masters rowing is on the rise and many former junior and senior rowers are returning to the sport.

Limerick Regatta has created a day two event to meet with growing demand for Master specific racing. Local crews will be out in force having kicked off their season and the regatta will be a great chance for crews to check out their rivals on a home stretch of the Shannon.

The organising committee, led by Chairperson Roger Kiely (Athlunkard BC) are looking forward to welcoming visit crews as well hoping for some home wins for the local clubs.

A traffic and parking management plan will be in place and the committee wanted to thank the village of O'Briensbridge for their ongoing support and partnership in running the rowing events. The committee request that everyone drives and parks with care so that locals and regatta visitors can all enjoy the picturesque village of O'Briensbridge.