Bring on the dragons! Donegal Town set for international dragon boat regatta

Donegal Town is welcoming dragon boat paddlers from all over the world for an international regatta taking place on Donegal Bay.

The event hosted by Donegal Dragons will see racing from 1pm to 5pm, with paddlers from all over Ireland, the UK, Australia and a full crew coming all the way from Canada.

Dragon boat racing is a wonderfully colourful celebratory spectacle - and it is a highly competitive sport, with crews of 16 paddling in perfect sync in 200m sprints. Each boat also has a helm and drummer.

Some of the teams - including the Donegal crews - are made up wholly or partly of breast cancer survivors who have embraced this sport for its physical and mental health benefits. While this is a fiercely competitive sport on the water, there is phenomenal camaraderie among participants.

This year will see regular competitors returning, while a number of new teams are also taking part. New clubs include the Devenish Dragons based in Enniskillen, and Belfast Phoenix Paddlers, a new team who are really making waves in the Irish dragon boat racing scene, having recently won the Irish Dragon Boat Association’s regatta in Carlow in style.

The West Island Dragons are also making their first appearance in Donegal, coming all the way from Canada to take part.

As well as organising the event, Donegal Dragons have been training hard, and will be entering a number of crews in the competition. They would love to see support for their paddlers, and for the youth crew Donegal Dolphins.

With hundreds of participants travelling to the area along with family and friends, the event will be a great boost for the local economy.

Indeed, many people who have come to this regatta over the years have returned on holidays with their families, and are always keen to come back and take part in racing. 

More information can be found on the Donegal Dragons Facebook page.