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SYMBOLS OF IRISH sport, 2016 highlight-heroes.
Halloween costumes in row-boats, viral videos, and signs outside businesses with ‘Pull Like A Dog’ written on them.
Poster boys for Olympic success, role models for young rowers, the much-adored ambassadors of west Cork.
But out of everyone, Gary and Paul O’Donovan are the most relaxed about their Olympian status and public adoration.
They’re all about the rowing, and even with that, they feel there’s no extra pressure on them than there was before.
“[We just] get on with it and don’t think about it so much and life’s easier that way,” Paul told TheJournal.ie, and Gary continued the rest for him:
“We’ve kind of been at it for 16 years and it’s all we’ve ever known really so. We’ll just keep doing it, yeah.”
And it’s that charisma that draws people to them and to the sport.
But despite travelling around the world for competitions and races, the boys themselves are still drawn home to Skibbereen.
Mingling with the crowd
Yesterday, Gary and Paul went to Bloom in the Park in Dublin’s Phoenix Park for the first year to take part in a cooking demonstration with model-turned-foodie Roz Purcell.
And the crowd went wild for them, laughing and clapping as the brothers performed a running commentary on Roz’s egg-based dish.
Paul on Roz’s dish: “That’s not going to feed all these people – you didn’t think this through at all.”
Or another: Paul turns to Roz, attentively stirring the contents of the pan, and notes: “This is taking a lot longer than in the test run earlier.” But this is Roz’s turf and she had his measure, turning slowly and saying that it was because he took so long to whisk the eggs.
Gary wasn’t behind the door on the banter either. Earlier, as Roz explained the instructions, Paul interrupted: ”Skillet? What’s a skillet?”
“A pan.”
“Oh right I thought it was a type of bird,” Gary quipped.
After Roz whipped up her dish (and Gary burned his mouth tasting it), Nevin Maguire, performing a cooking demonstration afterwards, came on stage to meet the brothers, telling them they had the crowd in stitches.
He took a selfie with them, as did Roz, and left them to the crowds of children, mothers, fathers and grandparents asking for pictures, handshakes, and autographs.
“Please will you sign this for my sons,” asked a woman who was holding a picture of two boys dressed in sports gear and two white caps flipped backwards.
Paul was only too delighted.
At Bloom at least, they’re proving the country’s favourite Olympic medal-winning, egg-flipping, quick-witted-quipping, rower brothers – but they demur from their status as national heroes.
“We don’t really view ourselves as national treasures at all,” says Paul, as Gary nods.
“We’re much the same as the rest of the people. A lot of people alright they’d pay attention to us and listen to us and read about us… we try to use that for positive things like telling everyone – not just athletes – to eat healthy things.”
“Do you always juggle eggs?” Roz asked Gary during the cooking demo, wondering how he’s become so good at it.
“Anytime we have to take photos with eggs, yeah.”
But despite events like this one, where the brothers are – you’ve guessed it – promoting eggs for Bord Bia, they maintain that nothing’s changed for them since the Olympics.
Paul says:
If we never won the Olympics and never won a medal we’d be out on the lake there anyway, rowing.
Their training at the moment involves two hours in the morning out in the boat, and then going back in the evening to do some high-intensity for up to an hour and a half – “race-based stuff” they call it.
Two or three times a week they do weight-based stuff like deadlifts. in between all of that they give their bodies a break and rest.
It’s not easy-going but you could be doing a lot harder things.
When it comes to how the Olympics have affected their expectations, they remain as steadfast to their ‘strategy’ as ever:
We can only go so fast. And as long as we go the fastest we can, we can do no more than that.
They say they owe a huge amount to the people of Ireland for what they’ve done, and no matter where they’re travelling to, they love coming home to Skibbereen – which is what they’re doing directly after this interview.
I mention it’s a pity they can’t row back down to Skibbereen.
They give it serious thought, with Gary saying it would save them time: “All we need is a straight waterway down!”
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Absolutely no place for this at any sports ground. They’re a disgrace to their county & should be barred from venues for life
@samstheman: They were kids, give them a break.
@páraicS: To be fair in any other sport they would see some sort of ban. By not doing so the gaa are in some way allowing this behavior to spread.
I’m a similar note I saw an underage hurling game on my local park whilst walking my dog where there was a proper fight on the pitch between 2 players where they had to be separated. Neither was sanctioned( or even told to shake hands afterwards) that’s really poor behavior from the coaches
@páraicS: they weren’t ‘kids’ . Look at the footage. They were youths. And they were a disgrace. Pure thugs
@páraicS: big enough for kids. I stand by my comment. Then they got off with a caution. Joke, interestingly if they were Dubs what would you have to say?
@Anthony: what’s a youth? If I host an under 15s soccer match is it a game between a gang of youths?
@páraicS: I would say the people harassed or intimidated because of their carry on also deserve a break
@páraicS: Kids ? They were given Adult cautions, Kids my ass!
Imagine the damage there could have been done by their behaviour and come back and tell us to give them a break.
@thephantomshit: they were older than 15. Look at the footage.
@páraicS: Nope.
@páraicS: noisy disruptive teenagers can be a nuisance at games to spectators near them needing the Guards to be called. Responsibility called for.
@páraicS: cops should have given both of them a good clipping. Teach them some manners.
@páraicS: They got their break by not being charged, but why should paying spectators have to endure gobshyte behaviour from people at a match, regardless of age?
@John Kelly: bring back nidge, they need to be clipped.
Everyone is responsible for their own actions, I’d say their families are proud of them today. If u keep messing with fire u get burnt & these guys have a long way to go if they keep lighting fires.
@reg gordon: gaa use kid gloves wth onfield violence likewise wth thuggery on terraces
@Don Dealgan: the GAA didn’t let them go with an “adult caution” the Gardai did
@samstheman: talk a bit of sense. Don’t be trying to excuse this rowdyism. People like you add to the problem.
Too much Clonmel apple juice….
There seems to be a developing culture of phuckwits in the last year at hurling matches. I was at the Limerick match yesterday and there was a gang of aroud 40 neanderthals roaring out soccer chants for the whole match. These vermin have no place at hurling games and this must be nipped in the bud now.
@Ronan Sexton: People were singing songs at a match and you got upset? Think you need a new hobby.
@Seán Ó Murchú: No Sean, are yout comprehension skills that bad? There are night classes for that.
Why were Tipp fans beating up Tipp fans????
@Adolf Galland: drink
This isn’t the first time Tipperary supporters have been fighting each other at matches. There should be a ban on intoxicated people going into matches.
@Ed: when was d other time
Unbelievable they were let go.
Their actions both warranted being charged with public order offences, the little thug on the left in the video being the chief culprit, its an assault in broad daylight with hundreds of witnesses for christ’s sake.
points deduction for Tipp
@tubbsyf: you can have 17 points of you’re from Waterford
Ah sure it only a bit of banter
Yup 50 year old Saracens fans Nayo
If that was the Dubs.liveline would get 2 weeks out of it
Wildlings.
have your say