
Wexford school qualifies for final in a bid to become Ireland's fittest school
The Leinster final will take place at SCD Leisure Tallaght in early May, after which the top school from each of the Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster provincial finals will then progress to the grand final in Athlone on May 19.
The live final will be hosted by one of Ireland's best-known Olympians sprinter David Gillick and the prize package will include €8,000 worth of sports equipment and the title of Ireland's Fittest School 2025.
The three other schools taking part in the Leinster final will be Dangan Mixed National School from Meath, St. Michael's Boys National School from Longford and Scoil Na Mainistreach from Kildare.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Kingspan announces sponsorship deal with Toulon
Irish insulation giant Kingspan is the new main sponsor of French rugby club Toulon. The Kingspan brand will feature on Toulon's famous "Rouge & Noir" jersey for the next four seasons. France is Kingspan's number one market, where it employs over 2,300 staff across 47 sites. Last year, Irish golfer Shane Lowry cut ties with Kingspan following heavy criticism of the Cavan-based company in the final Grenfell Tower inquiry report. Kingspan began sponsoring Lowry in 2017, before the fire in London in which 72 people died. Kingspan was one of several construction firms to face significant criticism in the final report into the Grenfell disaster. The company has long said its K15 insulation product, which made up 5% of the insulation in the Grenfell Tower block, was used without its knowledge. Previously Kingspan had a partnership with the Mercedes Formula One team. However, the team pulled out of the deal following pressure from Grenfell families to cut ties. Last year Ulster Rugby also announced the end of its sponsorship deal with Kingspan. However, it did not link its decision to Grenfell. Kingspan says its commitment to environmental sustainability through its Planet Passionate programme reflects the company's dedication to tackling climate change, accelerating circularity and protecting the natural world. It adds: "This shared commitment to environmental responsibility aligns with RC Toulon's efforts to promote more environmentally conscious practices within the sport."


RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
O'Donovan out of World Rowing Championships as Ireland confirm team
Paul O'Donovan will not compete at next month's World Rowing Championships in Shanghai due to work commitments at the Mater Hospital in Dublin. O'Donovan, 31, is a triple Olympic medallist (two golds and one silver), and has won a remarkable seven golds at World Championships. Two years ago he graduated in medicine at University College Cork. On Wednesday, Rowing Ireland's lead coach Dominic Casey confirmed O'Donovan will not be travelling to China, while his heavyweight double partner Daire Lynch - a medical student - is also out. Lynch won a bronze medal in the men's double sculls at the Paris Games alongside Philip Doyle. The Championships take place from 21 to 28 September. "Paul is working in the Mater Hospital... so he unfortunately can't make the World Championships," Casey told RTÉ Sport's Darren Frehill. "Daire is the same, he's doing medicine. "We'll definitely see them back. They're just taking a few weeks off." This year's team reflects a deliberate focus on athlete development, with an eye on the next Olympic and Paralympic cycle. Some new talent will be blooded, with fresh partnerships and combinations set to be trialled. "This year, after a post-Olympic year, it's been a challenge really," added Casey. "A lot of people have been back in college and been working. They're looking after heir careers after rowing, but now they're focused on their rowing for the next six weeks. "It's still a strong team, we'll hope for the best." Fresh from her silver medal at the European Championships in June, Galway's Fiona Murtagh will step into the women's single scull, an event she only started to train for less than a year ago. "It's been such a journey," said Murtagh. "I'm learning a lot. The single's been so different, I've learned a lot about myself. It's been a very vulnerable space, but with the help of Dominic, he's been so good to me, I'm really enjoying it." The men's double scull sees Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy paired with Olympic bronze medallist Philip Doyle, who reflected: "I'm excited, we have such a wealth of talent. I was focusing on the career this year, I've come back, I'm delighted to finally fight my way to the top and to get in the boat with him and see what we can do. I'm larning every day off Fintan." The women's four makes a strong return post the Paris Games, featuring returning Olympians Natalie Long and Imogen Magner. Two new members join the team: Emma Waters and Aisling Hayes. The men's pair of Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan will renew their partnership, while the men's quadruple scull Adam Murphy, Andrew Sheehan and Brian Colsh welcome experienced Olympian and World medallist Ronan Byrne into the mix. The 2023 World gold medallist Siobhan McCrohan continues her campaign in the lightweight single. In the women's double, Olympians Zoe Hyde and Margaret Cremen reunite following appearances at the European Championships and World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, while Tokyo medallist Emily Hegarty partners with double Olympian Aoife Casey in the women's pair. Jake McCarthy - a finalist in the lightweight men's single scull at the Europeans - goes in the same event in Shanghai. Meanwhile gold medal-winning Paralympian Tiarnan O'Donnell will team up with young athlete Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire in the PR2 mixed double scull following their medal winning success at the Lucerne International regatta this year. Lightweight Women's Single Scull (LW1X): Siobhán McCrohan Women's Single Scull (W1X): Fiona Murtagh Women's Double Scull (W2X): Margaret Cremen and Zoe Hyde Women's Pair (W2): Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty 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 and Nathan Timoney


Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Paul O'Donovan a notable absentee as Irish team named for World Rowing Championships
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. "He's studying medicine so he 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.