Gearóid out of his scull about rowing

The 27-year-old rower will be partnered by Sam Lynch in Ireland's lightweight double boat at the Olympics in Athens and, after winning bronze at last year's World Championships, the duo have earnest and realistic hopes of fulfilling their dream of Olympic gold, but even so, Towey is confident that not even a gold medal will increase his public persona.

That judgment may be a fraction misplaced. But for now Towey is glad to luxuriate in his relative obscurity and concentrate on the task at hand.

Already a World Champion in his own right, Athens may well be Towey's destiny because for the past 10 years, unwittingly or otherwise, Olympic glory has always been on the Fermoy man's agenda.