Latest news with #RowingIreland
RTÉ News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Single scull a silver lining for crewless Fiona Murtagh
Back in November, Fiona Murtagh put behind her a challenging few months to return to the National Rowing Centre in Cork. More than three months had passed since the bitter disappointment of the Paris Olympics, and the Galway native was struggling to plot out her future. Murtagh and Aifric Keogh – part of the women's four in Tokyo alongside Eimear Lambe and Emily Hegarty that swept to an unlikely bronze – travelled to France as serious medal contenders in the women's pair. Podium finishers in every race that season, they could only manage a sixth-place semi-final finish. Having experienced such highs in Tokyo (Murtagh and Keogh became, and remain, the only Galway athletes to claim an Olympic medal), a combination of underperformance and the lack of a post-Games plan hit the 29-year-old hard. Keogh retired and of the coaches that were involved in the Paris Games, only Dominic Casey remains, with Rowing Ireland yet to fill the vacancy left by high-performance director Antonio Maurogiovanni's departure. "After Paris I took a break, I really wasn't sure what to do, I had nothing planned," Murtagh told RTÉ Sport. "In hindsight, it was not a good idea. I really fell off a cliff. People were retiring, coaches were leaving. There was a lot of uncertainty in the air. I was a sweep rower (two hands on one oar, as opposed to sculling where each rower uses two oars). I was trying to think, 'where do I fit in?' 'Where do I belong in this organisation now?'" Once the dust had finally settled on Paris, Murtagh began to plan ahead. Inevitably, she kept circling back to her sport. "I knew myself I had so much more to give, I just didn't know how that was going to be done." Enter Dominic Casey, Ireland's most successful rowing coach. It was his suggestion to try out the single-scull. Eased back into the boat, it was now a fresh challenge of working solo. That first day back in November, it was a case of old habits dying hard. After the warm-up, she waited in the areas reserved for the fours and quads, the pairs and doubles; lining up where the singles took off from didn't enter her mind. "After a few months off, you are on edge," she says. "Without thinking I just stood beside the pair, waiting for Aifric and Giuseppe (De Vita, high performance coach). It was that moment, 'they're not here'." Those early months were a steep learning curve. The pace was "crawling" and old techniques had to be discarded; how she approached the catch (the oar entering the water) and moving through the leg drive may not seem massively different to the untrained eye. For Murtagh it was night and day. In the past, Keogh had taken charge of steering in the pair, while as part of the four, Lambe looked after the calls. Now the responsibility landed squarely on her shoulders. "Even though you know how to do them, it's about owning it," she says. There were no goals set in those early days, just reassurance and guidance from Casey. The lack of pressure was a rare treat, the sole focus simply getting to grips with the solo adventure. At the turn of the year, the winter labour was beginning to bear fruit. At her first trial she was second to Mags Cremen. For the final European trials, she was first past the finish line. She went to the European Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, earlier this month, full of nerves and possibilities. "I won my heat and it was instilling confidence in me throughout the regatta. I was more confident in my start, I always backed my middle. When I won the semi, I knew I was in with a chance." Seven months after beginning her sculling journey in Cork, Murtagh was back on the podium. "Throughout the last season, I never thought about winning at the European championships until I got there," she says. "If you told me after Paris if I'd be sitting here, with a European silver in the single, I'd be like 'you're lying to me'." She's not wedded to the idea of sculling in Los Angeles. It could pan out that way, but "you never know what Dominic has in mind". The mental and physical demands will stand to her regardless, Murtagh feeling the fittest she has ever been. This weekend she is in Switzerland, part of a strong Irish squad competing at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, the next chapter in her journey. "I'm still learning," she says. "People laugh at me when I say I'm a novice. In the single. It's a good thing. I'm motivated to learn that skill. "It's different. It's not me doing it for someone else, it's me doing it for me. There is a lot of self-growth and self-realisation to want to do that."
