Thousands turn out in Skibbereen to welcome home Olympic rowing heroes

Thousands lined the streets of Skibbereen as the town welcomed home its Olympic rowing heroes.

There were jubilant scenes in Ireland’s rowing Mecca on Sunday as double gold medal winners Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy were joined by Olympic finalists Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty on an open top bus tour of the Co Cork town.

Ireland’s deputy premier, Tanaiste Micheal Martin, was among those to hail the Skibb Olympians during a celebratory rally following the bus tour.

Mr Martin said all four rowers had represented their country, county and community with a “distinction which has echoed throughout the world”.

“That four Olympians could come from this special place and can achieve so much at the top of an intensely competitive sport is remarkable by any measure,” he told the crowds.

“But, more than that, Aoife, Emily, Fintan and Paul have achieved this while being true to the timeless spirit of excellence, commitment and integrity which represents sport at its very best.”

O’Donovan has been described as arguably Ireland’s best every sportsperson following his gold in Paris.

That medal followed gold in Tokyo in 2021 and silver in Rio in 2016.

He told the rally that the best part of all three-medal successes was returning home.

“They’ve all been good, but I think definitely the best part is, you know, coming back here to Skibbereen and seeing all the crowds and local people, friends and family, and all the young kids from schools and everything,” he said.

McCarthy, who was ribbed about being a Matt Damon look-a-like during the party, said the weeks since his golden moment in Paris had been “absolutely insane”.

“You can tell from the crowd here,” he said.

“I’ve been kind of at home lapping it all up, and it’s been so nice to see everyone.

“I think whether we won a gold medal or not, we still have the support of the whole town, the whole community, and you know we can really feel it.”

O’Donovan and McCarthy claimed one of Ireland’s four gold medal wins in Paris 2024.

Similar homecoming events have been held on the island in recent weeks for Co Armagh swimmer Daniel Wiffen, who won gold in the men’s 800m and also took a bronze in the men’s 1500m; Co Down gymnast Rhys McClenaghan who triumphed in the pommel horse; and Dubliner Kellie Harrington who retained her Olympic crown with victory at the women’s 60kg boxing event.

Celebrations also took place in Northern Ireland for local Olympic gold medallists who represented Team GB in the Games – Coleraine rower Hannah Scott, who was part of the team that won the women’s quadruple sculls; and Belfast swimmer Jack McMillan, who earned gold by participating in a heat for the gold winning men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team.

The homecoming in Skibbereen was delayed for several weeks to accommodate O’Donovan’s participation in the World Rowing Championships in Canada, where he won another gold medal.