THE homecoming celebration for Skibbereen’s Olympians and gold medallists will be held on Sunday September 1st in the Fairfield (farmers’ market car park) in Skibbereen.
Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy stormed to victory in Paris, becoming back-to-back Olympic champions, while Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty showed that they are rightfully at the top of the world stage, with Aoife placed 5th and Emily 7th in their finals.
The event, being organised by Skibbereen Rowing Club, Cork County Council and Skibbereen Chamber, will kick off at 3pm with an open-top bus parade through the town. Our Olympic heroes and their acclaimed coach Dominic Casey will be led by St Fachtna’s Silver Band and their rowing clubmates.
Alongside them in the parade will be young representatives of local sports clubs, to show how their participation celebrates the role of sport in the community and the importance of dreaming big, recalling a young Fintan McCarthy who looked on as the town welcomed home silver medallists Gary and Paul O’Donovan in 2016.
The parade will be followed by a gathering at the Fairfield, where the rowing heroes will be interviewed by RTÉ’s Jacqui Hurley, a Ballinhassig native. Jacqui was also at the forefront of RTÉ’s Olympics coverage.
The public is advised to arrive in Skibbereen early to enjoy the celebrations. Access is available to attendees with mobility issues.
County mayor Cllr Joe Carroll said he was delighted to again welcome the great rowers back home to Skibbereen – all champions and Olympic gold medallists. ‘They have brought fame and glory to their club, town, county and country,’ he said.
Don't forget to check out our catch-up with the two-time Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy about his experiences at the Paris Games after he had just arrived home.
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