# Lagan Dragons > N. Ireland Dragon Boat club for people affected either directly or indirectly by Breast Cancer ## Posts - [European success for our girls.](https://lagandragons.com/european-success-for-our-girls/): 🐉💚💜Congratulations to Our Incredible Lagan Dragons! 💜💚🐉 A huge congratulations to our fantastic paddlers, Hilly Ross and Karen Martin, who proudly represented Lagan Dragons at the European Dragon Boat Championships in Munich. An outstanding performance from Karen Martin, racing with the GB Breast Cancer Paddlers, bringing home an incredible four silver medals in the 200m, 500m, 1000m and 2000m events. What an amazing achievement and a true reflection of your hard work, dedication and determination. Congratulations Karen! 🥈🥈🥈🥈 A huge well done also to Hilly Ross, proudly representing Ireland in three events. Competing against some of the strongest crews in […] - [🐉💗 We’re so excited to announce that Lagan Dragons will be taking part in the International Breast Cancer Festival in France this August!](https://lagandragons.com/%f0%9f%90%89%f0%9f%92%97-were-so-excited-to-announce-that-lagan-dragons-will-be-taking-part-in-the-international-breast-cancer-festival-in-france-this-august/): As Northern Ireland’s first dragon boat club for people affected by breast cancer, this event means the world to us. It is a celebration of strength, resilience and community. We’re fundraising to cover registration fees and team kit so every member can join us without financial barriers and be part of this incredible journey. 💗 Any donation, big or small, helps and goes directly to Lagan Dragons. We truly appreciate your ongoing support. 👉 Donate here https://gofund.me/8e8a91ef6 - [European Championships 2026!](https://lagandragons.com/european-championships-2026/): Huge congratulations to our incredible Lagan Dragons, Hilly Ross and Karen Martin! 🐉💚💜 Both athletes have been training with exceptional dedication and have now been selected for the Irish International Women’s Dragon Boat Team and the Team GB Dragon Boat Breast Cancer Paddlers . Their hard work, resilience and passion for the sport are truly inspiring. We are beyond proud to share that they will be travelling to Munich in July 2026 to compete in the European Championships. What an achievement! Wishing you both every success on this incredible journey. Your Lagan Dragons family are cheering you on all the […] - [Happy New Year](https://lagandragons.com/happy-new-year/) - [Merry Christmas](https://lagandragons.com/merry-christmas/): 🎄 Merry Christmas from Lagan Dragons 🐉 As we come to the end of a very special year in which we celebrate our 10th anniversary ,we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported Lagan Dragons along the way. To our members and paddlers — thank you for your commitment, enthusiasm, and team spirit. To our coaches and volunteers — thank you for your time, dedication, and unwavering support. To our sponsors, partners, families, and supporters — thank you for believing in us and standing with us over the past decade. This milestone year has […] - [Lagan Dragons Celebrate 10 Years on the Water!](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-celebrate-10-years-on-the-water/): This year marks a truly special milestone for the Lagan Dragons – a decade of paddling, friendship, and community spirit! From our very first strokes on the River Lagan to becoming Ireland’s first and only dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors, our journey has been nothing short of inspiring. A Decade of Achievements Over the last 10 years, we’ve grown from a small group of pioneering women into a vibrant, supportive team. Along the way, we’ve: A Community That Lifts Each Other Up At the heart of Lagan Dragons is our motto: “We paddle together, we support each other.” […] - [Lough Rinn Regatta 2025](https://lagandragons.com/lough-rinn-regatta-2025/): ✨ Reflecting on Another Great Racing Season ✨ As race season comes to an end, we reflect on another great year of racing. Each event has given us the opportunity to continue improving, learning, and developing our skills both on and off the water. 💪🐉 Our journey this year brought us to the Lough Rinn Dragon Boat Regatta, where the rain stayed away, the competition was fierce, and the atmosphere was full of energy and camaraderie. We are proud to have won silver medals in both the BCP category and the Women’s 1000m race – achievements that highlight the hard […] - [Berlin City Cup](https://lagandragons.com/berlin-city-cup/): This month we traveled to Berlin to take part in The Berlin City Cup Regatta. What an unforgettable experience it was! Some of our team mates are still soaking up the sights and sounds of Berlin, while the rest of us have made it safely home, hearts full and arms in need of a rest! