THREE days after winning a bronze medal at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire was back training on Reendonegan Lake in Bantry, eager to build on her dream international debut.
The Bantry teen (18) teamed up with Tiarnán O’Donnell (Lee Rowing Club) to win a bronze medal in the PR3 mixed double sculls in Lucerne on Saturday. It was a pinch-me moment for Sadhbh in her first regatta at this level. She hopes this is just the start.
‘I was really nervous beforehand because this was my first international race so I had never experienced this before. My approach was to give it my best and see how we get on,’ Sadhbh told The Southern Star.
‘Tiarnán O’Donnell was in the boat with me – he encouraged me and helped me the whole way through. I couldn’t have done this without him.’
Sadhbh’s story is remarkable. Born with spina bifida, she joined Bantry Rowing Club when she was 12 years old but it was last year that her para rowing journey really took off when she got involved with Rowing Ireland. Already, Sadhbh has racked up three medals – she is the Bantry rower with the Midas touch.
At the 2024 Home Internationals, Sadhbh, with only six months of training, won gold in both the 500m and 2000m races. Now she has added a World Rowing Cup medal to her collection.
Tiarnán O'Donnell and Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire ready to race.
‘It’s very encouraging,’ she said, with a look to the future that includes the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai in September, but before that are the national championships in the National Rowing Centre this month. Exciting times for Sadhbh, who has found her sport in para rowing.
‘We got involved in Bantry Rowing Club because we wanted a sport for Sadhbh to do so she could participate and feel good about herself. There aren’t many sports that para athletes can get involved in,’ said Sadhbh’s mom, Dawn.
‘Bantry Rowing Club is one of the best rowing clubs in Ireland – it’s so community and family orientated, and so welcoming. As someone said to me once, it’s not a racing club it’s a rowing club. It is the perfect environment for Sadhbh to develop her love of rowing.’
Full of praise for Bantry Rowing Club and Rowing Ireland, Dawn is delighted to see her daughter find her groove on the water. David Breen, who worked with Rowing Ireland as a high performance para coach, played a key role in Sadhbh’s story, and now she is benefiting from the world-class coaching of Dominic Casey in the Rowing Ireland set-up.
Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire was delighted to win a bronze medal.
It’s all been a whirlwind, but she’s loving every minute. Sadhbh, who went to school in Scoil Mhuire in Ballingeary, sat her final Leaving Cert exam on June 19th. The next day she was at the National Rowing Centre being coached by Dominic Casey – she’s not fazed by the speed of her rise, but excited to see where it leads. Look at her bronze medal at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne – because there were not enough entries in her PR2 classification, herself and Tiarnán O’Donnell had to compete in the harder PR3 category, yet still won bronze.
‘To race in PR3 is considerably tougher,’ Sadhbh said.
There are three different classifications in para rowing: PR1, PR2 and PR3. Rowers in PR2, which is Sadhbh’s category, have functional use of their arms and trunk, but may have weakness or limitations in their legs, whereas PR3 rowers can use sliding seats and have function in their legs. It gives even more context to Sadhbh’s bronze medal success in Lucerne.
‘It was a surreal experience – I never thought I’d be part of something like this, to be part of a team and a community like this. It was amazing,’ she said this week, still buzzing from being involved in the Rowing Ireland set-up. It’s why she couldn’t wait to get back training this week, with the single sculls in the nationals her next target before getting back in the double ahead of the Worlds. And the best part? Sadhbh is only getting started.
