Rowing Ireland, formerly the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, is the governing body of rowing for Ireland.Sport Ireland – List of Governing BodiesSport Northern Ireland – List of Governing Bodies It is a cross-border organisation administering the sport in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Rowing Ireland is a member of the Olympic Council of Ireland and the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron (FISA).World Rowing: National Federations: Ireland
Membership Over 100 clubs are affiliated to Rowing Ireland.Rowing Ireland: About Us 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.Home International Regatta Rules of the Regatta: Date and Venue It hosted the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 1999, 2008 and 2018.2018 Coupe de la Jeunesse Awarded to Ireland, Rowing IrelandCork set to host prestigious Junior Regatta in 2018 Aifric Keogh 8 August 2015, Sportswoman.ie
Irish Championships
Established in 1899 as the Irish Amateur Rowing Union, the association hosted its first championship in 1912. 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.The Big Pot – The Irish Senior Championships 1912–1991 by Micheal Johnston, Shandon Books, 1992, It would be 1934 before the Junior (Intermediate) eights championship was added.Irish Rowing Archives – List of championship winners Since then many additional championships have been added and 44 are now contested each year at the Championship Regatta.Irish Rowing Archives – List of Championship Events. 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.
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. 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.
Ireland would not appear at an Olympic regatta until 1972, when Seán Drea entered the men's single sculls, coming seventh. Ireland would go on to field at least one crew at every Olympic regatta except 1984. Four years later, Drea came fourth in the same event.
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.
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. The O'Donovans' relaxed interview style endeared followers and they became internet sensations in the wake of their success, and they were invited on to The Graham Norton Show for its 2016 New Year's Eve special.
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, and Paul O'Donovan joined Fintan McCarthy to win Ireland's first rowing gold in the men's lightweight double sculls.
For the 2024 Summer Olympics, Ireland qualified sixteen athletes across seven boats, more than any other Olympic regatta. 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, and Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch won a bronze medal in the men's double sculls.
Medal table
GamesEventRower(s)ClubMedal Rio de Janeiro 2016LM2xGary O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing Club SilverPaul O'DonovanUCD Boat Club Tokyo 2020LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing Club GoldPaul O'DonovanUCC Rowing ClubW4-Aifric KeoghUCC Rowing Club BronzeEimear LambeUCD Ladies Boat ClubFiona MurtaghNUIG Boat ClubEmily HegartyUCC Rowing Club Paris 2024LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing Club GoldPaul O'DonovanM2xPhilip DoyleBelfast Boat Club BronzeDaire LynchClonmel Rowing Club
Paralympics
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics, Ireland fielded a crew in the mixed coxed four. For the 2024 Summer Paralympics, Ireland fielded a crew in the PR2 mixed double sculls.
World Championships Ireland has won twenty gold, twelve silver and eighteen bronze medals at the World Rowing Championships.FISA Athlete database
Gold medallists
YearEventRower(s)Club Vienna 1991LM1xNiall O'TooleCommercial Rowing Club Lucerne 2001LM1xSam LynchSt Michael's Rowing ClubLW1xSinead Jennings St Andrew Boat ClubLM2-Gearoid ToweyNeptune Rowing ClubTony O'Connor Seville 2002LM1xSam LynchSt Michael's Rowing Club Rotterdam 2016LM1xPaul O'DonovanUCD Boat Club Sarasota 2017LM2-Mark O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing ClubShane O'DriscollLM1xPaul O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing Club Plovdiv 2018LM2xGary O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanW1xSanita PušpureOld Collegians Boat Club Ottensheim 2019LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanW1xSanita PušpureOld Collegians Boat Club Račice 2022LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanUCC Rowing ClubPR2W1xKatie O'BrienGalway Rowing Club Belgrade 2023LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanUCC Rowing ClubLW1xSiobhán McCrohanTribesmen Rowing Club St. Catherine's 2024LM1xPaul O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing Club Shanghai 2025W1xFiona MurtaghUniversity of Galway Boat ClubMix2xMargaret CremenUCC Rowing ClubFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing Club Amsterdam 2026W2XMargaret CremenLee Rowing ClubZoe HydeTralee Rowing Club
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.
Gold medallists
YearEventRower(s)Club Brandenburg 2016LM2xGary O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanUCD Boat Club Račice 2017LM2-Mark O'DonovanSkibbereen Rowing ClubShane O'Driscoll Lucerne 2019 W1xSanita PušpureOld Collegians Rowing Club Poznań 2020 W1xSanita PušpureOld Collegians Rowing Club Varese 2021 LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanUCC Rowing Club Munich 2022 LM2xFintan McCarthySkibbereen Rowing ClubPaul O'DonovanUCC Rowing Club
References
External links Rowing Ireland Homepage Get Going...Get Rowing Homepage Irish Rowing Archives Homepage Rowing Ireland on Twitter Rowing Ireland on Instagram