The risk factor associated with whitewater kayaking can make competing at events such as Galway Fest daunting. But Hanrahan says women are more than able for the rough and tumble of whitewater. “They will surprise themselves at Galway Fest; they always surprise themselves,” she says. “By Sunday, when they all race against each other, they really see the joy in it and the fun in it.” Galway Fest co-founder Barry Loughnane says the long-term goal is clear: “We want to see a 50/50 gender balance on the water.”
Athlete tickets for Galway Fest typically sell out within seconds of going on sale. The women’s pre-sale was designed to give female paddlers the space and confidence to commit to competing. Now in its 14th year, the festival has grown into an international fixture, attracting elite whitewater athletes to Galway from across Europe and beyond. For local paddlers and spectators, it offers the rare opportunity to see world-class kayaking on home rivers.
Hanrahan, who has paddled in countries such as Norway, Uganda, Chile and the United States, says bringing international female talent to Ireland is important, but she also points to a recent flourishing of homegrown talent. Irish paddlers such as Leah Hough and Beibhin Butler have created waves on the international competition circuit. “There is a pathway there now,” she says. “If women want it, they just have to go and take it.”
