Ireland's Eve McMahon becomes world sailing number one
Dublin sailor Eve McMahon is now rated as the number one sailor in the World Sailing rankings.
It is an incredible feat for the 21-year-old, who trains in Howth Sailing Club.
She jumped from twelfth to first in the standings after her strong Olympics last year in addition to a bronze medal at the ILCA World Championships in China last month.
She came 11th in Paris last year but impressed on the way.
She is just one of a number of sailors spurring on Irish sailing, as Olympians Robert Dickson, Sean Waddilove and Finn Lynch are also doing well.
McMahon's brother Ewan is also a strong sailor, reaching 11th place in the rankings.
The Performance Director at Irish Sailing, James O'Callaghan said: 'To have five senior athletes ranked so high globally is a remarkable achievement and a true reflection of the depth of talent in Irish sailing.
"For Eve to reach World Number One at just 21 years of age is exceptional. It proves, once again, that Ireland consistently punches above its weight on the international stage in sailing.
"But, whilst these ranking are a significant and welcome marker, our athletes remain focused on delivering at key events.'
In more good news for Irish sailing, it was recently announced that the 2026 ILCA World Championships will be held in Dun Laoghaire, providing a chance to see our Irish Olympians in home waters.
The glory days are set to continue for Irish sailing, even though it is a long way to go towards the next Olympics in Los Angeles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
35 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Ireland's Down syndrome futsal team eyeing European glory
Ireland's first national Down syndrome futsal team will depart for the SUDS European Championships in Italy tomorrow. The team's participation in the competition is the culmination of a continuing partnership between the FAI and Down Syndrome Ireland, which first began in 2023. Hosting the week-long championships in Ferrara is the Italian Paralympic Sport Federation for athletes with intellectual or relational disabilities, FISDIR. The Irish team has already taken part in two previous international events, facing Italy, Portugal and Turkey in 2023, and the USA in 2024. Organisers have said these international matches have raised the profile of both the sport and the abilities of Irish players with Down syndrome and have also led to the development of a tailored grassroots programme within the League of Ireland structure. League of Ireland clubs are now setting up their own teams for players with Down syndrome through their social responsibility programmes. Two major blitzes are currently held every year, with some inter-club matches during the season also expected to get under way shortly. The FAI has said the development of Down Syndrome futsal continues to grow across the country with the support of its Football For All programme. The 11-player squad named to represent their country at the SUDS European Championships followed months of assessment with over 100 players available for selection nationwide. The final national assessment took place at TU Dublin's Blanchardstown Campus in February. The management team of Mark Ross, Conor McKahey and Nigel Fitzharris have said that given the players are excelling with their respective League of Ireland clubs, hopes are high for the tournament. The 10 outfield players and one goalkeeper headed for the northern Italian city of Ferrara will be representing six Down Syndrome Ireland branches from around the country. There are four players from the Donegal branch, three from the Louth/Meath branch and one each from the Cork, Dublin, Mayo and Waterford branches. The Ireland Down Syndrome Futsal Squad in full is: Goalkeeper: David Crawford (Finn Harps) Defenders: Josh Hennessy (Shelbourne), Jamie Linden (Dundalk), Fergus Cosgrove (Bohemians) Midfielders: Cian Kelleher (Cork City), Micheál McCloy (Dundalk), Sean Toolin (Cork City), Fergal Birrane (Sligo Rovers)
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
Irish Olympian Danielle Hill's terror at thugs who set centre on fire
Two-time Irish Olympian Danielle Hill has revealed she was confronted by masked men at Larne Leisure Centre, where families fleeing violence in Ballymena had been housed, before it went up in flames. The centre was set on fire on Wednesday while Ms Hill was coaching a group of children, some of whom were as young as six years old. Rioting in Ballymena broke out on Monday evening, leading to dozens of PSNI officers being injured across the week as violence spread to other towns. People take part in a protest over an alleged sexual assault in the Co Antrim town of Ballymena. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Ethnic minorities in parts of the North have seen their homes attacked, while two families who fled Ballymena were temporarily housed 30 kilometres away in Larne Leisure Centre but had been moved elsewhere earlier on Wednesday before the incident. Recalling the terrifying ordeal, Ms Hill said that the attack on the leisure centre was 'racism in its rawest and most dangerous form' and that the centre was now 'marked by fear and trauma'. A group of masked men were spotted outside the building by coaches, who quickly ended swimming lessons and had the children taken home before bins were pushed into the foyer and set alight. Two-time Irish Olympian Danielle Hill. Pic:'As I walked outside to move my car, four masked men walked around the corner,' Ms Hill said. 