| Sport | Rowing |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Ireland |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Aff | World Rowing |
| Affdate | 1948 |
| Headquarters | National Rowing Centre, Cork |
| President | Jane Williams |
| Countryflag | Ireland |
Rowing Ireland, formerly the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, is the governing body of rowing for Ireland.[1][2] It is a cross-border organisation administering the sport in both the Republic of Ireland[1] and Northern Ireland.[2]
Rowing Ireland is a member of the Olympic Council of Ireland[3] and the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron (FISA).[4]
Membership
Over 100 clubs are affiliated to Rowing Ireland.[5] These are from across the island and include schools, third level institutions and open clubs.
In 2019 Rowing Ireland launched its strategy until 2024. This has four pillars: Supporting clubs, High Performance, Rowing for all and Leading our sport.
National Rowing Centre
The National Rowing Centre (NRC) in Farran Wood, County Cork is the headquarters of Rowing Ireland and is also the base of the High Performance team. The centre has an eight-lane Albano course and hosts a number of regattas and the Championship Regatta each year. Every four years it hosts the Home International Regatta.[6] It hosted the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 1999, 2008 and 2018.[7][8]
Irish Championships
Established in 1899 as the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, the association hosted its first championship in 1912.[3] At the 1912 AGM, which was held in February, it was agreed that a cup be purchased for £100 for the Union to be presented for annual competition amongst senior eights. This would in time become known as "The Big Pot". The inaugural Senior eights championship took place at Metropolitan Regatta in Ringsend on the Lower Liffey in July 1912 and City of Derry Boating Club were the winners.[9] It would be 1934 before the Junior (Intermediate) eights championship was added.[10] Since then many additional championships have been added and 44 are now contested each year at the Championship Regatta.[11] In 2017 it added the Irish Offshore Rowing Championship and in 2018 the inaugural Irish Coastal Rowing Championships took place. The results of all championships can be found at www.irishrowingarchives.com
National team
Rowing Ireland is responsible for the selection and management of the Irish national team, through its High Performance programme. Crews are selected for regattas such as the Olympic Games, World Rowing Championships, European Rowing Championships, and the World Rowing Cup.[12]
Olympics and Paralympics
Olympics
Ireland first sent a boat to an Olympic regatta to the 1948 Summer Olympics, where they sent a men's eight.[13] The IARU received its affiliation from FISA on the 3rd of August, 1948, two days before the start of the regatta, allowing Ireland to send a crew.[14]
Ireland would not appear at an Olympic regatta until 1972, when Seán Drea entered the men's single sculls, coming seventh.[15] Ireland would go on to field at least one crew at every Olympic regatta except 1984.[16] Four years later, Drea came fourth in the same event.[17]
At the 1996 Summer Olympics, the crew in the men's lightweight coxless four consisting of Derek Holland, Sam Lynch, Neville Maxwell and Tony O'Connor also came fourth.[18]
It was not until 2016, when brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan broke through and won Ireland's first Olympic medal in rowing: a silver in the men's lightweight double sculls.[19] The O'Donovans' relaxed interview style endeared followers and they became internet sensations in the wake of their success,[20] and they were invited on to The Graham Norton Show for its 2016 New Year's Eve special.[21]
At the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, Ireland entered thirteen athletes across six boats. The women's coxless four, consisting of Emily Hegarty, Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, and Fiona Murtagh, won a bronze medal,[22] and Paul O'Donovan joined Fintan McCarthy to win Ireland's first rowing gold in the men's lightweight double sculls.[23]
For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Ireland qualified sixteen athletes across seven boats, more than any other Olympic regatta.[24][25] Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy successfully retained their gold medal in the men's lightweight double sculls, the last time the event would be held in an Olympic regatta,[26] and Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch won a bronze medal in the men's double sculls.[27]
Medal table
| Games | Event | Rower(s) | Club | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro 2016 | LM2x | Gary O'Donovan | Skibbereen Rowing Club | Silver |
| Paul O'Donovan | UCD Boat Club | |||
| Tokyo 2020 | LM2x | Fintan McCarthy | Skibbereen Rowing Club | Gold |
| Paul O'Donovan | UCC Rowing Club | |||
