Reason given for Paul O'Donovan missing World Rowing Championships
O'Donovan, who is a doctor, is not part of the 22-strong Ireland team that is travelling to China in pursuit of medals.
The two-time Olympic champion has moved into the heavyweight category and his current double partner Daire Lynch, who won bronze with Philip Doyle in Paris last year, is also missing the Worlds due to his medical studies.
"Paul is working in the Mater Hospital, so he unfortunately can't make the World Championships," said Rowing Ireland's lead coach Dominic Casey. "Daire is the same, he's doing medicine. We'll definitely see them back. They're just taking a few weeks off.
"This year, after a post-Olympic year, it's been a challenge really. A lot of people have been back in college and been working. They're looking after their 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.
'This year presents a valuable opportunity to look ahead to Los Angeles 2028, to develop talent, and to solidify the high-performance culture within our team. Fiona Murtagh rowing to second place in the 2025 European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv (Image: ©INPHO/Detlev Seyb)
"We're investing in both our people and our infrastructure, with ongoing enhancements at the National Rowing Centre to ensure our athletes have the best possible environment for growth. We're proud of the depth and versatility of this team and confident they will represent Ireland with excellence on the world stage.'
Paris bronze medallist Doyle will link up with O'Donovan's Olympic partner Fintan McCarthy in a new men's double scull pairing, with Konan Pazzaia - who recently took bronze with McCarthy in the European Championships - going in the single scull.
"I'm excited, we have such a wealth of talent," said Doyle. "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 learning every day off Fintan."
Fiona Murtagh, who made the Olympic podium with the women's four in Tokyo, has had a promising start to life in the single scull after winning silver in the European Championships.
The Galwegian will be in with a good chance of a medal in Shanghai. "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."
Rowing Ireland CEO Michelle Carpenter added: 'We're in a pivotal moment as a high-performance organisation. Supporting athletes through post-Olympic transition, investing in new talent, and expanding our facilities are all key priorities.
"This team embodies the resilience, ambition, and potential of Irish rowing's future. This would not have been possible without the collaboration of Sport Ireland, our vast team of service providers at the Sport Ireland Institute, Sport NI, as well as the continued support of our clubs and loyal sponsors.
"Dominic has done an amazing job and I wish him his team of dedicated coaches and our incredible athletes a successful World Rowing Championships."
Team Ireland
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
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 and 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
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