merrion street

Minister Ross said:

The Irish rowing team are  doing us all proud at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv this week with still another day to go. However, before we take stock of the powerful and gutsy performances we have seen over the past days I want to take a moment to congratulate Paul and Gary O'Donovan on claiming a gold medal in the lightweight men’s double sculls. This is now added to the silver they won at the European Championships in Glasgow last month. In every way possible they demonstrate what is inspirational about sport and sportsmanship. We also have to recognise the wonderful performance of Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty, a terrific achievement and great progression for such a new crew, coming 6th at a World event. 

Minister of State for Sport and Tourism, Brendan Griffin T.D. added congratulations, saying:

The brilliant O’Donovan Brothers and their extraordinary achievements will provide encouragement and inspiration to the many young rowers throughout Ireland who aspire to represent our country. And let’s not forget the great performance from Aifric Keogh and Emily Hegarty in getting to an A Final, a great performance from such a young crew.