ROWING

Rowing has been part of the Summer Olympic programme since its inauguration however, the event was cancelled in 1896 due to a stormy sea.

Women’s events have been included in the programme since the 1976 Games in Montreal.

The races are divided into sculling and sweep oar. Sculling events use two oars, whilst in sweep the rower holds one. The eight-person crews have a coxswain, who steers the boat and directs the crew, but in all other boats one rower steers by controlling a small rudder with a foot pedal.

Lightweight events were introduced in Atlanta in 1976 and the current programme include the following events:

COXLESS PAIR – MEN & WOMEN

DOUBLE SCULLS – MEN & WOMEN

EIGHT WITH COXSWAIN – MEN & WOMEN

LIGHTWEIGHT DOUBLE SCULLS – MEN & WOMEN

SINGLE SCULLS – MEN & WOMEN

QUADRUPLE SCULLS WITHOUT COXSWAIN – MEN & WOMEN

FOUR WITHOUT COXSWAIN – MEN

Ireland first participated at the 1948 Olympics when a men’s eight represented Ireland. The 2016 Games in Rio games were the most successful with three crews participating and Gary O’Donovan and Paul O’Donovan winning Ireland’s first Olympic rowing medal – silver in the LM2x. Claire Lambe and Sinead Jennings became the first women’s crew to make an Olympic final where they finished in sixth position.

National Federation: Rowing Ireland

International Federation: World Rowing

ROWING NEWS

CHILDREN NATIONWIDE TO JOIN OLYMPIANS ON ROAD TO PARIS

OLYMPIC FEDERATION OF IRELAND LAUNCHES ROAD TO PARIS – THE OLYMPIC SCHOOLS CHALLENGE   Schools nationwide are invited to join the Irish Olympic team on an interactive journey to the Olympic Games in Paris. The challenge is part of the OFI’s ‘Dare to Believe’ programme supported by PTSB Today the Olympic Federation of Ireland, together […]

TEAM IRELAND OLYMPIC BALL HONOURS EUROPEAN GAMES & AWARDS

Link to imagery HERE Athletes and performance enablers gather to celebrate Olympic sport in Ireland   Last night, the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) hosted the Team Ireland Olympic Ball at the Mansion House in Dublin, to celebrate the achievements and contributions of members of the Irish Olympic family in 2023, as well as to [...]

Rowing Ireland Kickstart Olympic Year On The Paris 2024 Olympic Course

12 athletes across 6 boats qualified quota spots for Team Ireland at the recent World Rowing Championships which took place in Belgrade, Serbia in September. After a short break, Team Ireland rowers are back in training and leaving no stone unturned as they prepare for the Olympic Games in less than 275 days. Part-funded by [...]

World Rowing Coastal Championships 2023 – Review

Team Ireland had an incredible weekend at the World Coastal Championships, returning home with four medals, including three gold. Monika Dukarska of Kilorglin RC was crowned the world champion of Women’s Solo 1X. Dukarska had a fantastic race, taking a comfortable lead from the start, showcasing her strength in the tough conditions. After an impressive [...]

SELECTED ATHLETES

Aifric Keogh

Aifric KeoghROWING BIOGRAPHY Started rowing in 2006 in the Jes in Galway, and studied food microbiology at UCC. Was part of the women’s double earlier in this Olympic campaign. A world finalist who finished sixth, with Emily Hegarty in Paris 2018. They were the first Irish women’s pair to make a World final. Set world [...]

Fiona Murtagh

Fiona MurtaghROWING BIOGRAPHY Started rowing in 2009 and studied science at NUIG and Fordham University, New York. Won the prestigious Head of Charles (in Boston) two years in a row. Won bronze at the 2020 European Championships in the Women’s Four and silver at this year’s Europeans. WOMEN’S FOUR This crew won silver at the [...]

Tara Hanlon

Tara HanlonROWING BIOGRAPHY Started rowing in 2013 and completed the third year of her commerce studies in UCC (where she is a Quercus (scholarship) student) in March 2021. Tara won silver at the 2016 Coupe de la Jeunesse in Poznan and part of the Irish four who won World U23 silver in 2019. In 2020, [...]

