BY KIERAN McCARTHY
NOT for the first time, the town of Skibbereen will grind to a halt to salute its trailblazing rowers.
Thousands of fans are expected to descend on Skibb this Sunday afternoon for the homecoming that will celebrate the incredible exploits of Skibbereen Rowing Club’s Olympians at the Paris Games.
For the second Olympics in a row, four Skibb rowers – Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Emily Hegarty and Aoife Casey – flew the West Cork flag on the world stage, and again they wowed.
Olympic champs Paul and Fintan won back-to-back gold medals with their victory in the lightweight men’s double in Paris, Aoife finished fifth in the lightweight women’s double sculls and Tokyo bronze medallist Emily was part of the Irish women’s four that won the B final. Since then, Paul has added a seventh World title to his collection with his latest success at the World Rowing Championships last weekend adding another reason to celebrate this Sunday.
Given there was no similar-style homecoming after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 because of Covid restrictions, this Sunday’s homecoming celebration in Skibbereen is the perfect opportunity to give these local heroes the West Cork welcome they deserve.
‘You have the same four rowers who participated in both Tokyo and Paris Olympics – Paul now has three Olympic medals, Fintan has two Olympic gold medals, Emily Hegarty won bronze in Tokyo and Aoife is a two-time Olympian as well. This is a chance to celebrate all their success,’ club chairman Sean Murran said.
This not-to-be-missed – planned by Skibbereen Rowing Club, Cork County Council and Skibbereen Chamberd – will start at 3pm with an open-top bus parade through Skibbereen town, starting near the grotto on North Street. Skibb’s Olympic heroes and the man with the Midas touch, coach Dominic Casey, will be led by St Fachtna’s Silver Band and their Skibbereen Rowing Club mates to the Fairfield in the town’s centre where they will be interviewed on stage by RTÉ’s Jacqui Hurley.
Given the interest levels ahead of Sunday, Sean Murran’s advice should be heeded: arrive early!
This will be another proud occasion for Ireland’s most successful rowing club, Skibbereen Rowing Club, which has put its hometown on the world map – Skibbereen rowers have won Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals in the last three Games, spanning from Rio through to Paris.
‘The club is 54 years old now so to have had those humble beginnings at the start to where we are now has been an incredible journey. To have people involved in this over that period of time, so they can witness this all, is very special,’ Murran said.
‘This is an acknowledgment of all the athletes who have put this club on the map; at Olympic level we had the Coakley brothers Eugene and Richard, and Timmy Harnedy, to Gary and Paul, and through to this current group. This is a very proud moment for all these people who have been involved in this club for decades.’
