Paddy Dooley stroked and captained the UCD Boat Club in 1948, leading the crew to a second successive Senior VIII title and Wylie Cup double - which served as the Olympic trial - and then stroked the composite Irish eight at the 1948 London Olympic Games at Henley-on-Thames. As stroke, Dooley occupied the most demanding position in the boat, setting the rhythm for the entire crew. He was a close friend and successor to Morgan McElligott as UCDBC captain, maintaining the demanding training regime his predecessor had introduced. The composite crew was the only Irish team at those Games to be officially designated 'Ireland' in the programme. They were beaten by Canada and Portugal in the opening heat and by Norway in the repechage.
After leaving University he set up a successful catering business in Limerick and coached local rowing crews in his spare time. Dooley sold his business in 2000 and returned to rowing as founder of the Limerick Masters Rowing Club. A week before his death at the age of 82, Dooley acted as coxswain in a masters competition.
Rowing