Irish Examiner
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
No Paul O'Donovan as Ireland crews named for 2025 World Rowing Cup
Paul O'Donovan will not feature for Rowing Ireland at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne as the crews are named for the 2025 event. Bronze medal winners at the European Rowing Championships Fintan McCarthy and Daire Lynch will row in the M2x while in the M4x will see Ronan Byrne, Brian Colsh, Adam Murphy and Andrew Sheehan compete. Fiona Murtagh, who won silver in the European Rowing Championships, and Alison Bergin will compete in the W1x with Siobhán McCrohan going in the LW1x event. Margaret Cremen and Zoe Hyde are paired for the W2x. Claire Feerick, Aisling Hayes, Imogen Magner and Natalie Long will row in the foursome W4 event. In the PR2 Mix2x Sadhbh Ní Laoighaire and Tiernan O'Donnell will team up and will compete in the PR3 category for classification pruposes. The competition will take place from June 27-29. Speaking ahead of the competition High Performance Lead Coach Dominic Casey said 'Lucerne is one of the standout events in the rowing calendar. "The squad selected brings together a mix of youth and experience, and it's a key opportunity for us to benchmark against world-class crews as we look ahead to the next major test.'
Irish Independent
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘It is everything. It is why I do this' – Tiarnán O'Donnell claims PR2 gold at World Cup regatta
In the two-and-a-half years since he accepted an invitation from the great Ireland pararower Katie O'Brien to switch from wheelchair basketball to rowing, O'Donnell (26) has excelled. He took silver in the PR2 single sculls in two World Cup regattas in 2024, and the 26-year-old today won gold in Varese, with a dominant performance. He was the one Irish representative at this regatta. 'Rowing is a much different sport (to wheelchair basketball). I think a little bit harder,' he told World Rowing. 'Finally I got a gold!' His family, gathered around him at the venue, cheered, and O'Donnell said the support they give is vital. 'It is everything. It is why I do this. Whether I get a bronze, a silver, or no medal at all, I do it for my family, so they can share this with me. It's really special,' said O'Donnell. He said he could hear the crowd cheering him as he rowed. 'You usually only hear them for the last five hundred metres, but because they're Irish you hear them from 1,000 metres away!' The PR2 is not a Paralympic or World Championship event. O'Donnell and O'Brien, who has been out of action this season so far, teamed up to take eighth place in the PR2 mixed double in Paris last year, and the Irishman hopes to compete in the PR2 double at the World Rowing Championships in September. '(The) A Final is always the goal. And if we are fast enough, hopefully, a medal.' After winning the preliminary race on Friday in a new personal best of eight minutes 41.8 seconds, O'Donnell said he wanted to set a new benchmark. 'The goal was 8:50 and I almost broke 8:40, so that's the goal [in the final],' he told Rowing Ireland. He set off at 45 strokes per minute and reached his goal with plenty to spare. His winning time was 8:36.61, over six seconds ahead of young scullers from Uzbekistan and Turkey, who took silver and bronze. ADVERTISEMENT The determined Irishman overcame the loss of his right leg to excel at sport using a prosthetic. 'I was diagnosed with a rare tumour when I was very, very young. I battled it for 15 years,' he told the Irish Independent last year. 'Eventually, I made the decision I was finished with fighting. We had tried every option. I made a decision to amputate it. It's the best decision I ever made.' He competed in a number of disciplines before his potential as a rower was spotted. 'I got a DM on Instagram from Katie O'Brien. She saw a photo of me at a blade-running [event]. She said 'I think you'd be great at rowing. You've a perfect body type for rowing, or whatever.' 'I didn't really consider it because I was playing international basketball at the time. She told me, 'come see me at the Irish Indoors (rowing championships) and see how I get on, I'll try and convince you'. She broke the world record that day! 'So I was, like, this girl is serious business. So I told her 'once I finish my degree, I will come rowing'. That's where the journey started.'