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms. The atmosphere was electric, and the energy on and off the water was truly special. We paddled alongside some of Germany's finest, and came away with not only medals-but memories to last a lifetime. […] - [Kukri Sports Joins Forces with Lagan Dragons to Champion Breast Cancer Awareness](https://lagandragons.com/kukri-sports-joins-forces-with-lagan-dragons-to-champion-breast-cancer-awareness/): Kukri Sports is proud to partner with the Lagan Dragons, Belfast’s pioneering dragon boat team that supports individuals affected by breast cancer. Champions on and off the water Open to all as a registered Community Amateur Sports Club, the Lagan Dragons have built a strong reputation not just for their impact off the water, but also their success on it – claiming podium finishes at events across Ireland and beyond. Their impressive track record includes finishing first place in the BCS category at the Hong Kong Dublin Dragon Boat Regatta, a recent second place at Lough Rinn and a third-place […] - [Exciting news!!!](https://lagandragons.com/exciting-news/): Lagan Dragons supporters shop open now. We’ve been working with Kukri Sports and are now delighted to offer you the chance to grab an exclusive Supporter’s Tee – a fantastic way to show your love for the club and help us raise much-needed funds at the same time. ✅ Personalise it with your name✅ Available in unisex, women’s, and kids’ sizes✅ 10% of every sale comes straight back to the club This fab design is unique to our club – you won’t find it anywhere else! It’s a great way to stand out and show our colours with pride. But […] - [Fundraising event!](https://lagandragons.com/2130-2/): Come along and support our fundraiser. - [Thank You - McCartan Turkington Breen](https://lagandragons.com/thank-you-mc-cartan-turkington-breen/): We're incredibly grateful! A heartfelt thank you to Mc Cartan Turkington Breen solicitors for their generous donation of £1000. Support like this makes a huge difference and helps us continue promoting a healthy, active lifestyle while supporting those affected, both directly and indirectly, by breast cancer. We're excited to share that part of this donation will go toward purchasing racing caps as part of our team kit, helping us to look and feel united as we take on new challenges together. It's through the kindness of others that we can keep making an impact in our community. Thank you again […] - [Off the Ball](https://lagandragons.com/off-the-ball/): Captain Karen Dougan and Membership Secretary Mabel Doherty recently travelled to Dublin for an interview with Eoin Sheahan from Off the Ball, Settle In sessions with Guinness 00. Eoin chatted with Karen and Mabel about who, what and why we are Lagan Dragons. Tune in to see their wonderful interview. - [Sports Personality of the Year NI - Unsung Hero](https://lagandragons.com/sports-personality-of-the-year-ni-unsung-hero/): We are absolutely delighted to share the news that our coach Rachel Reid has won the Sports Personality of the Year NI Unsung Hero award. Rachel will now travel to London for the National Awards. To say we are proud just does not do justice to how we feel right now. We are thankful to have Rachel as our coach, she is an incredible woman who gives her time, knowledge and expertise for the betterment of others and to top it off she does all of this with kindness and patience. We know how far we've come and are continuing […] - [Lough Rinn Dragon Boat Regatta 2024](https://lagandragons.com/lough-rinn-dragon-boat-regatta-2024/): This weekend ( 14th and 15th Sept) we travelled to Co Leitrim to take part in the IDBA Lough Rinn Dragon Boat Regatta. This was the last racing event of the season and so we were feeling strong and ready, having trained hard all year. Despite difficult weather conditions on Saturday, everyone battled on, giving their very best. As well as racing hard everyone there was having a great time. We at Lagan Dragons are delighted to have ended the season, bringing home silver medals in the 500 m Women's Category and bronze in the 500 m Open Category as […] - [Halloween Fundraiser](https://lagandragons.com/halloween-fundraiser/): SAVE THE DATE ! 26th Oct 2024 As we continue to grow and develop, so too do we continue to raise funds. Help support us by coming along to our Halloween Party, where we promise a Spooktacular night filled with dancing, fancy dressing and the drawing of our fabulous ballots. Bring your family and friends, everyone welcome. If you would like to come along, or maybe you can't make it but would like to support us by buying some of our brilliant ballots please contact us by using our contact button or by emailing us at pr@lagandragons.com Prizes include 1ST […] - [Go Europe!](https://lagandragons.com/go-europe/): We love to hear about what our Dragons get up to when they're not on the Lagan. This summer Karen Martin and Mary-Rose Hesketh took off on an incredible adventure when they joined Team Go Europe to take part in the Vienna Dragon Boat Cup 2024. Go Europe are a composite team of paddlers from all over Europe. What an incredible experience! Saturday was race day which kicked off with practice, during which they paddled past the floating islands complete with palm trees and sofas!... fear not they didn't stop for a break but in true dragon style paddled on. […] - [Barrow Dragon Boat Race 2024](https://lagandragons.com/barrow-dragon-boat-race-2024/): On Sunday 9th of June we made our way to Carlow to take part in the Barrow Dragon Boat Race, although the weather was not on our side spirits were high with lots to keep us entertained including the Eye Dotting Ceremony and Traditional Lion Dance! We are delighted to bring home another bronze! We have been training hard and we are so proud of each and every member of our club. Check out our video, we are having fun and winning too... This is how we do it! - [Barcelona 5th International Regatta](https://lagandragons.com/barcelona-5th-international-regatta/): On the 17th May almost forty of our paddlers travelled to Castelldefels, to take part in the 5th Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival which took place from the 17th to 19th May. We entered teams in the Seniors, Masters and BC categories, a total of seven teams in fourteen races. We had three teams get to the finals in the Senior 500m, Masters 200m and BC 200m. The icing on the cake was when