Casey lands Irish rowing coaching job

THE man behind the continued success of Skibbereen Rowing Club will share his unparalleled knowledge of the sport after being appointed as a full-time High Performance Coach with Rowing Ireland.

The governing body of rowing in Ireland confirmed earlier this week that Dominic Casey – who coached Gary and Paul O’Donovan to Olympic silver medals and European gold this year – has come on board full-time and is tasked with overseeing and leading the development of the Irish lightweight group. Casey’s appointment is a very smart move by Rowing Ireland, says Skibbereen Rowing Club international oarsman Shane O’Driscoll.

‘It’s great news, he’s a guy we know well, we know what he’s like and we’re all very comfortable with him,’ he said.

‘Dominic has the knowledge that we need and the lightweights will learn a lot from him. It’s great to see an Irish man hired for an important position because we have talented people in this country who can take on the big coaching jobs and take us to the top.’

Casey will work in his new full-time high performance coaching role through to the next Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. He is credited as the main driving force behind Skibbereen Rowing Club’s incredible rise that has seen it officially become the most successful rowing club in the country.

Typically modest when talking to The Southern Star this week, Casey is hopeful that the success of the O’Donovan brothers this year will inspire all Irish lightweight rowers. 

‘There is talent coming through all over the country and Gary and Paul have shown what can be done – that will encourage a lot of people. They’ve shown a way forward for other rowers and it’s my job now to help everyone reach their potential,’ Casey said.