Paul O'Donovan a notable absentee as Irish team named for World Rowing Championships

As many of Ireland's elite rowers have spent the year concentrating on their careers outside of the sport, lead coach Dominic Casey said expectations will have to be "realistic" at September's World Championships. 

Double Olympic gold medallist Paul O'Donovan will miss this year's World Rowing Championships as he is concentrating on his medical career. Pic: Benedict Tufnell/Sportsfile

Paul O'Donovan and Daire Lynch are both notable absentees from the Irish rowing team for September's World Championships in China. O'Donovan, a double Olympic gold medallist, and Lynch, an Olympic bronze medallist, are both concentrating on their medical careers at this time. 

"Paul is working in the Mater Hospital at the moment," Rowing Ireland lead coach Dominic Casey told RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland.

"Unfortunately can't make the World Championships. Daire is the same, he's doing medicine so he's skipping the World Championships this year. We'll definitely see them back.

"This year, a post Olympic year, is seen as a challenge. All the elites were furthering their careers in college and working during the year so they were training part-time around their work and college. I think we'll have to be realistic with our expectations for this World Championships.

"We have some newcomers and a lot of the teams will be new teams, so it is a mix. It's still a strong team and we'll hope for the best."

O'Donovan and Lynch's Olympic medal-winning partners, Fintan McCarthy and Philip Doyle, respectively, will team up for the men's double in Shanghai. 

Fiona Murtagh, a silver medallist at the European Championships in June, will go in the single sculls while Konan Pazzaia will go in the men's event.  

The women’s four features Olympians Natalie Long and Imogen Magner along with newcomers Aisling Hayes and Emma Waters. Hayes made her debut at the European Championships while Waters is making her senior debut at the World Championships.

The men’s pair of Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan renew their partnership from the Paris Olympic Games. Adam Murphy, Andrew Sheehan, Brian Colsh, and Ronan Byrne will go in the men’s quadruple sculls.

2023 world gold medallist Siobhan McCrohan continues her campaign in the lightweight single while Jake McCarthy will go in the men's event. 

In the women’s double, Olympians Zoë Hyde and Margaret Cremen reunite while Tokyo Olympic medallist Emily Hegarty partners with double Olympian Aoife Casey in the women’s pair. 

Paralympian Tiarnan O’Donnell will team up with Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire for the PR2 mixed double sculls. 

The championships take place from September 21 - 28. 

Rowing Ireland team for 2025 World Championships 

Lightweight Women’s Single Scull (LW1X): Siobhán McCrohan 

Women’s Single Scull (W1X): Fiona Murtagh 

Women’s Double Scull (W2X): Margaret Cremen & Zoë Hyde 

Women’s Pair (W2-): Aoife Casey & Emily Hegarty 

Women’s Four (W4-):Aisling Hayes, Imogen Magner, Emma Waters and Natalie Long 

Lightweight Men’s Single Scull (LM1X): Jake McCarthy 

Men’s Single Scull (M1X): Konan Pazzaia 

Men’s Double Scull (M2X): Fintan McCarthy and Philip Doyle 

Men’s Pair (M2-): Ross Corrigan & Nathan Timoney 

Men’s Quad Scull (M4x): Andrew Sheehan, Adam Murphy, Brian Colsh & Ronan Byrne 

PR2 Mixed Double Scull (PR2 Mix 2x): Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire and Tiarnán O’Donnell 

Reserves: Alison Bergin and Claire Feerick. Sculling and sweep.