our BC team won bronze! We are extremely proud of our teams, everyone paddled their hearts out and enjoyed the festival to the full. In fact […] - [Race Season](https://lagandragons.com/race-season/): It's the time we have all been waiting for! Over the winter we have been training hard both on and off the water in anticipation for Race Season. It is a very exciting time for those of us who have raced before and can't wait to get out there again but also for some of us it will be our first time racing against another boat, another team! To kick off, we travelled to Athy in County Kildare to take part in the first IDBA Regatta of the year, before heading to Barcelona later this month to take part in […] - [Meet the new committee!](https://lagandragons.com/meet-the-new-committee/): We had our A.G.M. on February 24th when we said farewell to our outgoing committee and welcomed the new members. Thank you Aaroon, Paula, Claire and Karen for all your hard work and dedication over the past few years. Meet Brenda, Estelle, Maura, Captain Karen, Christine, Frances and Mabel. We'll get to know them better in the coming weeks. Today was a very special day at Lagan Dragon H.Q. We had the naming ceremony for our newest boat, this ceremony is known as Awakening the Dragon. After naming 'Comet' she had a tour of the river accompanied by Stella and […] - [Snow Dragon Festival- Le Grand Bornand, France- Jan 2024](https://lagandragons.com/snow-dragon-festival-le-grand-bornand-france-jan-2024/): A small group of our intrepid dragons, plus some friends/ family, headed to the French Alps recently to take part in the 5th Snow Dragon Festival. Having seen images/ videos online last year, some of us fancied giving dragon boating on the snow a go! It was much harder than paddling on water, and a totally different technique, which we didn't have much time to learn- a 30 minute training slot and then 4 races, that's all. But, we put out 2 teams, Luna and Comet, and gave it our best shot! It was great fun and we met lots […] - [Plurabelle Paddler visit Lagan Dragons](https://lagandragons.com/plurabelle-paddler-visit-lagan-dragons/): We had a wonderful day paddling together with the Plurabelle Paddlers in Belfast yesterday. Typically when we meet we are competing against each other, so it was lovely to paddle together and get a catch up over a lovely lunch at Cutters Wharf. Thanks to everyone involved and to the Plurabelles for making the journey to Belfast! - [Lagan Dragons on BBC Breakfast!](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-on-bbc-breakfast/): We were delighted that the BBC chose to feature our club on BBC Breakfast this week, highlighting Breast Cancer awareness and the joy of Dragon Boating. Here it is if you missed it... - [BBC Filming for national feature](https://lagandragons.com/bbc-filming-for-national-feature/): Great excitement at Lagan Dragons HQ this week, when we were joined by Sara Girvan from BBC Northern Ireland. She came to do a special feature about the club which should air on national breakfast TV on 9th August! Sara even joined us in the boat for a paddle- bravo! Watch this space! - [Marie Curie Staff Summer Paddle!](https://lagandragons.com/marie-curie-staff-summer-paddle/): We were delighted to be joined by a group of staff from Marie Curie who came to paddle with us as part of their wellbeing week. It was a lovely tranquil summer's evening and great fun was had by all. - [On the road again...](https://lagandragons.com/on-the-road-again/): We had a wonderful day in Carlow, Sunday 11 June, when we competed in 3 races. We didn't quite make it to the final but it was lovely to see our friends from across Ireland and two of our helms are well on their way to completing their race helm qualification. And... stop the press - it didn't rain! - [Cirdan gifts £5,000 to Lagan Dragons](https://lagandragons.com/cirdan-gift-5000-to-lagan-dragons/): We were recently received an extremely generous gift of £5,000 from Cirdan.Cirdan is a leading provider of informatics and imaging solutions that enhance and speed up the diagnosis of patients. They choose the Lagan Dragons due to the importance their equipment has in breast cancer diagnosis.On behalf of the whole club we send our thanks to Cirdan for this amazing donation!Karen CaseLagan Dragon's Captain To find out more about Cirdan click here - [Barcelona Trip Highlights](https://lagandragons.com/barcelona-trip-highlights/) - [Lagan Dragons on Tour in Barcelona!](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-on-tour-in-barcelona/): Twenty three of the Lagan Dragons travelled to Barcelona to compete in the 4th Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival. The festival took place on the 19-21 May and the team had trained hard from the beginning of the year in preparation. We were delighted to reach the finals in both the Seniors Women's and BCC categories. We had a wonderful time meeting teams from all over the world, enjoying the sunshine and hanging out with each other. Our next regatta takes place in Carlow on 11 June when we look forward to meeting and competing with teams from across Ireland. - [Lagan Dragons Open Day, March 23](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-open-day-march-23/): Our amazing dragons pulled out all the stops today to welcome new people who wanted to try Dragon Boating for the first time. We had an amazing morning with new paddlers who experienced the fun and camaraderie of being in a dragon boat. Paddling together is a great way to support each other, be active and make new friends! Our next open day is 1 April 2023 - get in touch if you would like to join us: lagandragonsmembership@gmail.com - [Lagan Dragons open day- 25 March & 1 April, 2023](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-open-day-25-march-2023/) - [We are now #officiallyopen](https://lagandragons.com/we-are-now-officiallyopen/): On Sunday 28th November Minister Nichola Mallon took to the water and really did come up the Lagan NOT in a bubble but in one of our Dragon Boats. The Minister had been officially opening the new site for Lagan Dragons and joined the club aboard our latest boat Luna. She was treated to the Chinese traditional ceremony of ‘Awakening of the Dragon’ and The Dotting of the Eyes.    