Category: Press

It is Wednesday lunchtime when I meet Damian Browne in the Harbour Hotel in Galway, a mere 36 hours after his journey came to an end on the rocks off the coast at Furbo. His tall, 42-year-old frame is slightly stooped, as you’d expect, given what he has put it through. The hands are surprisingly soft but bent into a permanent curl. It will be months before the ache in their shortened tendons and ligaments begins to fade.

By way of small-talk, I remind him of the interview we did almost exactly ten years ago, while he was at Leinster, and how he’d been accompanied by Elmo, a three-year-old golden retriever. Mention of Elmo seems to push him close to the edge.

Irish adventurer Damian Browne made history as the first person to row from New York City to Galway, Ireland, receiving a hero’s welcome in the port city on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Irish media reported.

Browne, a former professional rugby player who, according to The Irish Times, cannot swim, left Chelsea Piers in Manhattan on June 14 and finally finished traveling the more than 3,000 miles to Ireland by the early hours of Tuesday.

Browne undertook the voyage as part of a fundraising effort called Project Empower. He previously rowed across the Atlantic in the opposite direction, crossing from San Sebastian in Spain to Antigua in 2018.

After 112 days of near solitary existence among ferocious waves with only the odd passing whale for company, Irish adventurer Damian Browne this week returned to land, becoming the first person to row unsupported across the Atlantic from New York City to Galway, according to his team.

An Irishman has become the first person ever to row from New York to Galway after 112 days at sea.

Former professional rugby player Damian Browne came ashore on the rocks at Furbo Beach, just short of The Port Of Galway this morning and recieved a hero’s welcome from friends, family and wellwishers.

Mr Browne started the adventure, titled Project Empower, in Manhattan on Tuesday, June 14 at 3.10am.

Speaking this afternoon on RTÉ’s News At One, Mr Browne said the entire challenge was a “fight” from start to finish and he is glad to have his feet on “solid ground”.

A passenger jet can go from New York to where Damian Browne was headed in six hours and five minutes. It took him 112 days.

Browne rowed his way to Ireland in a 23-foot-long boat that flipped over more than once. (“Like being in a washing machine,” he wrote on Instagram.) A former professional rugby player, Browne was said by Irish media to be the first person to make the 2,686-nautical-mile trip from New York to Galway, Ireland, by himself and under his own power. The average speed was just under one knot, or about 1.4 miles per hour.

Former professional Rugby player Damian Browne created a world record on October 4 after rowing for 112 days across the Atlantic Ocean from New York City to Galway, Ireland. He received a heroic welcome on Tuesday.

According to the Irish Times, on June 14, Browne left Chelsea Piers in Manhattan and covered 3,450 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean to reach Ireland. It is reported that Browne cannot swim.

viral video posted on Instagram shows Damian Browne boating in the Galway Bay across rough waters. Browne, 42, rowed and rowed Cushlamachree, his 20-foot craft, for more than 2,500 hours.

A historic journey across the Atlantic is finally complete.

An Irish man finished his rowing expedition from Chelsea Piers in Manhattan all the way to Galway, Ireland Tuesday morning.

It took former pro rugby player Damian Browne 112 days at sea to reach his hometown.

He left from Chelsea Piers on June 14th with a partner.

However, Fergus Farrell had to drop out after the first two weeks due to health concerns, leaving Browne to cross the ocean alone. He had to brave mountainous seas and howling winds, while struggling with equipment failures.

With just one man to stroke the oars, the trip took twice as long — nearly four months at sea.

Browne documented his more than 3,000-mile journey on social media.

Former rugby player Damian Browne said he was overwhelmed as hundreds of people turned out on Tuesday morning in Galway to give him a hero’s welcome after he completed his marathon row from New York.

The 112-day journey, involving 2,686 hours at sea and over 3,450 nautical miles rowed, was an endurance test that ended in drama when his 6.2m boat called ‘Cushlamachree’ was driven on the rocks near Furbo in a storm in Galway Bay shortly before 1am on Tuesday.

The 42-year old adventurer was rescued by three gardaí as other emergency services were launched and he was taken ashore and reunited with his family.

The former Connacht and Leinster rugby player had hoped to row in through the gates in Galway docks but instead, having spent the remainder of the night with his partner Rozelle and baby daughter Elodie, he sailed into port to be greeted by hundreds of well-wishers.

“I accomplished what I wanted to and I’m safe and I’m uninjured and I have had an incredible reception.

Hundreds of well-wishers turned out for the official homecoming of athlete Damian Browne after he completed his historic row from New York to Galway.

The former rugby player spent a gruelling 112 days at sea in what he described as the adventure of a lifetime.

His solo voyage across the Atlantic ended in the early hours of this morning, when he came ashore on the Galway coast.

The rower got into difficulties as he neared Galway Port. His vessel, Cushlamachree, came ashore on rocks at Na Forbacha, shortly before 1am.

Emergency services were mobilised and gardaí from An Spidéal, Indreabhán and Carna helped bring Mr Browne to safety.

It marked the end of a 16-week journey, which began when Mr Browne and his friend Fergus Farrell embarked from New York on the voyage eastwards.

What an oar-some feat.

An Irish man made history Tuesday when he became the first person in the world to row from New York City to Galway, Ireland — spending a grueling 112 days at sea.

Damian Browne, 42, embarked on the 3,450 nautical mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Chelsea Piers on June 14th, the Irish Examiner reported.

The former professional rugby player then rowed, rowed, rowed his 20-foot craft named Cushlamachree for a whopping 2,686 hours — “fighting mother nature every step of the way,” he said of the journey on Instagram.

Browne arrived back home to a hero’s welcome from supporters, including his family who was thrilled to have him back on terra firma after the arduous adventure, titled Project Empower.