Skibbereen to hold its own opening ceremony for West Cork town's Olympic rowers

Big screens are also being installed in the town hall to screen the rowing over the next two-and-a-half weeks, so locals can cheer on Skibbereen Rowing Club members Aoife Casey, Fintan McCarthy, Paul O’Donovan and Emily Hegarty

Olympic fever has hit Skibbereen with the launch of the Skibbereen Arts Festival coinciding with the Olympics 2024 rowing competitions. Picture: Andy Gibson.

The rowing capital of Ireland has pulled together to support its Olympians as the eyes of the world turn to the City of Light on Friday for the opening of the summer Olympics.

While organisers of the Paris Olympics have promised a spectacular opening ceremony focused on the Seine, the people of Skibbereen in West Cork, home to four of Ireland’s 16-strong rowing team, are pulling out all the stops too with an Olympics-themed opening ceremony for its annual summer arts festival.