Founder of the club Joanne Rock painted the eyes of the dragon head on the front of the boat red to ‘give life’ to the boat and to wish it luck on its journey on the River […] - [Dragons mean Business](https://lagandragons.com/dragons-mean-business/): Lagan Dragons were delighted this week to be one of the first recipients of funding from Belfast Harbour Commissioners. Lagan Dragons are one of the 12 community organisations that have been fortunate enough to be awarded a Belfast Harbour Community Award. Belfast Harbour has awarded £25,000 to twelve organisations, in the first round of its Community Awards Fund launched earlier this year. Providing grants of up to £2,500 for local community projects, Belfast Harbour is seeking to support the work of grass-roots community organisations and charities, as they recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Projects benefitting from the […] - [A very different kind of Christmas and New Year](https://lagandragons.com/a-very-different-kind-of-christmas-and-new-year/): With the restrictions continuing around the Covid19 pandemic our annual Club Christmas Paddle had to be cancelled. Instead our individual ‘training pods’ took to the water on separate days during Christmas week. All paddlers remained socially distanced and incorporated a festive face mask into their creative and fun outfits. Special mention goes to Pod3’s very own Angel, Sharon. But in the end this year’s Best Dressed was awarded to Kaz and her Christmas Tree! - [Drum roll please...](https://lagandragons.com/drum-roll-please/): Back at the start of the summer two of our talented dragons decided to ‘sew and sell’ face masks. Ruth and Lesley have made thousands of masks in all designs (including matching neckscarfs for dogs). And along with the help of a few other dragons they have managed to raise an incredible amount of money for the club. As we head towards Christmas we have just heard that they have hit the £10,000 mark!! This is an unbelievable achievement and all of the proceeds will make a huge difference to our club going forward in to 2021. Well done ? […] - [Announcing Lagan Dragons’ 2021 Calendar](https://lagandragons.com/announcing-lagan-dragons-2021-calendar/): We are delighted to have worked with one of our sponsors, WhiteNoise, who have produced an absolutely fabulous wall calendar. A number of dragons put on their lippy and smartened themselves up for a photoshoot in Belfast. We think that the results speak for themselves. Huge thanks go to all of our kind sponsors who helped make this possible. If you would like to support Lagan Dragons, you can purchase these for just £7.50 (or £10 inc. P&P) Get in touch at: info@lagandragons.com - [Thank You National Lottery](https://lagandragons.com/thank-you-national-lottery/): We were delighted to have been given a grant from The National Lottery Community Fund recently. The £9851.00 has helped the club buy six 01 Dragon Boats. This has allowed many of our paddlers to continue to train solo in boats during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to #NationalLottery - we really do feel truly blessed. - [Gino, Gino, Gino, Gino!](https://lagandragons.com/gino-gino-gino-gino/): Our brilliant coach, Gino, has been nominated for Sports NI Community Coach of the Year . Unfortunately there will be no glitzy ceremony this year for the Dragons to get dressed up and attend in support of Gino's nomination, but the results will be published on Social Media during October and November. Fingers crossed Gino! - [Sew and Sell](https://lagandragons.com/sew-and-sell/): Two of our amazingly talented Dragons have been busy making face coverings during the current Covid-19 pandemic. Lesley and Ruth have both dusted down their sewing machines and have turned out hundreds of masks that have been sold to club members, and their families and friends. Demand has grown so quickly that they are having to keep up with the orders and have even got a 'selling team' on board to help stock the masks in hairdressers and some workplaces. Not only have the masks been useful during all Lagan Dragons paddling sessions, but they are also helping the club […] - [Green fingers](https://lagandragons.com/green-fingers/): Sunflowers have been blooming over the summer months, and early this spring the challenge was set. Who could grow the tallest sunflower? Lots of dragons planted, watered and nurtured their little seedlings. Despite the storms and high wind at times the flowers continued to thrive. The final measuring took place in September ...and the winning sunflower came in at a huge 279cm! Well done Lorraine! - [Busy in lockdown](https://lagandragons.com/busy-in-lockdown/): Dragons kept themselves busy during lockdown, and for many it was a time to reflect....to when they were much younger! There was a lot of head scratching to try and put the Dragon’s name to the photograph! In the end the winner who guessed more names than anyone else