Irish Examiner
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Murtagh wins silver while McCarthy and Pazzaia claim bronze at the European Rowing Championships
Fiona Murtagh has won silver in the Women's Single Sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria with Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia claiming bronze in the A final of the Men's Double Sculls. Murtagh claimed silver in a time of 7:21.11 in mixed conditions with a headwind at the start and a tailwind over the final 600 metres. She showed composure and consistency to almost match her heat time exactly. McCarthy and Pazzaia won Ireland's first medal of the regatta when the duo secured broze in the Men's Double Sculls. The pair were in medal contention throughout the race holding off a strong challenge in what was a tightly contested race. This marks McCarthy's first international medal in an openweight boat and it is a first senior championship medal for Pazzaia. Jake McCarthy finished fourth in the A final of the Lightweight Men's Single Sculls and closed with the fastest 500m of the race in a time of 7:01.45. In the A final of the Lightweight Women's Single Sculls Izzy Clements finished fourth on her senior debut which was an excellent result after holding a top three position for much of the race. Mags Cremin and Zoe Hyde finished fourth in their A final of the Women's Double Sculls posting a time of 6:55.73 which was just 3.77 seconds off a podium finish in what was a fast and competitive race. The newly formed crew of Claire Feerick, Natalie Long, Aisling Hayes and Alison Bergin finished fourth in the B final of the Women's Quadruple Sculls with a time of 6:28.50 weehich was a significant improvement from their heat. The Men's Quadruple Sculls of Andrew Sheehan, Adam Murphy, Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle finished fifth in their B final delivering an assured and consistent campaign. Ross Corrigan and Daire Lynch finished third in their B final in the Men's pair with a time of 6:26.50. Michelle Carpenter, CEO of Rowing Ireland, was delighted with the team's performance. "It was an honour to be on the ground in Plovdiv supporting our athletes at the 2025 European Rowing Championships. Across the board, we saw determination, resilience, and world-class performances from our crews. Fiona Murtagh's silver medal today in the Women's Single Sculls was a standout moment, as was the superb bronze from Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia in the Men's Double Sculls yesterday." "To come away from the European Championships with two medals, five A Final appearances, and encouraging performances from newly formed crews and systems, under the guidance of world-renowned coach Dominic Casey, is a testament to the strength and depth of our High Performance Programme. I'm immensely proud of our athletes, coaches, and support staff. These results reflect the hard work and commitment that takes place every day behind the scenes. A sincere thank you to our clubs, partners, and supporters who continue to play such an important role in our journey."
Irish Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish double Olympic champ claims first international medal since major change
Double Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy has won his first international medal in an openweight boat after joining forces with Konan Pazzaia to claim bronze in the European Rowing Championships. McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan topped the podium in the lightweight double sculls in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics but that category no longer exists as an Olympic sport. With O'Donovan continuing his medical studies, McCarthy has teamed up with Pazzaia and together they have claimed Ireland's first medal at the Europeans in Plovdiv in the men's double sculls. Under dry conditions and a strong tailwind, they remained in medal contention throughout the race, exchanging positions with Italy and withstanding a late surge from Romania. Crossing the line in third place, it marked McCarthy's first international medal in an openweight boat and a first senior championship medal for Pazzaia of Queen's University. McCarthy's brother Jake finished fourth in the lightweight men's single sculls, finishing fourth with the fastest final 500 metres of the race and in a time of 7:01.45. Meanwhile, Ross Corrigan and Daire Lynch placed third in the B final of the men's pair with a time of 6:26.50 in a tightly contested field. In the lightweight women's single sculls, Izzy Clements impressed on her senior international debut, finishing fourth in the A final. Clements held second for much of the race before being overtaken in the sprint finish. In the women's double sculls, Mags Cremin and Zoe Hyde also secured a fourth-place finish in a fast-paced A final, narrowly missing out on the podium in one of the closest races of the day. Rowing Ireland CEO Michelle Carpenter said: "This really feels like the start of a new chapter for Rowing Ireland. "We're building a strong team and a solid programme for the years ahead, and it's great to see that coming to life on the water. "I'm absolutely delighted with all of the athletes' performances today, but to come away with a podium finish on the first day of finals is very special. Huge credit to the athletes, coaches and support staff for the work that's gone in behind the scenes.' Women's fours bronze medallist Fiona Murtagh competes in the women's single sculls final on Sunday. Also in action are the women's quadruple sculls team of Alison Bergin, Aisling Hayes, Natalie Long and Claire Feerick in the B final, the men's quadruple sculls - Philip Doyle, Ronan Byrne, Adam Murphy and Andrew Sheehan – in the B final.
