A Tribute to Our Founding Father, David Beattie
Written by Captain America (former Gaelic Dragons Team Captain)
David M. Beattie, The Gaelic Dragons’ founding father, arrived in Singapore in 1997 from Wales, Australia to take an assignment with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC).
Like many expats, David was in search of adventure, as well as a desire to meet new people and develop a sense of belonging in a new and strange land. During the early part of his Singapore stay, David developed a passion for dragon boating. He became a member of the International Dragon Boat Committee (IDBC) and the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA). Finally, his love of the sport inspired him to start his own team.
In 2004, the Gaelic Dragons Dragon Boat Team was born under David’s loving leadership.
Starting a dragon boat team was a considerable undertaking for David. Along with fulfilling his career obligations, he was also responsible for all the duties that come with managing a sports team: recruiting new members, organising team activities, raising operating funds, and sourcing equipment.
David put his heart and soul into the Gaelic Dragons: he could often be found in the boat yard repairing paddles and life jackets, or on the Kallang River sweeping a boat or training new paddlers.
For the first three years of the Gaelic Dragons’ existence, the team did not have its own boat. To conduct training sessions, David had to borrow a boat from other expat teams or the SDBA. To accomplish this critical goal of acquiring a boat, David came up with the ingenious idea to sell ownership shares in a new boat to raise the necessary procurement funds. This fundraising effort resulted in the team buying its first boat in 2007, a brand-new BUK boat named the Wild Rover. Named after the popular Irish folk and drinking song, the Wild Rover represented the unruly and fun-loving spirt of the team.
Over a short period of time the team grew substantially in size. As new and diverse members joined, the question was often asked: “What kind of team is the Gaelic Dragons?”
Is it a purely social team, a competitive team or is there a way for it to be both?
Under David’s guidance, the team formed a committee that was tasked with writing a mission statement that would define who the Gaelic Dragons are and help guide the team in the future. The Gaelic Dragon’s mission statement was approved by the team in 2010 and has served as the team’s historical anchor and guiding light ever since.
“The Gaelic Dragons are a competitive team that promotes the sport of Dragon Boating.
We conduct ourselves with the highest standards of sportsmanship while welcoming people of all backgrounds and paddling abilities.
We place a premium on fun and friendship and recognise that our members need to balance sport with personal demands and work life.”
2010 and 2011 were years of momentous change for the Gaelic Dragons.
Through the generosity of its members and sponsors, the team bought its second boat, a brand new Swift boat named Grace O’Malley. The Grace O’Malley was launched on July 24, 2010 and her arrival was celebrated with a team BBQ on the Kallang River beach. Named after the famous 1500s Irish female pirate, chieftain and sea trader, she represented the new competitive and fighting spirit of the team.
The team also purchased new carbon fibre paddles and life jackets, increasing the intensity of training, and held its first official time trials.
On March 20, 2011, David and the team’s hard work paid off and the Gaelic Dragons won their first medal in the MR 500 Plate Final. During a post-race Ponggol party hosted by team members, Antje Schroder and Michael Hoffman, President Gina Galvin and Captain Cliff Price hung the team’s first medal around David’s neck with the love of his life, Anne Marie Ng, by his side. In celebration of the momentous occasion, the Captain, Cliff Price, got his head shaved in front of the team by the previous Captain, Declan Starrs.
In late-2011, David began having health problems that gradually became worse. Sadly, Anne Marie lost her husband and the team lost its founding father on October 12, 2011. His funeral was greatly attended, not only by members of the Gaelic Dragons but also by other members of the Singapore dragon boat community. As a tribute, the team gathered at Penny Black’s after the funeral and toasted David while overlooking the Singapore River, with a shot of Irish whiskey and words of heartfelt praise and gratitude.
With David’s passing, the team was inspired to train with increased intensity. On November 27, 2011, the team won Silver in the Singapore River Regatta in the Mixed Grand Final. This was the team’s first Grand Final Medal. David would have been proud that his dream of creating a fun-loving, inclusive and competitive team had been fully realised.
Presidents, captains, coaches and team members will come and go, but the enduring spirt of David’s contribution to the Gaelic Dragons will never be forgotten. In honour of David, the team started the David Beattie Contribution to Club Award that is presented each year to the team member who stands out for their unselfish efforts to make the team a success.
Through competition, teamwork, and the valuable lesson of winning and losing, the Gaelic Dragons continue to create many lasting memories and friendships. There are few people who can claim to have positively influenced so many lives as David and the team he created, The Gaelic Dragons, had.