It’s not the Magic Kingdom, but for the heroes of West Cork’s rowing fairytale, home is where the heart is.

On a wonderful day in Sarasota in Florida for Skibbereen and Irish rowing, two boats secured gold medals, with the lightweight pair of Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll capping a glorious season with their first world gold, before Paul O’Donovan defended the lightweight single sculls title he claimed in Rotterdam last year.

Two more outstanding performances yesterday means Ireland will have three boats competing in A finals today at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota.

Teams from 69 nations have started to make Sarasota-Bradenton in Florida a home from home ahead of the World Rowing Championships this weekend.

A bumper weekend of racing is in store in Cork as the 2017 Irish Rowing Championships take place at the National Rowing Centre from tomorrow through to Sunday. 

The World Rowing Cup regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, presents Ireland’s seniors with a final chance to test themselves before the year’s main event, the World Rowing Championships in September.

If last weekend’s Cork Regatta is a reliable barometer, the National Championships next month (July 14-16) will draw unprecedented entries to the National Rowing Centre at Farran, Cork.

Following another successful weekend for Rowing Ireland, this time at World Cup II in Poznan, Poland, the focus returns to domestic rowing, with the Cork City Regatta taking place this weekend at the National Rowing Centre.

The 2017 World Rowing Cup series heads to Lake Malta near Poznan in Poland tomorrow for the second of three regattas in the series. Almost 500 athletes will compete from 39 countries with several, including Australia, China and New Zealand, on the international scene a first time this season.

Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey continued a remarkable run of success for Rowing Ireland with a win in the London Metropolitan Regatta last weekend, taking the top spot in the Elite Championship double sculls at Dorney Lake. Monika Dukarska of Killorglin Rowing Club also took the title in the women’s single sculls. A total of fourteen Irish clubs were represented at the event.

As the Irish assault in Racice last Friday began, another positive development for Irish rowing was emerging at home; it was announced that Antonio Maurogiovanni had been confirmed as Rowing Ireland’s new High Performance Director, succeeding Morten Espersen who resigned earlier this year.

Move over the O’Donovan Brothers, Skibbereen has new rowing stars — and they’re a pair of jokers also.

Skibbereen’s ability to produce rowers - and raconteurs - was in evidence on a glorious morning at the European Championships in the Czech Republic.

Ireland have won three medals in what has been a brilliant morning at the European Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic.

Gary and Paul O’Donovan will be defending their European lightweight double sculls title at the 2017 European Rowing Championships this weekend, writes Sarah Dineen.

The Irish senior rowing team are currently fine-tuning performances at a camp in Varese, Italy after a successful opening World Cup event of the season.

Irish Rowing — and those involved in the sport in Skibbereen — were yesterday celebrating an impressive medal haul from the World Cup Regatta in Belgrade.

Gary and Paul O'Donovan are through to the A final of the lightweight men's double sculls at the World Cup Regatta in Belgrade.

The 2017 World Rowing Cup series kicks-off in Belgrade tomorrow with most Irish eyes on the O’Donovan brothers, Paul and Gary in the lightweight men’s double sculls. The regatta has attracted rowers from 26 nations, with a number of Rio 2016 Olympic medallists competing.

The first World Cup event of the season looms large for Ireland’s senior rowers. World Cup One takes place in Belgrade, Serbia from May 5-7.

The domestic regatta season officially kicks off this coming Saturday with the largest ever Neptune Regatta taking place in Islandbridge, Dublin.

The low-profile coach credited as the driving force behind the O’Donovans’ silver medal success once banned Gary from Skibbereen Rowing Club for a week.

There were encouraging Irish performances at the World Rowing Championships yesterday, although the final mood will be determined after the Olympic roll call is finalised this weekend.

Ruby Walsh retained his unbeaten record since his lengthy absence when partnering Old Castletown to an all-the-way win in the opening maiden hurdle in Tramore yesterday.

Skibbereen’s Paul O’Donovan finished just outside the medals at yesterday’s World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.

THE beauty of simplicity shouldn’t be overlooked — that’s the key to Keeper House, a low-slung and luxurious new build in the Mulcair valley, Co Tipperary.

Interior designer Denise Walsh of Donovan Walsh Design Ltd in Limerick, www.donovanwalshdesign.com, answers your questions on all things vintage. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

Interior designer Denise Walsh, of Donovan Walsh Design Ltd in Limerick, www.donovanwalshdesign.com, answers all your attic conversion questions. Email: interiors@examiner.ie

To mark the Chinese New Year on Monday, interior designer Denise Walsh of Donovan Walsh Designs, answers your Oriental design dilemmas.

Interior designer Denise Walsh of Donovan Walsh Design Ltd in Limerick, www.donovanwalshdesign.com, answers your design dilemmas. Email your queries to interiors@examiner.ie.

UCD won the blue riband senior eight race at the Irish Rowing Championships at Inniscarra on Saturday and denied NUIG/Gráinne Mhaol a third consecutive title.

ANOTHER year and another trip to Tallaght for Team Hotel Montenotte Cork, but Mark Scannell didn’t see this one coming.

CORK is regarded by many as the spiritual home of Irish basketball and fans are in for another treat this weekend when all the National Cup semi-finals will be decided over two action-packed days at Neptune Stadium and the Parochial Hall.

BASKETBALL’s women’s superleague kicks off this weekend with a virtual clean slate for reigning champions, Team Montenotte Cork.

BORD GÁIS Neptune coach, Pat Price, is planning without their 6’7” power forward, Robinson Louisme, for their big NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague clash with UL Eagles at Neptune Stadium on Sunday (3pm).

WHEN Team Montenotte Hotel Cork failed in their bid for a fourth national cup title last season only one of the players, Amy Stewart, was in line for a fourth national cup medal.

TEAM Montenotte Hotel Cork will bid for their fourth national cup title when they take on DCU Mercy in tomorrow’s women’s Superleague final and if they succeed, it will be sensational after losing five of their superstars from last year.

NEW coach Pat Price will be hoping for an improved performance before the home fans when Neptune take on UL Eagles tomorrow night (8pm).

TEAM Montenotte Hotel Cork will go down in the history books as one of the great teams in Irish basketball if they succeed in winning their third women’s National Cup in-a-row on Sunday.

A miserable Bank Holiday for Abrakebabra Tigers continued on Monday as they slumped to an 81-67 defeat away to Limerick Lions.

His girls may have come up short in last night’s U18 National Cup final but double-seeking Glanmire basketball coach Mark Scannell is helping revive the glory days on Leeside with his dynamic leadership. Michael Moynihan reports.

BEFORE the semi-finals two weeks ago, few would have predicted Team Montenotte Hotel from Glanmire would challenge UL Aughinish for the national cup title.