'I've never experienced something like that and it scared me. This is a place that kids enjoy coming to. There was no need for what happened last night. It could have ended very differently.' The swimmer, who has represented Ireland at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, later took to social media and urged members of the swimming club to 'come together, not fall apart'. Firefighters at the scene where a fire has broken out at Larne Leisure Centre following vandalism at the facility. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Ms Hill also said she thought the North had moved beyond violence and masked men, adding: 'We can't be back to square one.' Another swimming coach who was present, Jack Baxter, told RTÉ's Claire Byrne yesterday that it would be months until the leisure centre could be used again. 'We got the kids out of the pool as fast as possible. As the kids were getting changed, we could hear thudding on the windows, which was very distressing for the children. 'Some of the kids were a bit shaken up by it.' The North's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has called for a DUP minister to resign after he posted about the location of the families being housed at the leisure centre. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had posted on social media before the attack that some families were temporarily being housed at Larne Leisure Centre and that as an MLA for the area, he hadn't been 'made aware of this decision'. Mr Lyons 'strongly hit back at any notion' that he had any responsibility for the centre later being attacked, and said the news that families fleeing Ballymena were at the centre was already 'in the public domain'. Ms O'Neill yesterday denied the incident had led to a crisis in the power-sharing government at Stormont. Speaking at a meeting of the British-Irish Council in Newcastle, Co. Down yesterday, the Sinn Féin vice president said she stood by her comments but denied there was a crisis at Stormont. She said: 'There are four parties around the Executive table. We can have differences at different times and we can say we don't agree with the ministers' approach and still get on with governance, that's what I am determined to do.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said Mr Lyons said 'very clearly that his intention was to defuse tensions in the local area due to a significant amount of rumour going around'.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy left in bits after Shane Lowry's actions at the US Open
Rory McIlroy was left in stitches when Shane Lowry absentmindedly picked up his ball without marking it first at the US Open. The trio of Justin Rose, Lowry and McIlroy - the current Masters champion - had high expectations going into Oakmont. However, their performance on the course's challenging rough fell short of those hopes. Rose ended with a score of 14-over, while McIlroy just scraped through the projected cut line on six-over. Lowry, on the other hand, found himself stuck at a disappointing 17-over after two rounds filled with frustration, even tossing a microphone during a brief outburst in his first round on Thursday. Lowry, the 2019 Open champion, lost one shot due to a simple oversight. As he approached his ball on the 14th green, Lowry bent down and picked it up, which is permitted as long as the ball has been marked. However, he had forgotten this crucial step. After lifting the ball, he paused for a moment before placing it back down, slowly looking up with a mischievous smile spread across his face, reports the Mirror US. McIlroy couldn't contain his laughter at Lowry's gaffe, and Rose also joined in the chuckles. Despite the day's frustrations, the trio managed to find some humour in the situation. In the grand scheme of things, Lowry's mistake didn't have much impact. At the time he lifted the ball, he was already trailing at 14-over, a score far from what he needed to make it through to the weekend. "Maybe my mind was somewhere else," chuckled Lowry when touching on the marker incident with BBC Sport. "It's one of the stupidest things I've done." Lowry's performance took a nosedive early in his second round after a disheartening nine-over 79 on Thursday, with the 38-year-old racking up three bogeys and a double bogey in just the first four holes. The Irish golfer didn't hold back at Oakmont's fourth hole, where his frustration was palpable. After failing to sink a putt for par, Lowry was overheard exclaiming: "F*** this place. F*** this place." He managed a solitary birdie on the seventh but suffered further setbacks with additional bogeys on the 10th and 15th, as well as another double bogey on the 14th. McIlroy, a five-time major winner, clinched his place for the weekend rounds with a birdie on the 18th, however. He'll find out who he's paired with for the third round of the US Open, which tees off on Saturday, June 14. American Sam Burns is currently in the lead, having finished as the runner-up at the Canadian Open last week. He carded an outstanding 65 on Friday, marking the best score seen at Oakmont so far in the competition, and is eager for the weekend's play. "I played really well yesterday [Thursday], other than the finishing holes. So I think today was just kind of getting mentally ready to come out and try to put a good round together," Burns said. "I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's a 72-hole golf tournament, and if you can get a round under par out here, no matter if it's one under, you'll take it."
