Tears of joy in Skibb as immortal Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy claim historic gold

The victory made Paul the first Irish athlete in any sport to win a medal in three successive Olympics.  

After his silver in Rio in 2016 with his older brother, Gary, and gold in Tokyo with Fintan in 2021, Paul bagged another gold with Fintan as they stormed to victory in their final of the men’s lightweight double sculls at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium near Paris.  

Paul, with his now trademark cool-as-a-breeze post-race reaction, dismissed his remarkable medal achievement as a “fluke”.  

But Richard Hosford, 78, who some 52 years ago helped establish Skibbereen Rowing Club, disagreed.  

He and his wife, Susan, were among the 300 or so people who packed into Skibbereen’s town hall in Ireland’s rowing capital to watch the race on the big screen. They had tears in their eyes as the pair crossed the line with clear water. 

“I can’t put it into words. I am delighted for them,” Richard said.  “The whole club has put an awful lot into this".  

“I knew we could get Olympic rowers out of Skibbereen. And I said it 50 years ago, I said it here in the square.  

“It was emotional today because of the amount of work the whole club, the whole town has put into this.  

“And without that behind us, we couldn’t have done it.” 

He recalled late nights over the years returning from regattas at 2am or 3am, only to be back up again at 5am to go training, and the work the club does to fundraise. And he urged anyone inspired by the Irish rowers during the Olympics to take up rowing.  

“It’s a fantastic sport but you have to do the work to get the results, and not be afraid of losing. As long as you go out on the water and do your best, that’s what will bring you the results,” he said.  

There was an incredible Olympic village-style buzz in the town from early morning, with shops and businesses decked out with Olympic flags and pictures of its rowers.  

Skibb’s very own Olympic flame was burning outside the town hall, close to the banks of the Ilen River where the pair first learned to row with Skibbereen Rowing Club, as crowds began arriving almost two hours before the race, to book a seat inside.  

There were incredible scenes as the crowd roared on every stroke of the race until Paul and Fintan crossed the line, triggering wild celebrations inside, and on the streets outside.  Skibbereen Rowing Club, with four medals over three Olympics, has now won almost 10% of all of Ireland’s 38 Olympic medals, ever.  

Club chairman Sean Murran said it was wonderful to see the lads win in such an emphatic way and said it will inspire local kids, who see fellow club members becoming the best in the world in their sport.  

“The lads are technically very good, their attitude to hard work is enormous and mentally they are very strong as well, and that’s what brings them the success,” he said.  

“Their success, for the younger members of the club, means that if they dream, and work really, really hard, they can be the best in the world as well."  

Club member Denise Walsh said she knew the lads had the power to win.  

“And they really powered through the middle, and finally won in clear water. And that’s the last men’s lightweight race in the Olympics so it was nice to finish it off dominant.  

“The town is buzzing. Every place in town is watching, there are crowds everywhere. It’s fantastic."  

And minutes later, the crowd roared on Aoife Casey, 25, also from Skibbereen Rowing Club, and her partner, Mags Cremin, 25, of UCC/Lee Rowing Club, who came fifth in the final of their lightweight women’s double sculls final.  

Denise said their performance will inspire so many young people, and girls especially, to take up the sport.  “All of them combined is just something special,” she said.  

Paul’s aunts, Phil Hurley and Regina Coombes, mother of Irish rugby star, Gavin, said they were emotional and thrilled.  

“It’s amazing what Paul and Fintan have achieved — but especially Paul, with three Olympic medals,” Regina said.  

“I can’t wait to see the three medals together and maybe I’ll believe it then.”  

There is no secret sauce, nothing special in the water in Skibbereen, she insisted.  

“It’s hard work and hard slog. From the time Paul was eight or nine, he’s been rowing and totally dedicated,” Regina said. 

“It’s the unglamorous stuff that people don’t see, in the winter when they are out training.”  

Phil said she was lost for words.  

“I’m thrilled for them, for the town, for the club, for all the coaches, all the rowers past and present. They have all contributed in their own way to this day,” she said.  “And to think that Paul has made history is amazing. And he is such an unassuming lad.”  

She admitted she was nervous at the start of the race in case something went wrong. 

“You have that little doubt in the back of your mind, and so you’re praying that all would go well, and that they would give it their best shot,” she said.  

With Paul heading off to row in the World Championships, a homecoming is some time away yet.  But Regina said she is really looking forward to the town putting on a huge party later.  

“We missed out on a big celebration during the last Olympics in Tokyo during lockdown so hopefully there will be something big for them,” she said.  

And with two Olympics worth of celebrations to catch up on, the women laughed as they promised to step up their welcome home training regime.