The St. John’s Regatta is alive and well,
Now it’s more than a century old.
My grandfather’s part of its history,
But his story is seldom told.

A poor Irish fisherman was Denis Croke,
Proud and strong was he.
More at home in a dory than on the land,
He spent most of his life at sea.

Denis was from Outer Cove,
And the man could handle an oar.
He joined his friends to form a team,
The Regatta they were aiming for.

In 1904, on Quidi Vidi Lake,
The Outer Cove team set the pace.
They rowed their boat “Blue Peter”,
And they won the race.

But winning wasn’t all they did,
Although their victory was sweet.
Their record time was nine thirteen,
And it took 80 years to beat.

It’s been a hundred years or so,
Since granddad had his win.
Though he was gone before I was born,
I’m so very proud of him.

Nancy Crossman
In memory of my grandfather Denis Croke's memory.   Submitted By: Nancy Crossman