There was a gold medal for Ireland at the Home International Beach Sprints in Nairn, Scotland, over the weekend, with Waterford Boat Club’s Seán Harte and Ella Keady of Tribesmen Boat Club in Galway taking victory in the Inclusion Mixed Double.

Competitors from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales gathered on the beach in Nairn on Saturday, September 19th, with challenging conditions making for a demanding day’s racing.

Sustained winds of between 37 and 43 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching approximately 61 kilometres per hour, combined with the waves along the North Sea coast to make conditions particularly difficult.

Harte and Keady had finished more than 20 seconds behind the Scottish crew in both the time trial and semi-final, but produced a superb performance in the final head-to-head race.

They battled through the wind and waves to produce a thrilling finish and secure gold for Ireland, with their boat-handling crew also playing an important role in helping them achieve the best possible entry and exit in the challenging conditions.

The victory adds to the growing international experience of both athletes.

Harte represented Ireland at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Antalya, Türkiye, and was part of Ireland’s gold-medal-winning Under-19 Men’s Quad at the 2025 Flatwater Home International Regatta in Dorney in the UK.

Keady has represented Ireland at consecutive Flatwater Home Internationals and has also competed at Henley Women’s Regatta and the International Paris Para Rowing Regatta.

Their success in Nairn was a fine demonstration of their ability to adapt and perform when conditions were at their toughest.

A superb achievement for Seán Harte, Ella Keady and everyone involved in the Irish crew.