Greg Daly
The O’Donovan brothers’ rowing exploits in the Olympics have “really helped to put Skibbereen on the map”, according to the chair of Skibbereen’s parish pastoral council.
“It’s brilliant,” Jacinta Crowley told The Irish Catholic, continuing, “the town is all done up beautiful, and the volunteers are in the process of painting the rowing club for the homecoming, which is very exciting.”
The Cork brothers Gary and Paul have become international celebrities after a series of colourful interviews following their August 12 silver medal-winning performance in the Lightweight Double Sculls event.
A giant screen had been set up at Skibbereen credit union, where staff wore T-shirts carrying the boys’ quote “we’re well used to a bit of wind” and crowds gathered to watched the two local boys from the adjoining parish of Lisheen, come from a third-place finish in the semi-finals of the event to win Ireland’s first ever Olympic medal in rowing.
“We’re not sure when the homecoming is yet,” Mrs Crowley said, “because one of the lads is going to Rotterdam to bid for a gold medal out there in the European championships, and the other brother is staying on for the closing ceremony and then he’s going out to meet his brother out in Rotterdam and to cheer him on, and then they’re both coming home together.”
Well established
Stressing that while she knows the boys’ mother, she doesn’t personally know Gary or Paul, who are “of a different generation”, Mrs Crowley said that the Crowleys are a well established local family.
“They’ve been here for years, and they’ve been with the rowing club for years and years,” she said.
Commenting on the excitement in the town, Mrs Crowley said: “It’s great to see Skibbereen on the front of the national newspapers and the television and so forth. It’s very exciting – it’s really helped to put Skibereen on the map.”