Monika Dukarska

Monika DukarskaROWING BIOGRAPHY Monika started rowing in 2008, first rowed for Ireland in 2013 and won World Cup silver and made a European final this year. She is also a two-time World Coastal Rowing champion (2009 & 2016). She is a PhD student in education, with a Masters in innovation and design. Her family moved [...]

Ronan Byrne

Ronan ByrneROWING BIOGRAPHY Rowing since 2011 and studying Nutritional Science in UCC. Won gold at men’s single scull at the 2019 European U23s, after qualifying for the Olympics in double and was named World Rowing’s ‘Rising Star’ in September 2019. In 2020 he won gold in men’s doubles at European U23s and bronze in men’s [...]

Aileen Crowley

Aileen CrowleyROWING BIOGRAPHY Started rowing in 2010 and has a degree in architecture. Had been rowing with the women’s four but made successful switch to W2 before the 2019 World Championships where she and Dukarska qualified boat for the Olympics. Won silver at the 2021 World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne and 6th at 2021 [...]

Emily Hegarty

Started rowing in 2009 and studies biological science at UCC. Won silver at 2019 World U23 Championships in Sarasota and a bronze medal in the Women’s Pair at the U23 2020 European Rowing Championships alongside UCC teammate Tara Hanlon.

Eimear Lambe

Eimear LambeROWING BIOGRAPHY Started rowing in 2012 and competing for Ireland in 2015. First competed internationally at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in 2014 and also raced at the 2014 Youth Olympics. Studied International Commerce and German at UCD. Younger sister of Rio Olympian Claire. OTHER ROWING ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&link=url%3A%252Fathletes-list%252F&css=.vc_custom_1677079573058%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Emily HegartyStarted rowing in [...]

Philip Doyle

Philip DoyleROWING BIOGRAPHY Only took up rowing in 2014 while at Queens University studying medicine. Missed 2020 Europeans as he took time out during global pandemic to return to medicine full time in Daisy Hill hospital. Philip and Ronan Byrne qualified the Men’s Double by winning silver at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz. [...]

Fintan McCarthy

Fintan McCarthyROWING BIOGRAPHY Fintan only started rowing after the London 2012 Olympics. He has a degree in physiology from UCC. He won his first Irish title in 2016, made a European final - with his twin brother Jake - in 2019 and won the World LWX2 title with Paul which also qualified the boat for [...]

Aoife Casey

Aoife CaseyROWING BIOGRAPHY Aoife started rowing in 2009 and is currently studying Medical and Health Sciences at UCC. Her father Dominic is Rowing Irelands’ lightweight coach. In 2019 Aoife was fourth at the World U23 Championships with Cliodhna Nolan. In 2020 she won silver at European U23s with Margaret, with whom she also won silver [...]

Sanita Puspure

Sanita PuspureROWING BIOGRAPHY Sanita is the back-to-back World (2018- 2019) and European Champion (2019-2020) who has never dropped outside world’s top four scullers since 2017. Finished fourth in quarter-finals at her two previous Olympics (2012 & 2016) and was Ireland’s only rower in London 2012. She won bronze in this year’s World Cup II and [...]

Paul O’Donovan

Paul O’DonovanROWING BIOGRAPHY Paul has been rowing since he was six. He has a physiotherapy degree from UCD and is currently studying medicine at UCC. Paul and his brother Gary won Ireland’s first Olympic rowing medal (silver in LWx2) in 2016 and he is a four-time world champion; two in Lightweight Single (2016 and 2017) [...]

Margaret Cremen

Margaret CremenROWING BIOGRAPHY Margaret has been rowing since 2014 and is studying Sports Science and PE (with Irish) in UCC. Margaret and Aoife Casey won silver at the 2020 European U23 Championships in Duisburg, franking the promise shown when they were also runners-up at the 2017 European Juniors. In 2021 they were fifth in the [...]

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