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A Carrick-on-Shannon rowing club says vandals removed one of its boats from storage, dragged it toward the river and left it hanging over a quay wall — causing what the club describes as thousands of euro in damage and rendering the shell unusable. The attack, reported after Friday night, comes just two weeks after the town’s annual regatta.
How the damage occurred
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Carrick Rowing Club says the perpetrators took the club’s **Club Octuple** off its racking, pulled it across the ground and abandoned it suspended over the quay. The club reports that the entire underside of the shell was badly damaged, with the **bow** section suffering particularly severe structural harm.
The organisation called the incident a deliberate act of vandalism and said the scale of the damage means the boat cannot be returned to service.
Impact on members and equipment
Officials describe the loss as a major setback. The club noted that such equipment represents extensive training time, fundraising and community support, and that losing the boat is a significant blow to athletes and volunteers.
For a small club, repairing or replacing an octuple is costly. The club estimates the damage at **thousands of euro**, though it has not published a precise bill for repairs.
Appeal to the public and Garda investigation
Carrick Rowing Club is asking anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area overnight to come forward. They have urged local residents to share information and to spread the club’s appeal on social media.
Gardaí in Carrick-on-Shannon are investigating. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station on 071 965 0510.
