The World University Rowing Championships were held last weekend in Szeged, Hungary, where 28 nations sent their best student rowers to compete at the international regatta and COBRA (Coleraine Old Boys Rowing Association) had two members participating at this elite event.

Jonny Mitchell, formerly from Coleraine Inst Boat Club and now at Queen’s University Boat Club, was competing for Ireland in the Men’s Eights event along with other members of his Queen’s crew who won the British University Championships.

Stephen Feeney, formerly from Coleraine Inst Boat Club and Bann Rowing Club and now at St. Mary’s College, Twickenham, was lining up against Jonny in the GB Men’s Eight in a composite crew containing several members of the Cambridge Boat Race crew.
In a thrilling race Stephen and his GB crew went on to take Gold Medal in the prestigious event, with Jonny and his Irish crew claiming an impressive third place.  Results can be found on WorldRowing.com

Former Head of Rowing/Coach CAI RC

 On Thursday afternoon, 27th May 2010 at 2.00pm, in Coleraine Methodist Church, a packed congregation said its final farewell to RA Eyre Esq., Bsc., which included his wife Sylvia, children David, Elizabeth, Rosemary, extended family and his many friends and admirers. Although it was a sad occasion, Slyvia wanted it to be a celebration of a life fulfilled, an emotion emphasised throughout the moving funeral service.

 RA [Eric] Eyre, or `Mickey` as he was widely known, had a passion for rowing which started at Coleraine `Inst`., when he stroked the school 1st IV during the 1942-43 rowing season and in the following season became both Captain and stroke of the crew which included his brother C.G. Eyre, who rowed bow.

 In this personal tribute I will refer to aspects of his wider influence and recall in part the two years when I rowed for the 1st VIII of 1963-64 and 64-65, which Mickey coached with such splendid success. Apart from being a naturally talented oarsman and coach, Mickey was not only an IARU Umpire, but an International Rowing Umpire as well. During the church service, we were told that when offered the opportunity to umpire at the Olympic Games, he turned down the once-in-a-lifetime honour in favour of a fellow umpire. This was typical of his self-effacing modesty, someone who put others before himself.

Looking back to those `glorious days` of the 1960’s, there were tough days as well as good days. Days when it seemed that Mickey would never stop handing out `constructive criticism` from a loud hailer, as he steered that little red launch he favoured, from one side, of the stern of the eight, to the other. Days when the `flat-out` courses between river markers on the Bann, meant we had to turn around and do it all over again and again. Days when Gym training circuits never seemed to end and days when the eight just had to sit, perfectly balanced, hands down, blades off the water, no matter what the weather threw at us, wind, rain, hail or snow.

But it paid off; when thinking became automatic, when the boat `struck` perfectly every time, when the water sang under our sleek boat and our eight blades felt like one. When you could sense the power surging through the entire length of our slender craft and you knew we were all sitting upright looking like the well-oiled rowing machine we were. When you could feel the pride with every stroke we took, a pride and a comradeship that Mickey had worked so hard to instil in everyone of the nine man crew, from cox to bow. We felt invincible and we almost were!! He forged us into Irish Schoolboy Eights Champions in 1964 and 3rd in Senior Irish Rowing in 1965! But to us, the `day of all days` was at Coleraine Regatta on the 12th June 1965, when we beat the then top Senior Irish eight, Garda  A` , by one length and one canvas in the final Senior race. The town of Coleraine just seemed to erupt with joy. People were leaning over the bridge yelling and screaming with delight. The banks were thick with supporters and townsfolk applauding and cheering and we felt ten feet tall. Mickey was overcome with joy and that dazzling smile he was so capable of turning on, split his face from ear to ear.

 “I’ve just been told by the headmaster, that in honour of your success today, you are to have the `freedom of the town` this evening,” he told us, as we recovered our equilibrium.

 If he had offered us the world it couldn’t have topped that!

 He later wrote that he felt that was the crew’s finest hour. From that moment on I knew I would become one of `Mickey’s Boys`.

