Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan showed all their class to take first and second place in the single sculls, but there was a surprise defeat for Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll in the pair at Cork Regatta on Saturday.
The UCD lightweight pair of David O'Malley and Shane Mulvaney, who will represent Ireland at the World Under-23 Championships, were emphatic winners in the pairs final. O'Driscoll and O'Donovan, the reigning world champions in the lightweight pair, are trying to prove themselves as a heavyweight pair at international level. They offered no excuses for their defeat. "It just didn't go our way," O'Donovan said.
The event was blessed with warm sunshine and Skibbereen fans in the crowd at the National Rowing Centre had other reasons to cheer. Paul O'Donovan rules the single sculls in Ireland, but the performance of Gary in taking second ahead of heavyweight Ronan Byrne of UCC was a talking point. The elder O'Donovan brother continues to have to prove he is the best companion for Paul in the lightweight double - and continues to hit the mark.
In the women's pairs, the Skibbereen unit of Niamh Casey (21) and Aine McCarthy (36) were surprisingly clear winners, while their clubmate, Denise Walsh, took the women's single sculls.
Skibbereen and Lee teamed up to win the women’s quadruple and the Ireland under-23 lightweight crew won the men’s equivalent. Cork Boat Club and Trinity won the men’s and women’s coxed fours.
At Henley Women’s Regatta, NUIG’s development coxed four won twice to book their place in a semi-final on Sunday.