| W4- | Aifric Keogh | UCC Rowing Club | Bronze | |
| Eimear Lambe | UCD Ladies Boat Club | |||
| Fiona Murtagh | NUIG Boat Club | |||
| Emily Hegarty | UCC Rowing Club | |||
| Paris 2024 | LM2x | Fintan McCarthy | Skibbereen Rowing Club | Gold |
| Paul O'Donovan | ||||
| M2x | Philip Doyle | Belfast Boat Club | Bronze | |
| Daire Lynch | Clonmel Rowing Club |
Paralympics
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Ireland fielded a crew in the mixed coxed four.[28] For the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Ireland fielded a crew in the PR2 mixed double sculls.[29]
World Championships
Ireland has won nineteen gold, eight silver and fifteen bronze medals at the World Rowing Championships.[30][31]
Gold medallists
European Championships
The European Rowing Championships were re-established in 2007, after a hiatus dating to 1973. At these, Ireland has won six gold, six silver, and five bronze medals.[32]
Gold medallists
| Year | Event | Rower(s) | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandenburg 2016 | LM2x | Gary O'Donovan | Skibbereen Rowing Club |
| Paul O'Donovan | UCD Boat Club | ||
| Račice 2017 | LM2- | Mark O'Donovan | Skibbereen Rowing Club |
| Shane O'Driscoll | |||
| Lucerne 2019 | W1x | Sanita Pušpure | Old Collegians Rowing Club |
| Poznań 2020 | W1x | Sanita Pušpure | Old Collegians Rowing Club |
| Varese 2021 | LM2x | Fintan McCarthy | Skibbereen Rowing Club |
| Paul O'Donovan | UCC Rowing Club | ||
| Munich 2022 | LM2x | Fintan McCarthy | Skibbereen Rowing Club |
| Paul O'Donovan | UCC Rowing Club |
References
- ^ Sport Ireland – List of Governing Bodies
- ^ Sport Northern Ireland – List of Governing Bodies
- ^ "Olympic Council of Ireland: Introduction to Rowing". Olympic Council of Ireland. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ World Rowing: National Federations: Ireland
- ^ Rowing Ireland: About Us
- ^ Home International Regatta Rules of the Regatta: Date and Venue
- ^ 2018 Coupe de la Jeunesse Awarded to Ireland, Rowing Ireland
- ^ Cork set to host prestigious Junior Regatta in 2018 Aifric Keogh 8 August 2015, Sportswoman.ie
- ^ The Big Pot – The Irish Senior Championships 1912–1991 by Micheal Johnston, Shandon Books, 1992, ISBN 0-9519187-0-2
- ^ Irish Rowing Archives – List of championship winners
- ^ Irish Rowing Archives – List of Championship Events.
- ^ "High Performance". rowingireland.ie. Rowing Ireland. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ^ "1948 Olympics And The Thin Green Line, Part 1". Hear The Boat Sing. Hear The Boat Sing. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Ireland’s Part in the Growth of the F.I.S.A. Family". Hear The Boat Sing. Hear The Boat Sing. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Rowing at the 1972 Munich Summer Games: Men's Single Sculls". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Kerr, Kieran. "Irish Rowing Olympians". Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Rowing at the 1976 Monteral Summer Games: Men's Single Sculls". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ^ "Rowing at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games: Men's Lightweight Coxless Fours". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Relive the moment of rowing history in Rio". rte.ie. RTÉ. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Slawson, Nicola. "Ireland's O'Donovan brothers become web sensations after medal win". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Series 20, New Year's Eve Show". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Tokyo 2020: Irish rowing quartet battle their way to bronze". rte.ie. RTÉ. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "Tokyo 2020: Gold for O'Donovan and McCarthy". rte.ie. RTÉ. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian (10 September 2023). "Ireland take four medals home from World Rowing Championships". Irish Times. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ Ryan, Eoin. "Women's four Olympic-bound but heartbreak for Sanita Puspure at final qualifier". RTE Sport. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Clarke, Ryan (5 August 2024). "Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy row into history with another Olympic gold". RTE. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ Diallo, Raf (1 August 2024). "Paris 2024: Bronze for Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch in double sculls". RTE. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- ^ Kerr, Kieran. "Irish Rowing Paralympians". Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- ^ "Katie O'Brien and Steven McGowan reach World final and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.". Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ "Ireland medallists at the World Rowing Championships". Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
- ^ FISA Athlete database
- ^ Kerr, Kieran. "Rowing Ireland - European Championship Medals". Irish Rowing Archives. Irish Rowing Archives. Retrieved 24 August 2023.