 Every one of Mickey’s Boys from every year he coached and influenced young CAI rowers, spanning a period of over 20 years will have their own particular memories, so I can only talk about mine. He was incredibly successful during that lifetime of rowing expertise and turned out crews and rowers at top international level.

 I was at that church service on Thursday past, with two of my former rowing comrades, Desmond Hill [our Stroke and Captain, now a CAI Governor] and Noel Graham [our Cox of 1963-64], both of whom had nothing but heart-felt praise for Mickey. Since then I have read two more tributes from crew members of my two years; Dr. Kenneth Hunter, who wrote, “I have memories of a wonderful, even great, rowing coach/maths teacher/personal mentor….I will always remember him as one of the positive influences of my life”

Raymond Cochrane, who also wrote, “There was no other teacher from the school who had a more influential role in that stage of my development than Mickey had, either in the classroom, on the river, or in other areas of life.”

 I can only echo the views, sentiments and emotions of my rowing comrades and say that Mickey helped shape my life, not only through his rowing/coaching expertise, but with his positive attitude and determination to succeed.

 Over the years I have kept in touch with him from time to time to talk about rowing and my charity work and at times even called and accepted the Eyre family hospitality. Desmond Hill and I have made various trips to his home on the banks of the Bann and the last visit [which was to be our last time to see him], a few months ago, was one of the most extraordinary meetings I could have imagined. As many will know Mickey had suffered in latter times from Alzheimer’s disease, so we weren’t certain if he would know who we were! When we arrived Sylvia assured us that he had sat all morning in the window-seat waiting eagerly for our arrival. Towards the end of our visit Sylvia asked if either of us would be kind enough to use his electric razor to give him a shave, saying that she had not found it easy to perform this simple task. I volunteered and as he sat silently and patiently on a chair, with Sylvia and Desmond nearby, I set about shaving him, feeling a little strange about the experience.

 “I’ll bet you never thought all those years ago Ian, that you would one day be asked to shave your coach,” said Sylvia with a characteristic hoot of laughter.

 “No, I certainly didn’t, but, it is an honour!” I replied a little flustered.

 Mickey tilted his head up and round, gave me a beaming smile and said quite simply, “Thank you Ian,” and then lapsed into a world of his own again.

 To say it shook me would be an understatement, but I shall always carry the thought in my head that he recognised me for an instant and understood what I had just said.

Ian Harvey.

     Welcome to the home page of the Coleraine Old Boys Rowing Association (C.O.B.R.A.). 

      We as old boys of Coleraine Academical Institution Boat Club (C.A.I.B.C.) have set up C.O.B.R.A. with main aim of supporting C.A.I.B.C. financially as well as in terms of administration and coaching, to help maintain this 80 year old, proud rowing tradition. 

Our long term aims would be to provide a body within which old boy oarsmen may keep in touch with each other and even compete together.  Indeed, on the 23rd December 2002, a group of old boys congregated on the River Bann to re-establish the traditional old boys versus school boys race.  The outcome of this race and the subsequent races can be found in the "COBRA archives" page. 

The "CAIBC Old Boy Archives" page also gives details of how well old boys, got on during the year.  

A brief overview of the C.O.B.R.A. organization, its contacts and HOW TO JOIN, are available in the “Overview” page, along with available C.O.B.R.A. merchandice. 

A list of upcoming events organized by C.O.B.R.A. and C.A.I.B.C. are given below. 

   If you have any questions concerning C.O.B.R.A. and C.A.I.B.C, then please do not hesitate to contact us at chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).

For more information, please email the usual address  chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).

  Your support at any of the races is always appreciated.  As old boys will know well, a shout of encouragement at any race is always beneficial!  The next races we plan to attend are -

If you have any questions regarding upcoming CAIBC races or events, please contact us at chairman @ cobrarowing.co.uk  (remove the 2 spaces from the email address and put "COBRA" in the subject title to avoid the spam detector).