was..... Lesley! Well done ? Lesley knows us all so well! - [The Dragon has re-awoken](https://lagandragons.com/the-dragon-has-awoken/): Sadly paddling had to come to an end at the end of March because of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But we are back, and under guidelines from the Irish Dragon Boat Association, we have been out on the River Lagan since July. Our club has split in to four groups, or ‘pods’, which paddlers and helm stay in for every training session. We also now must wear face coverings and have a maximum of ten paddlers in the boat. We are blessed with some talented seamstresses who are giving up their time to sew and sell masks. All […] - [Dragons Shortlisted at Awards](https://lagandragons.com/dragons-shortlisted-at-awards/): Lagan Dragons were shortlisted at the inaugural Female Sports Forum Awards in Belfast last week. The club had been nominated in the category for Community Sports Champion for their work in reaching out to others who have been affected by a breast Cancer diagnosis.  The competition was tough, and in the end WISPA NI were announced as the very worthy winners.    Huge congratulations to WISPA for all of the amazing work that they do promoting sport for women. - [Dragons Open for Business](https://lagandragons.com/hitting-the-big-screen/): After the huge success of their recent BBC NI True North documentary Lagan Dragons are looking to increase the membership of their club. Back in September the Dragons took delivery of a third boat. Training of new helms is underway and in the coming months there will be increased capacity to have more paddlers out on the Lagan. This month there was another very exciting addition- a training boat called an O1 has arrived and the stunning club colours will soon be spotted along the river. If you are interested in coming along to try a bit of dragon boating […] - [Lagan Dragons as you've never seen them before](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-as-youve-never-seen-them-before/): Lagan Dragons are the subject of new BBC Northern Ireland documentary due to be aired next week as part of the True North television strand. The programme follows the Dragons as they train for the Irish Dragon Boat Association regatta in Dublin. There is a lot at stake. Teams from across Ireland compete in the hotly contested Breast Cancer Survivors’ Challenge. Last year Lagan Dragons crossed the finish line just ahead of the Dublin-based title holders Plurabelle Paddlers. Can they repeat that victory? Milene Fegan produced and directed the documentary for Waddell Media and spent several months on the water […] - [Health and happiness for 2020](https://lagandragons.com/health-and-happiness-for-2020/): Wishing each and every one of our supporters, sponsors and funders a very Happy 2020. The Lagan Dragons appreciate all of your help in making a difference in increasing the mental and physical wellbeing of all of our paddlers. - [Wishing you a Merry Christmas](https://lagandragons.com/wishing-you-a-merry-christmas/): Just a few days before Christmas the Dragons took to the water for a very special paddle. Dressed for the festive occasion everyone joined in singing as we made our way downstream to The Barge on the Lagan. Holohan’s at The Barge restaurant very kindly served everyone in our two boats wonderfully warming free Hot Toddies. With fire in our bellies, the paddle back to Belfast Boat Club could’ve given even Santa’s sleigh a run for his money! Huge thanks and Merry Christmas to the team at Holohan’s https://www.holohansatthebarge.co.uk/ - [Dragons hot things up at freezing Festive Head](https://lagandragons.com/dragons-hot-things-up-at-freezing-festive-head/): On Saturday 14th December our dragons bravely faced the freezing temperatures to take part in the annual Festive Head boat race on the Lagan. Racing against all sorts of rowing boats, 'Stella' was proud to be the only Dragon Boat taking part. The race began at the Albertbridge with the finish line 3km upstream at Belfast Boat Club. Our Dragons were very well prepared for the cold (who knew you could fit so many layers under an Elf outfit!) And they all proved to be very resourceful too by keeping the weight in the boat down by emptying the water […] - [Donate as you shop](https://lagandragons.com/donate-as-you-shop/): Good news! We are delighted to have been chosen by the Co-op to receive funding through their Local Community Fund, running from now until Oct 2020. If you are not already a Co-op member, please follow this link and sign up – it will cost you the princely sum of £1! https://membership.coop.co.uk/new-registration You can also share this with your friends/family/colleagues/friends of friends to sign up as members too. Once you have registered as a member, you need to do the following: • Follow this link: https://www.coop.co.uk/local-causes • Scroll down to the “Choose your local cause” button • If your home […] - [The day we capsized...](https://lagandragons.com/the-day-we-capsized/): No Dragon ever wants to end up in the water, and thankfully this is a very rare occurrence. But last weekend a brave bunch of Lagan Dragons did just that- albeit as part of a controlled and planned capsize. Our trainee helms were required to take part in a capsize drill as part of their IDBA Helm qualification. We are delighted to say that our five new Lagan Dragon helms completed their training with flying colours! Well done to them, and thank you to all of their team mates who turned out to support them in the boat on Saturday. - [Buns and Bras !](https://lagandragons.com/buns-and-bras/): The Dragons held a Cake and Bun sale to raise funds for the club and for the charity Pretty n Pink who supports the club and new paddlers wishing to try out the sport. It was a very successful event at Belfast Boat Club - possibly due to the many peckish rugby fans who had turned up to watch the Ireland v New Zealand game being shown in the club house! Pretty n Pink also brought along their Bra Bank- a place for ladies to donate their unwanted bras to.  