O’Donovan and McCarthy back together in men's lightweight double for European Championships

OLYMPIC champions Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy will defend their European Championship title in Munich next week.

The two Skibbereen rowers will race together in the Irish men’s lightweight double for the first time this year after their incredible success in 2021.

In recent months Paul won gold at World Cup III in the lightweight single, while Fintan won silver at World Cup II in the same event. Now, they’re back together.

There is considerable West Cork interest, again, at the upcoming Europeans (Thursday, August 11th to Sunday, August 14th). Skibbereen Rowing Club’s Lydia Heaphy will partner Margaret Cremen in the women’s lightweight double. They won bronze at World Cup II. Aoife Casey will race in the women’s lightweight single in Germany.

Olympic medallist Emily Hegarty will have a busy few days as she will compete in the pair alongside Fiona Murtagh, and also in a strong Irish women’s eight that includes all four of the Tokyo bronze medallists (Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh) as well as Sanita Puspure.

The Rowing Ireland crew selection is as follows:

Men’s lightweight double: Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy.

Women’s lightweight single: Aoife Casey.

Women’s lightweight double: Margaret Cremen and Lydia Heaphy.

Women’s double: Zoe Hyde and Sanita Puspure.

Women’s pair: Fiona Murtagh and Emily Hegarty.

Women’s four: Eimear Lambe, Tara Hanlon, Aifric Keogh and Natalie Long.

Women’s eight: Leah O’Regan (cox), Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty, Fiona Murtagh, Aifric Keogh, Sanita Puspure, Tara Hanlon, Natalie Long and Zoe Hyde.

Para Rowing mixed double: Katie O’Brien and Steven McGowen.