IRA is an acronym for "Intercollegiate Rowing Association." The IRA holds a regatta that serves as the men's collegiate national championship. For almost fifty years it was held in Poughkeepsie, New York, then in Syracuse, NY for another fifty or so. Starting in the mid-1990s, it was moved to Camden, New Jersey, where it will probably remain for another half century. The major victors in the 2000 IRA were Cal Berkeley (men's heavy varsity eight, men's heavy freshman eight), Yale (men's lightweight varsity eight), and Brown (men's heavy JV eight).