These will go on to be recycled and sent to third world countries. - [Winning Streak!](https://lagandragons.com/winning-streak/): Just three weeks after winning Gold at the IDBA Regatta in Dublin, our paddlers have lifted another trophy. Lagan Dragon members took part in the 8km Paddleathon race in Kilkenny on Sunday 5th October.  Our paddlers took 1st place in BC category with an amazing 36.15 seconds. Overall they were placed a close 2nd ( 14 seconds ) out of 12 teams including Open and Ladies categories , including some international teams. Thanks to Nore Dragon Paddlers in Kilkenny for organising a fabulous event. - [Dragons are Over the Moon!](https://lagandragons.com/dragons-are-over-the-moon/): The Lagan Dragons were literally 'over the moon' when they accepted delivery of their third boat this week. The boat will be called 'Luna' meaning moon, and will join 'Stella' (the stars)  and 'Aurora' (the sun). The dragon boat was delivered from Germany, and excited club members helped bring the gleaming navy blue boat to her new home at Belfast Boat Club. The Lagan Dragons are enormously indebted to an anonymous benefactor who so very kindly donated the boat to the club. - [Paddling for Health this Winter](https://lagandragons.com/winter-training-coming-up/): We have now moved in to our winter training season which this year is supported by the Public Health Agency through the CLEAR project.  Our priorities are not just to maintain our fitness and endurance levels, but to increase our mental wellbeing.  The positive benefits of exercise are well documented, and Dragon Boating is a great way for people recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis to clear some headspace whilst paddling on the River Lagan . We will also be busy out on the river over the next few months training new helms for the club.  It is vital that they have time to hone their skills as […] - [Dragons to go 'Down Under'](https://lagandragons.com/dragons-to-go-down-under/): The International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission Festival Committee has just awarded the next IBCPC Festival to New Zealand. After the Lagan Dragons team travelled to Florence back in 2018 to attend the global participatory regatta, we will be packing our bags and paddles once more as many of us head for New Zealand in 2022! The event will be held at Lake Karapiro and will attract thousands of survivors and their supporters from around the world. Training for this amazing event STARTS NOW ! - [Fastest in Ireland](https://lagandragons.com/fastest-in-ireland/): 14th September 2019 saw the Lagan Dragons travel to the Grand Canal Dock to defend their title at the Dublin Dragon Boat Regatta. After a few hard fought races with teams across Ireland our Lagan Dragons in 'Aurora' retained the top spot in the Breast Cancer category. Congratulations also to our Lagan Dragons in 'Stella' who were just pipped at the post for a place in the final. - [Shout out to New Paddlers!](https://lagandragons.com/shout-out-to-new-paddlers/): Our next New Paddlers session will take place this Saturday 27th July at 10.15am With the recent glorious weather there's no better way to make the most of the summer than to spend an hour out on the River Lagan.  Drop us an email , we'd love to see you on Saturday! info@lagandragons.com - [ATTENTION! New Paddlers Session moved to Saturday 1st June](https://lagandragons.com/attention-new-paddlers-session-moved-to-saturday-1st-june/):   Due to an event on the River Lagan on Saturday 25th May our 'New Paddlers' session needs to be postponed for a week. All new paddlers are welcome to come along and experience a paddle in one of our Dragon Boats on: SATURDAY 1st May at 1015am Just drop us an email at info@lagandragons.com to confirm your space. Looking forward to seeing you there! - [Storm Hannah vs Belfast Lord Mayor](https://lagandragons.com/storm-hannah-vs-belfast-lord-mayor/): The weather got the better of The Lord Mayor when she joined the Lagan Dragons at Belfast Boat Club on Saturday 27th April. Councillor Deirdre Hargey, Lord Mayor of Belfast had been invited to join the Dragons for a paddle on the Lagan. Unfortunately it was not to be as Storm Hannah weighed in and prevented everyone from taking to the river. Instead Councillor Deirdre Hargey was entertained indoors by the lovely Dragons over tea and buns! The Dragons also took the opportunity to mark the birthday of their founding member and Captain, Joanne Rock (with yet more cake!) Earlier […] - [Sunday treat for New Paddlers ! (POSTPONED)](https://lagandragons.com/calling-all-new-paddlers/): Each month we run a 'New Paddlers' session on the last Saturday of the month. However, our May paddle will happen on the Sunday as the river will be busy on the Saturday with other events taking place. This is your opportunity to find out how fantastic it feels to be paddling a Dragon Boat on the River Lagan. It is also a great morning to meet and chat with other Lagan Dragons (we don't breathe fire, we're actually all very friendly!) Please get in touch if you are interested in joining us for a trial paddle on the River […] - [Award for Lagan Dragon Founder](https://lagandragons.com/award-for-lagan-dragon-founder/): Captain and Founding Member Joanne Rock was presented with a British Empire Medal (BEM) at Hillsborough Castle, Co. Down on 1st April.  