Currach Rowing Barcelona

welcome to participate. We go out rowing on a weekly basis, so just email us if you feel like trying. If you are an inexperienced rower, or not familiar with the curach itself, all necessary instructions on how to manoeuvre a curach will be explained carefully. Once you get the basics, it will come together bit by bit. Some of the things we focus on are:

- Relaxation
- Synchronisation with other rowers
- Using the whole body
- Correct breathing
- Using the full length of each stroke

Done correctly you and your team will row in a natural movement where a minimum of force is required to propel the boat and the elements will work in your favour. Once you've learnt the basics rowing is an excellent way to train your body regardless of your age. History
The Currach is an ancient skin on frame craft that has been in existence in Ireland since people first inhabited the island. Is was the backbone of the early costal dwellers of Ireland. Fishermen depended on the currach right into the twentieth century, especially on the Di**le peninsula and the Aran islands. Developed by a people with the barest of means, the currach has evolved from an animal skin covered basket to sleek designs that nowadays race each summer around the coast of Ireland. In the hands of experienced people the currach is an agile, seaworthy craft do to its buoyant, flexible whale-like design. From tradition to today…. The covering or hide of a currach is what makes these vessels the unique craft that they are. At first cow-hide was used to cover the wooden frame. When textiles became available, currachs were covered in cloth and waterproofed with tar. This form of hide is what gives rise to the iconic black symbol of the currach. Today the fastest boats are covered with ballistic nylon and flexible varnishes. The basic shape of the wooden frame has remained the same for centuries. Traditional methods of steam-bending oak ribs over which are fastened pine laths are used by currach builders to this day. The curachs that are rowed in Barcelona are the first of their kind on the Mediterranean!