Introducing the Plurabelle Paddlers from Dublin, Ireland
- Dara Duffy
- Nov 25, 2015
- 2 min read
Plurabelle Paddlers would like to send greetings across the Irish Sea to the Port Edgar Dragons!
Based at the Grand Canal Dock in the centre of Dublin, Plurabelle Paddlers were Ireland’s first breast cancer dragon boat team when formed in 2010. We recently marked our own 5th anniversary by unveiling a beautiful granite bench at the Grand Canal Dock in memory of team mates we have loved and lost.
We have over 60 members, ranging in age from those in their 30’s to 70’s. We train up to twice a week from March to November, and take part in a winter fitness programme during the cold and dark winter months.
And, while it’s true that we do compete and train hard....we party even harder! We have brought our own sense of fun and zest for life to regattas throughout Ireland, as well as at regattas in Italy, Malaysia, Spain, and the UK.
In 2014, members of Plurabelle Paddlers joined paddlers from all over Ireland to participate in Team Ireland at the IBCPC Participatory Dragon Boat Festival in Sarasota, Florida. The brain child of the Plurabelle Paddler co-founder, Fiona Tiernan, Team Ireland helped to nurture the growth of dragon boat racing thoughout the country. As a direct result of Team Ireland, new teams have already been established in Belfast and Donegal.
As well as competing in festivals and regattas abroad, we also co-host the annual Dublin Dragon Boat Regatta with the IDBA (Irish Dragon Boat Association). The regatta takes place each year in mid-September. This year we welcomed paddlers from Australia, America, Germany, Italy and the UK to compete in events that included Under 18s, Novice Challenge, International category, as well as a very popular and competitive Breast Cancer category. You never know, maybe we’ll have an entry from Scotland next year?! We’d love to welcome you to our training ground for the regatta (but, of course, it’s an open-ended invitation - members of the Port Edgar Dragons are welcome to paddle with us anytime!)
Best of luck with your club. We hope we get to meet you soon and in the meantime....Paddles Up!
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