The short ceremony was conducted by the Lord Lieutenant Joan Christie and the award was in recognition of Joanne's services to people with Breast Cancer. - [Joanne Rock BEM](https://lagandragons.com/joanne-rock-bem/): Lagan Dragons Captain & Founder Joanne Rock has been named in the Queens 2019 New Years honours list and is to be awarded the Order of the British Empire Medal - BEM  for services to People with Breast Cancer. Joanne said she was in complete shock when she heard the news and couldn't quite believe it. She has dedicated the award to her fellow teammates in the Lagan Dragons. Everyone is so proud of Joanne and delighted to hear that she has been recognised for all her dedication and hard work. - [Lagan Dragons win gold at the 2018 Dublin Hong Kong Dragon Boat Regatta](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-win-gold-at-the-2018-dublin-hong-kong-dragon-boat-regatta/): Lagan Dragons are now the fasted BCS Dragon Boat team in the UK and Ireland after winning gold at the 2018 Dublin Hong Kong Dragon Boat Regatta narrowly beating their biggest rivals the Plurabelle Paddlers from Dublin. Over the past four years, Lagan Dragons have been steadily moving up the podium places from 3rd to 2nd to 1st place this year! It has been such a wonderful year for the whole team after many months of training and hard work in the gym they finally earned themselves gold with an outstanding time of 58.54 in the 200 metres final. Congratulations […] - [Lagan Dragons exceed expectations in Florence](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-exceed-expectations-in-florence/): Lagan Dragons represented Northern Ireland for the first time ever at the 2018 IBCPC Dragon Boat Festival in Florence, Italy and finished 47th out of 128 teams from around the world. Every four years the International Breast Cancer Participatory Dragon Boat Festival takes place and is hosted by a different country each time. Thousands of athletes, all of whom have had a breast cancer diagnosis, race in this huge international dragon boat event. This was Lagan Dragons first year entering a team and they exceeded all expectations! The festivals opening ceremony saw over 3000 athletes from around the world wearing […] - [Lagan Dragons Captain wins 'Game Changer Award' at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards 2018](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-captain-wins-game-changer-award-belfast-telegraph-sports-awards-2018/): Inspirational Joanne Rock lifts inaugural Game Changer prize for work with cancer survivors Big impact: Joanne Rock of Lagan Dragons is presented with her Game Changer award at last night’s Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards. She received her award from Hannah Shields and Clare McAllister, Sales and Marketing Manager Electric Ireland NI, sponsors of the category By Gareth Hanna January 30 2018 Inspirational Ballymena woman Joanne Rock is the winner of the inaugural Game Changer award, sponsored by Electric Ireland. Joanne is the founder of the Lagan Dragons, Northern Ireland's first ever dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors and their families. […] - [RPS Belfast Supporting 'Sponsor a Dragon'](https://lagandragons.com/rps-belfast-supporting-sponsor-dragon/): Lagan Dragons will be representing Northern Ireland at the International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission Dragon Boat Festival in Florence, Italy in July 2018. Lagan Dragons are raising money to help cover associated costs and we recently launched our 'Sponsor a Dragon' campaign with great success! Thank you to RPS Belfast & Dr Michael Shaw Managing Director for kindly supporting our dragon Rosie Griffin.   - [Lagan Dragons win the 'Healthy Living category at the 2017 World Health Organization Healthy City Awards!'](https://lagandragons.com/lagan-dragons-win-healthy-living-category-2017-world-health-organization-healthy-city-awards/): On November 5th 2017 Lagan Dragons Captain Joanne Rock attended the World Health Organization Healthy City Awards in Clifton House, Queen Street, Belfast. Nuala McAllister Belfast Lord Mayor announced 'Lagan Dragons' as the joint winners with 'Beat the Street' in the Healthy Living Category with judges specifically commending the club for providing such wonderful peer support for breast cancer survivors, family members and supporters. Joanne was presented with a beautiful glass award which she said "will take pride of place on top of the piano in my house until hopefully some day we get our own trophy cabinet where it can […] - [Sunday Life - May 2017](https://lagandragons.com/sunday-life-may-2017/): Sunday Life article May 2017 - [Belfast's First Ever Dragon Boat Regatta](https://lagandragons.com/belfasts-first-ever-dragon-boat-regatta/): Join in Belfast’s first ever Dragon Boat regatta and help support the Lagan Dragons, Northern Ireland’s breast cancer dragon boat team. No previous experience required! - [Local Women Magazine - June 2015](https://lagandragons.com/local-women-magazine-june-2015/): It’s 8.45am on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning and I’m standing beside Belfast`s River Lagan, to meet an amazing bunch of ladies who are united by two things: breast cancer and a passion for dragon boat racing. - [Irish News - April 2017](https://lagandragons.com/irish-news-april-2017/): Those rowing in will tell you they're 'all in the same