Sep,2026
Remembering Pauline McDonnell: A lovely lady and a very popular Dragon
Our teammate and friend, Pauline McDonnell slipped away peacefully on August 29th.
To those who paddled alongside her over the years, Pauline was the definition of a true lady. She was a warm, welcoming presence on the water – always ready with a smile, a genuine chat and an encouraging word for new members.
Only a short while ago, Pauline made a very special visit down to the lake. The boat was out on the water when she arrived, and the entire crew erupted into a heartfelt, well-deserved cheer and round of applause for her – a beautiful, lasting memory of the respect and love we all held for her.
To honour our dear friend, members of the Gráinne Mhaol Dragon Boat Club attended her funeral service. It was our privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder to perform a Guard of Honour, paying tribute to a lovely lady.
We also held a lovely, intimate ceremony on the lake to celebrate Pauline’s memory. Louise Rodgers shared some beautiful words, and together we gently spread flower petals across the water, watching them float away as a final tribute to our teammate.
We continue to hold Pauline’s family close in our thoughts. Our deepest sympathies go out to her daughter Donna, her sons Mathew and Neil, and her extended family and friends.
Thank you, Pauline, for the years of friendship, the wonderful chats and though you are no longer sitting in the boat with us, you will always be paddling with us in spirit.
May your gentle soul rest in eternal peace.
Pauline all snuggled up a ready for a paddling session (third from the front on the right in pink!)
Aug,2026
A huge congratulations from everyone at Graine Mhaol Dragon Boat Club to our club member, paddler and helm, Karol Donnelly, on winning a silver medal in archery at the 2026 British Transplant Games in Sheffield.
Karol represented Transplant Sport Ireland at her first British Transplant Games, competing in archery alongside athletes from across Ireland. Her silver medal came on the opening day of the Games and is a fantastic achievement particularly as this was also Karol’s first archery competition. Her success was the result of months of training with Mayo Archery Club and coach Brendan McHugh.
But for those of us at Graine Mhaol, Karol’s achievement means something extra special.
Karol is a much-valued member of Graine Mhaol Dragon Boat Club, not only as a regatta paddler and committee member but also as one of our helms. Her experience, enthusiasm and willingness to take responsibility on the boat make her a great contributor to the club, and we’re very lucky to have her as part of our dragon boat family.
A proper Graine Mhaol welcome home
When Karol returned to the boat last Tuesday, club members were ready to make sure her achievement didn’t go unnoticed.
As she stepped off the dragon boat, she was met by a guard of honour of paddles, balloons, a bottle of champagne and plenty of congratulations from her Graine Mhaol friends – Karol was clearly surprised by the fuss and was not expecting to be the centre of attention.
She later sent a message to the club thanking everyone for making the evening special. In true Karol fashion, alongside her thanks for the celebrations, she quickly turned the conversation towards something much bigger than her medal: organ donation.
“I’m chuffed with my silver medal for my first Transplant Games and first archery competition. The celebrations with you meant so much.”
Karol is a two-time liver transplant recipient, having received life-saving transplants in 2006 and 2017. Her own experience has made her a passionate advocate for organ donation and for recognising the incredible gift made by donors and their families.
Have the conversation
Karol’s message to everyone is simple: talk to your family about organ donation and make your wishes known.
As she reminded us in her message to the club, she never imagined that she would one day need a transplant. Yet twice in her life, the decision of donor families gave her the opportunity to continue living, enjoying her family and friends, taking part in sport and, of course, paddling and helming a dragon boat!
Have the conversation is a message that sits at the heart of the Transplant Games themselves. The Games are not simply about medals or competition. They celebrate life after transplantation, honour organ donors and their families, and demonstrate what can be possible because of the gift of donation. And Karol is a wonderful example of that message in action.
The British Transplant Games
The 2026 British Transplant Games took place in Sheffield from 6–9 August, bringing together transplant recipients, living donors and supporters for four days of sporting competition and celebration. The Games featured a wide range of sports, including archery, swimming, athletics, cycling, football, badminton, darts, ten-pin bowling and many more.
Transplant Sport Ireland sent a 19-member team to Sheffield, with Irish athletes competing across a range of events. The team ultimately returned home with 22 medals — 11 gold, six silver and five bronze. Karol’s silver medal in archery was one of those six silver medals.
Congratulations Karol — silver medal winner, archery competitor, dragon boat paddler, helm and all-round great club member.
We’re very proud of you and delighted to celebrate your achievement with you.
Click here for more photos at Lough Lannagh
Read more about Karol’s achievement
May,2026
Super picture by Alison Lardeo of Rotary Cheque presentation to our club on a beautiful evening.
Castlebar Rotary Club’s annual charity table quiz, held on Thursday 26th February at Garbo’s, Mayo Leisure Point, proved to be a great success, raising €2,500 for the Gráine Mhaol Dragon Boat Club. The funds raised will go towards extending the Dragon Boat Club’s pontoon at Lough Lannagh. The pontoon is often partially submerged and paddlers (and other users) can only access the pontoon with the aid of tyres and wellingtons.
Mar,2026
Members and friends of Gráinne Mhaol Dragon Boat Club turned out in fantastic numbers to support the Rotary Club of Castlebar’s recent table quiz fundraiser held in Garbo’s. The evening raised €2,500 towards the GMDB club.
These funds will go towards extending the Gráinne Mhaol Dragon Boat Club pontoon at Lough Lannagh. The extension will make launching the dragon boats safer and much easier for paddlers, particularly when water levels on the lake are high, removing the need to walk across temporary pallets and helping improve access to the boats for all members.
The response from club members was tremendous. The event was fully booked with 36 tables filled, creating a lively and fun atmosphere throughout the evening.
Dragons showed their usual community spirit by supporting the night in many ways. Many members attended on the night, bringing spot prizes with them, while others who couldn’t make it still got involved by dropping in spot prizes and raffle items in advance.
The club also contributed a beautiful hamper as one of the main raffle prizes which was gratefully acknowledged by Rotary. A special prize kindly donated by Regina — four dragon boat seat pads! — was particularly appreciated and went to one lucky dragon boat team.
Members also showed great support by digging deep into their pockets to purchase raffle tickets, helping to boost the fundraising total.
A sincere thank you to everyone who attended, donated spots and prizes, bought raffle tickets, or helped organise the event. The strong turnout and generosity once again shows the great spirit that exists within the Gráinne Mhaol Dragon Boat Club community.
Rotary Table Quiz Raises €2,500 for Gráine Mhaol Dragon Boat Club
Feb,2026
Click on blue Link below to go to Gráine Mhaol shop on McKvr
Gráine Mhaol Dragon Boat Shop
The Gráine Mhaol Dragon Boat Shop will be open the season (no closing date as of yet). All items can be ordered online with a quick turnaround of within 2 weeks. Audrey has a set of size 12 in the new items if anyone would like to try them on. Audrey describes the sizing as ‘true to size,’. The colours are bright and vibrant, all in our club colours across the tee, vest, singlet and technical top — and the quality is really lovely. …….Happy shopping!
NOTE: The bespoke items, pullover hoodie, full zip Hoodie and red bobble hat will be available to order for a period of two weeks only and on a separate link from Feb 23rd after our AGM.
The adult sizes (small/ medium/ large etc) are for males. The sizes (10, 12, 14 etc) have a slight female cut which looks great.
Audrey will bring the new items to the AGM for members to check out. Any other questions, shoot her a Whatsapp.
Well done to Audrey for all her hard work and McKVR’S Tommy O’Reilly and their Sales Account Manager Lindsay.
Gráine Mhaol Dragon Boat Shop
