BY KIERAN McCARHY
THE culture of Skibbereen Rowing Club will ensure that its unprecedented success will continue long after lightweight rowing has been dropped from the Olympic Games schedule – that’s the view of club chairman Sean Murran.
Lightweight rowing has, predominantly, been Skibb’s ticket to the Olympics. Of the seven Skibbereen rowers who have competed at the Games – Eugene Coakley, Richard Coakley, Gary and Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Emily Hegarty and Aoife Casey – only Tokyo bronze medallist Hegarty has been in a heavyweight boat.
Catherine Murran and Sharon Murphy of Skibbereen Rowing Club watching the Olympic rowing finals.
But with lightweight rowing no longer part of the Olympics, Skibbereen’s route to the pinnacle of the sport has changed, though Murran feels the conveyor belt will keep on producing world-class athletes.
‘We have had such great success with lightweight rowing,’ the Skibbereen Rowing Club Chairman agreed.
‘This will be a challenge, but the culture of this club is to work hard, to be technically very good and try to provide the rowers with the best equipment that we have – if we keep doing that we will keep on having success.
‘There was an interesting point that someone made to me – that the time of Paul and Fintan’s win, just under 6:11 (6:10.99), was faster than the heavyweight men’s sculls by one second (Romania won in 6:12.58).
‘Conditions can vary, but I think they were similar here, so you never know what the future might bring.
‘It might not just be about having bigger rowers, technique and strength come into it as well.’
The success of Skibbereen rowers on the world stage in recent years has grown the profile of the club, and look beyond the Olympians and the next generation is on the way up.
Trish Dineen, Union Hall, with Jenny and Chloe Brosnan, Ahiohill, enjoying the excitment at Skibbereen Town Hall.
Ailise O’Sullivan, Kelly Oforji, Hazel Deane and Allanah Keane represented Skibb at the Homes International Regatta. Jessica Crowley and Aoife Hendy will row for Ireland at the Coupe de la Jeunesse next weekend.
Moya Knowles, Dominic Casey and Mattias Cogan will compete in junior crews at the upcoming World Rowing Championships. The future is bright.
‘We have 80 or so young rowers at the club, all of them now can see that if they really work hard they can be the best. The potential is there, that you can come from a small town, there are no obstacles there if they work hard enough,’ Murran said, before adding his pride at what Skibbereen’s Olympians achieved in Paris.
‘You have to be proud of all the rowers. Emily Hegarty rowed a great race in the B final, Aoife Casey and Mags Cremen from Lee Valley Rowing Club finished fifth in an Olympic final and then Paul and Fintan backed up their gold from Tokyo.
‘You have to include Dominic Casey in there as well – that’s three successful Olympics he has been involved in, not only delivering on medals but crews getting to finals as well is a wonderful achievement to his commitment and work.’
