Skibbereen and indeed all of Cork is celebrating today after Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan secured a gold medal overnight at Tokyo 2020.
Their time of 6.06 was enough to see of Germany and Italy and win Ireland's first ever gold medal in rowing, and the first gold medal since Katie Taylor in 2012.
Chairperson of Skibbereen Rowing Club Violet Hayes told Cork's RedFM that there was a celebratory air around the town this morning.
"The town has branded itself the rowing capital of Ireland, if not Europe and the World!
"There are Olympic flags, Irish flags, Skibbereen Rowing Club flags, bunting.
"The town chamber, the county council and Tidy Towns have all come together and we've worked collaboratively with them.
"The town itself is buzzing and the businesses are buzzing."
The welcome and love for @TeamIreland rowing gold medallists Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan as they return to the Olympic village pic.twitter.com/UaXU2ivwLl
— Gary Lemke (@GaryLemke) July 29, 2021
Author of 'Something in the Water - How Skibbereen Rowing Club Conquered the World' Kieran McCarthy says the win means a huge amount for the people of Skibbereen, and West Cork as a whole.
"I'm in Skibbereen town today, and you can feel it in there - there's excitement there. There's a huge sense of pride in the town.
"The club's rowers have injected a life into this town over the last couple of years. Skibbereen is synonymous with the rowing club and its rowers, not just on the national stage but the international stage as well.
"Everyone in Skibbereen of what Paul, Fintan and Emily [Hegarty] have achieved. The same with Aoife Casey and Lydia Heaphy and Gary O'Donovan and Dominic Casey as well. They've made people in Skibbereen put their chest out and maybe walk a couple of inches taller.
"The rowers are tremendous ambassadors for this town and for West Cork, and everyone is immensely proud of them."
