Special day as boat named in honour of Jack McGrath, father of Cork politician brothers

Saturday was a special day for the McGrath family, including the newly elected TD Seamus and EU commissioner Michael, as Bantry Rowing Club launched a boat named in honour of their father and club founder, Jack McGrath.

The two politicians, as well as their mother, Marie, and their sisters, Linda and Brenda, along with 13 grandchildren, were all in Bantry to mark their father’s contribution to the club.

“We were delighted,” Seamus McGrath told The Echo. “Jack McGrath was born in Bantry and grew up there. He left for England in the 1950s for a couple of years and came back and in the 1960s. He took on the rowing.”

“He was part of the senior crew: I don’t have a list of what they achieved, but they were very successful, they won a lot of competitions in the south western region, they had a good following. Regattas in Bantry were very popular and attracted great crowds.

“It was lovely for the family to have the honour of a boat being named after him,” he said.

His fellow crew members included John Hunt and Alex O’Donovan, who were present at Saturday’s launch, while other members included Tom Mullins and the late Matt Murphy, whose wife and family were also in attendance.

Delighted

The TD’s brother, the former finance minister and now EU commissioner, Michael, was also delighted with the honour bestowed on their late father by the rowing club he founded.

“My dad died 30 years ago, but it is great to see the club keeping his memory alive in this way,” Michael McGrath said.

“It was lovely for myself, my brother Seamus, sisters Brenda and Linda, and, of course, my wonderful mum, Marie, to be present to see him being honoured in this way.

“Thank you for Bantry Rowing Club: This meant the world to us.”

Bantry Rowing Club, which was revived in 2017, will be holding a regatta at the town’s aerodrome on Saturday, March 22, one of the earliest events in this year’s regatta season.