WORLD champion Fintan McCarthy will race in the men’s single sculls at the European Rowing Championships in October.

McCarthy (23) won world gold in the Irish men’s lightweight double with Paul O’Donovan at the 2019 senior World Rowing Championships, but with the latter tied up with college commitments Fintan will be sent to Poland to compete in the single sculls.

Skibbereen Rowing Club star McCarthy impressed at the recent Irish trials at the National Rowing Centre and he will look to build on the progress he has made in the last 18 months that has seen him earn his place in the Olympic-bound Irish men’s lightweight double alongside Paul O’Donovan.

Meanwhile, Skibbereen’s Emily Hegarty will compete in the women’s pair with Tara Hanlon at the European Rowing Championships (October 9th to 11th). This pair will also compete together at the U23 European Rowing Championships in Duisburg, Germany, in early September. Hegarty, from Church Cross, is hoping to compete at next year’s Olympics as Ireland has already qualified the women’s pair and will look to qualify the women’s four too.

Aoife Casey also has a busy schedule because she will race in the Irish women’s lightweight double sculls at both the senior and U23 European rowing championships. She’ll be partnered by Margaret Cremen in both Poznan and Duisburg.

Together they won silver at the 2017 European Rowing Junior Championships in Germany.

Rowing Ireland still has ambitions of sending forward an Irish women’s lightweight double sculls to the Olympic qualification regatta so this is a great chance for Casey and Cremen to gain more experience.

Skibb’s Lydia Heaphy could also compete at the U23 Europeans in a double alongside Cliodhna Nolan (NUIG).