Three Irish sailors will receive the maximum €40,000 in funding towards their LA 2028 campaigns in this year’s High Performance allocation from Sport Ireland.
In addition, nine Irish rowers are also allocated funding in the Podium category — the highest level of carding — out of the €27 million for 2025 announced last week, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
Sailing hopefuls Finn Lynch, in the ILCA 7, and 49er skiff pair Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove have been allocated €40,000 apiece for their medalling aspirations. For this trio, it means an increase in funding of €15,000 each on 2024’s awards.
Alongside them, ILCA 6 sailor Eve McMahon is classed in the International category and receives €18,000 in support for her training and competition costs. It’s expected that her funding will rise should her results continue to improve over the next year.
Elsewhere, Ireland’s Olympic success in rowing sees a raft of talent funded over three different levels.
In the Podium category, Paris 2024 gold medallists Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy are on €40,000 each, as are Philip Doyle, Daire Lunch and Fiona Murtagh, while Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney, Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen receive €30,000.
World Class rowers Zoe Hyde, Alison Bergin, Eimear Lambe, Emily Hegarty, Imogen Magner and Natalie Long are on €25,000 apiece.
And in the International category, Brian Colsh, Adam Myrphy, Konan Pazzaia, Ciaran Purdy, Donnacha Keeley and Siobhán McCrohan receive €18,000 each. The same amount goes to para-athletes Katie O’Brien, Tiarnan O’Donnell and Steven McGowan.
Further details on this year’s allocations can be found in Sport Ireland’s report in English and as Gaeilge.
Meanwhile, in The Irish Times, Ian O’Riordan writes that while Sport Ireland are going in the right direction with regards to its funding strategy, there are still anomalies to be ironed out — citing the podium grant of €40,000 to boxer Kellie Harrington despite her proclaiming she’s hung up her gloves, while other recent retirees like rower Sanita Puspure receive nothing. The Irish Times has more HERE.
