A progressive Donegal club will next week host the World Junior Boat Angling Championships.
Rathmullan-based Lough Swilly Junior Angling Club is behind the event which is expected to be worth up to €250,000 to the local economy.
However, the competition will have to be held in Downings due to ongoing works to Rathmullan Pier.
Club chairman, Letterkenny man Charlie Devlin, said seven teams will take part in the event which will be ‘massive’ for them and for Donegal.
“This is a unique event and it is only the second time to be held in Ireland,” Mr Devlin said.
“It will be massive for us, and the county, and will boost the local economy by between €200,000 and €250,000,” he added.
Two Irish teams will take part as well as one each from Italy, Germany, Slovakia and Croatia.
The Irish contingent will also be made up of four members from the Lough Swilly Club. They are Orlagh McLean, Hannah Joseph and Patrick and James Donaghy, all from Letterkenny.
The official opening ceremony will take place this Sunday, August 25th, with a parade leaving at 4pm from St Eunan’s Cathedral and ending at the event HQ, The Station House Hotel.
The fishing competitions start on Monday and will continue until the following Sunday and will cater for age groups from U16 up to U21.
However, Mr Devlin says teams will start to arrive in the county as early as tomorrow to begin practicing.
He paid tribute to Cecil Browne from Inch for ‘pulling it all together’ and to local councillor, Ciaran Brogan, who he said has been the ‘backbone’ of the competition. He also praised Minister McConalogue for providing funding from his department.
Members of the Lough Swilly Junior Angling Club at sea.
The club was only founded in 2017 on the suggestion of Cecil Browne who said they needed to do something to guarantee the future of sea boat angling in the county.
Now, it caters for fishers from as young as eight years-of-age up to 21. Two of its members travel from Ballyshannon to Rathmullan for training each week. One of them, MJ Rooney, won the U16s All Irelands last month.
“It all started off seven years ago when we gathered a few young ones to teach them how to fish,” Mr Devlin explained.
“We went to Sport Ireland to train so we could teach young ones. Then, we had to get garda vetting and health and safety training. We now have a female nurse on board as we have both male and female members.”
Members of the Lough Swilly Junior Angling Club.
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