When David Hickey secured a place in Trinity College, he had no idea how much it would change the trajectory of his life. Whilst in New York on a J1 Visa he lived in the same apartment as Sharon Tate’s sister and met Muhammad Ali. His favourite memories are of training with the Trinity rowing team to win the Ladies Plate at the Royal Henley Regatta.
In his memoir, The Trinity College VIII: Rowing for the Ladies Plate, David provides the reader with a delightful, light-hearted account of how the 1977 Dublin University Boat Club raced the best university crews in the world in an attempt to win the cherished Ladies Plate at the Royal Henley Regatta – almost exactly 100 years after their last win at the prestigious event. The plate hasn’t been won by an Irish team since.
Trinity College Dublin has a rich academic and sporting history and similarly has produced talented undergraduates with mischievous minds and a healthy disregard for establishment rules. In The Trinity College VIII the two fuse together perfectly.
David also describes the reality of competitive rowing, what actually happens in a race, what it feels like in the boat, the tactics involved and choices that have to be made. He also explains why he and his teammates were willing to spend the many gruelling hours of training required in order to be competitive.
The Trinity College VIII is a story of discipline, camaraderie, fitness, self-belief, teamwork, student antics and hard work as seen by one Trinity College undergraduate who joined the Boat Club to pursue the Ladies.
Published by Liffey Press, The Trinity College VIII, is due for publication on 15 September. RRP for the paperback version €19.95 ISBN 9781838359362
