BY KIERAN McCARTHY
OLYMPIC gods Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have been crowned the 2024 West Cork Sports Star of the Year winners at a gala banquet in the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery on Saturday night.
After another incredible year that saw the all-Skibbereen team rubberstamp their position as the top lightweight rowers in the world, Paul and Fintan successfully defended their men’s lightweight double title at the Olympic Games.
Having won gold in Tokyo at the previous Olympics, Paul and Fintan became the first Irish Olympians since Dr Pat O’Callaghan in 1928 and 1932 to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
The Skibbereen rowers’ success at the Paris Games saw Paul becomes the first Irish sportsperson ever to medal at three different Olympics, while Fintan became the fifth member of an exclusive Irish club who have medalled at two Olympic separate Games.
With lightweight rowing now dropped from the Olympics, it means Paul and Fintan will be Olympic men’s lightweight double champions for eternity!
This latest West Cork Sports Stars of the Year award means that Paul, incredibly, has won this award FOUR times, while Fintan has won it THREE times!
Also at the awards, Niall Cahalane was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Clonakilty Soccer Club won the West Cork Sports Star Team of the Year, Clonakilty RFC was crowned Club of the Year, kickboxer Oran Brady won the Paudie Palmer Youth Award, while Goleen junior footballers picked up the Special Achievement award.
- Don’t miss Thursday’s Southern Star Sport for the best coverage of the West Cork Sports Star Awards!