boat' during their hour-long expedition along the river every Saturday – but that often throwaway phrase has a deeper meaning for this intrepid group of mostly women because each has had a breast cancer diagnosis. ## Pages - [Profile](https://lagandragons.com/profile/) - [Pending](https://lagandragons.com/pending/): Thank you for your interest in joining Lagan Dragons. We just need to review your information and will get back to you shortly. - [Password Reset](https://lagandragons.com/password-reset/) - [Account](https://lagandragons.com/account/) - [Logout](https://lagandragons.com/logout/) - [Members](https://lagandragons.com/members/) - [Register](https://lagandragons.com/register/) - [Login](https://lagandragons.com/login/) - [User](https://lagandragons.com/user/) - [Train with us](https://lagandragons.com/train/): We have a variety of opportunities for you to paddle, with varying levels of difficulty. Whether you prefer a gentle paddle with a group of friends or want to improve and challenge your fitness levels, we aim to have a paddle that is a good fit for you. Once you have graduated from the ‘Paddle Academy’ you have a number of paddles to choose from. Social paddleThis is a gentle 45 minute paddle suitable for beginners or those who like to take it easier and take in the colour, sounds and serenity of being on the water. Time is taken to […] - [Meet our team](https://lagandragons.com/our-team/): Helen joined the Lagan Dragons in April 2023 after attending an open day. Her motivation was to try something new after finishing breast cancer treatment that would help with recovery and getting fitter. Helen feels that with the support of other members she has enjoyed every minute. Competing at regattas in Ireland and further afield is an enjoyable part that she never imagined happening. The camaraderie in the club and other clubs makes it a great experience. She has learnt and participated in things she never would have dreamed of doing before joining the club and has definitely gone beyond […] - [Gallery](https://lagandragons.com/gallery/): Florence [Rick can we move the Florence photos up before the Dublin photos? Also might be good to put in a few more events since the creation of the club - I have loads of photos we can use. Maybe we could put in tabs for each event?] IIrish Dragonboat Association Regatta, Dublin, September 2019 Welcome to the Lagan Dragons image gallery, where you will see photos and videos of some of our highlights throughout the year. To see more, please visit our Facebook page [tabs style="default"] [tab title="Photos"]   We travelled to Florence in Italy for the World Dragonboat […] - [Support us](https://lagandragons.com/support-us/): SUPPORT USLagan Dragons is proudly registered as a CASC (Community Amateur Sports Club). Our mission is to provide opportunities for those affected by breast cancer to participate in Dragon Boat paddling. This activity helps support and develop their emotional wellbeing while achieving overall improved general health and fitness. We are a voluntary self-funded club and are incredibly grateful for the generous support we have received to date. However, we continue to need financial support to keep our club running. DonateIf you would like to donate to us, please click our 'Donate' button today and help us continue offering this amazing […] - [Contact Us](https://lagandragons.com/contact-us/): How to Find Us Lagan Dragons Limited10 Lockview Road,BelfastBT9 5FJ By Email membership@lagandragons.com Find Us On Google Maps - [Want to join Lagan Dragons?](https://lagandragons.com/join-the-dragons/): Join us We are so looking forward to welcoming you to the Lagan Dragon community. Whether you are an experienced paddler or have never set foot in a Dragon Boat before, we want you to have a great experience as you begin your paddling journey with the Lagan Dragons. The Lagan Dragon Paddling Academy Our Paddling Academy is designed to introduce novices to paddling. If you wish to join Lagan Dragons and have no previous paddling experience you will be invited to attend the Paddle Academy. This programme is facilitated by our wonderful coaches and experienced paddlers who can’t wait […] - [News](https://lagandragons.com/latest-news/): chchiosdlhdlhfkgfkjewh - [We are Lagan Dragons!](https://lagandragons.com/about-us/): What inspired the creation of the club? Research has demonstrated that participation in regular, repetitive and strenuous activity (such as dragon boating) in a socially supportive environment offers benefits for those who have undergone breast cancer surgery. Aware of this research and the success of dragon boat clubs in Canada, the United States of America and England, our Belfast-based club was formed by Joanne Rock back in March 2015. Although we are primarily a breast cancer survivors club, we have Community Amateur Sports Club status and as such are open to the whole community - this also includes non breast […] - [Home](https://lagandragons.com/): We recognise that recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis is challenging for individuals, their families and friends. As part of a breast cancer survivor (BCS) dragon boat team,  you will be surrounded by others who are experiencing/ have survived a similar experience. With a strong support network around you, we hope you will be in a better position to face all stages of your cancer journey.  As we paddle, we keep our heads in the boat and leave our worries and struggles on the pontoon! ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/lagandragons.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)