Eight Irish crews will represent Rowing Ireland at the Home International Rowing Beach Sprints this Saturday, 19 September, at Nairn Beach in Scotland.
Ireland will line up alongside England, Scotland and Wales for a day of fast-paced Beach Sprint racing, with athletes competing across Senior, U23 and Junior and Inclusion events.
The Irish team brings together a mix of experienced coastal athletes and some of the next generation of Irish Beach Sprint rowers.
Meet the Team
Tadhg Ó Conchúir has previous international Beach Sprint experience, having represented Ireland in the Junior Men’s Single at the 2024 Coupe de la Jeunesse Beach Sprints.
Tadhg started flatwater rowing last season with Dublin University Boat Club (DUBC) and continued his development this year with a spell in London, where he trained with Tideway Scullers School as part of their Henley campaign in the Thames Cup.
Now returning to Beach Sprints, Tadhg will represent Ireland in the Senior Men’s Single at this weekend’s Home International Beach Sprints in Nairn.
Sophia Monahan brings both strong flatwater and Beach Sprint experience to the Irish team. A member of Shandon Boat Club, Sophia represented Ireland at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, where she competed in the Women’s Solo, and also raced for Ireland at the 2025 World Rowing Under 23 Championships, finishing fifth in the U23 Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls A Final.
Sophia was also part of Ireland’s U23 Women’s Quadruple Sculls at the 2026 European Rowing Under 23 Championships earlier this month.
Clíodhna Nolan is an experienced international rower having represented Ireland at the 2019 and 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. In recent years, she has developed her experience in Beach Sprints, winning the Mixed Double at Courtmacsherry Beach Sprints in 2025, before winning both the Women’s Single and Mixed Quad at Ring Beach Sprints in 2026 with UCC Rowing Club.
Clíodhna is continuing to develop her experience in the fast-growing Beach Sprint discipline and will now team up with Jack Moylan in the Senior Mixed Double.
Jack Moylan took up Coastal Rowing and Beach Sprints in 2025 after several years of flatwater rowing and quickly developed a passion for the speed and intensity of Beach Sprint racing.
Jack made his international debut at the 2025 Home Internationals in Portnoo, Donegal, competing in the Senior Mixed Double, before going on to compete at the Challenge Prince Albert II.
The pair will now race together in the Senior Mixed Double at this weekend’s Home International Beach Sprints in Nairn.
Jack Hehir and Tara Payne will team up in the U23 Mixed Double, bringing valuable international experience to the Irish crew.
Jack has considerable Beach Sprint experience, having represented Ireland at the 2023 Coupe de la Jeunesse, before competing at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals and European Championships in 2024 as a Junior. Jack was also the Irish winner of the Junior Men’s Single at the 2025 Home International Beach Sprints in Donegal.
Tara has also enjoyed success on the international stage, winning the Junior Women’s Single at the 2025 Home International Rowing Regatta and helping Ireland to victory in the Junior Women’s Quadruple Scull.
Now stepping up to the U23 category, Jack and Tara will bring their previous international experience together as they take on the U23 Mixed Double at this weekend’s Home International Beach Sprints.
Ella Keady is an emerging junior PR3 para rower who is rapidly building international racing experience. She has represented Ireland at consecutive Flatwater Home Internationals in 2025 and 2026, as well as competing at Henley Women’s Regatta and the International Paris Para Rowing Regatta.
New to Beach Sprints, Ella has embraced the change of pace and is relishing the challenge of developing her skills in a completely different side of the sport.
Seán Harte of Waterford Boat Club represented Ireland at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Antalya, competing in both the U19 Men’s Single and Mixed Double. He is also a gold medallist from the 2025 Home International Regatta, where he won the U19 Men’s Quad for Ireland.
Now transitioning into the U23/Senior pathway, Seán brings international Beach Sprint and flatwater racing experience to the crew as he teams up with Ella in the Inclusion Mixed Double.
Josh Kelly has built up experience across both flatwater and coastal rowing, representing Shandon Boat Club on the flatwater and Passage West Boat Club in coastal rowing. He has enjoyed particular success in coastal rowing, winning the Junior Mixed Coastal Irish Championships in both 2025 and 2026, as well as taking victory in the Junior Men’s Double at the 2025 Bantry Offshore Regatta.
Josh has also made his mark in Beach Sprints, reaching the semi-finals at the Courtmacsherry Beach Sprints in 2025 before earning selection for the 2025 Coupe de la Jeunesse Beach Sprint Championships in La Línea, where he competed in the Junior Mixed Double for Ireland.
Róisín Kelly is a versatile young rower from Kilmacsimon Rowing Club, with experience across a wide range of disciplines. She competes in Beach Sprints, offshore and traditional coastal rowing, while also racing in both sculling and sweep rowing on the river. Róisín has also tested herself in indoor rowing through the IIRC competition.
Her willingness to take on different challenges and compete across several forms of rowing has helped her develop a broad range of skills, and she now gets the opportunity to add international Beach Sprint racing to her experience.
Josh and Róisín will team up in the Junior Mixed Double at the Home International Beach Sprints in Nairn, with both looking forward to the challenge of representing Ireland on the international stage
Gabrielle O’Donoghue is no stranger to international Beach Sprint racing. The Rosscarbery Rowing Club athlete represented Ireland at the 2025 Home International Beach Sprints, where she raced in the Junior Women’s Single.
Gabrielle also represented Ireland at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in the U19 Women’s Double, progressing through the repechage after finishing ninth in the opening time trial.
She will now take on the Junior Women’s Single at Nairn as she continues to develop in the discipline.
Daniel O’Sullivan, a J15 rower, will make his first international appearance for Ireland this weekend, which is a fantastic achievement at this stage of his development. Having been introduced to Beach Sprints just last summer, Daniel has quickly made his mark in the discipline.
He has also enjoyed a very successful year in J16 and J18 Coastal Rowing, recording numerous podium finishes throughout the season. His selection for the Home International Beach Sprints in Nairn is another exciting step in Daniel’s development as he takes on the Junior Men’s Single and represents Ireland for the first time.
Team Support Staff
Supporting the Irish athletes at the Home International Beach Sprints in Nairn will be:
- Martin Hehir – Team Manager & Boat Handler
- Jeff O’Donoghue – Coach & Boat Handler
- Caitlin Kelly – Boat Handler
- Niamh Hehir – Boat Handler
- Kieran Kerr – Irish Umpire
The Home International Beach Sprints provide another great opportunity for Irish athletes to compete internationally and gain valuable experience in the fast-growing Beach Sprint discipline.
With a combination of experienced international athletes, developing rowers and athletes making their first appearance for Ireland, the team will be looking forward to getting on the beach in Nairn this weekend.
Best of luck to all our athletes and support team representing Ireland this weekend.
