Smooth waters so far for majority of Irish rowing hopefuls

All six Irish crews in action here made it through to the semi-finals but the obvious disappointment has been the inability of Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle to find the form that won them a silver medal at the World Championships in Linz in 2019.

Sanita Pupure on her way to finishing 1st in the women’s single sculls quarter-final in Tokyo, Japan. She was the only Irish representative in 2012 but there are 13 in Japan.Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Skibbereen has earned its status as the breadbasket of Irish rowing but it isn’t the only locale harvesting talent for Team Ireland.

Scoil Bhríde, Eglantine in Douglas is something of a bulk supplier to this Olympic Games and what makes it more remarkable is the spread of sporting talent that has passed through its classrooms.