The 2025 European Rowing Championships kick off tomorrow, 29th May, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, running until Sunday, 1st June.

This event marks the first international regatta of the new Olympic cycle, as Ireland’s leading rowers return to the global stage in the buildup to Los Angeles 2028. It also serves as the first major international competition since the 2024 Paris Olympics, with nine of the sixteen athletes who competed in Paris back in action.

This year, Rowing Ireland has 17 athletes competing across 8 boat classes. We are welcoming three high-performance athletes to this year’s European Championships. Izzy Clements will make her international debut in the LW1x. Aisling Hayes is also making her debut, competing in the W4x, while Claire Feerick returns to the international stage in the W4x. Learn more about these new athletes in the media guide below.

LW1x
Izzy Clements will make her Irish debut in the lightweight women’s single. The field includes two returning finalists from last year, Norway and Croatia, who will be looking to build on their previous performances. There are six entries in this event, with a preliminary heat on Thursday to determine lane placements. The A Final is scheduled for Saturday.

Preliminary Race: Thursday, 29th May – 8:07am IST (Lane 6)

LM1x
Jake McCarthy is representing Ireland in the lightweight men’s single. He is the only returning athlete from last year’s championships, making this event wide open. There are nine entries in the event, with crews progressing from the heats into either the A or B Final.

Heat 1: Thursday, 29th May – 8:12am IST (Lane 3)

M2-
The M2- features Ross Corrigan and Daire Lynch. Daire is an Olympic bronze medallist in the M2x, while Ross returns to familiar territory, having placed 6th in this event at the Tokyo Olympics. The Irish pair will face strong competition from Romania, the silver medallists at the 2024 European Championships. There are 15 crews entered in this event.

Heat 1: Thursday, 29th May – 8:34am IST (Lane 3)

W2x
The W2x features Zoe Hyde and Mags Cremen, who both secured a top-10 finish at the 2024 Olympic Games. These Championships mark Mags’ debut in the heavyweight category. Romania and Lithuania are also participating in this event, having claimed silver and bronze, respectively, at the 2024 European Championships, although both with different line-ups. There are 10 entries in this category, with heats progressing to A or B finals.

Heat 2: Thursday, 29th May – 9:04am IST (Lane 1)

M2x
The M2x features double Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia. This marks Fintan’s debut in the heavyweight category. The Irish duo will face the reigning European Champions, Romania, in one of the largest categories at the regatta, featuring 20 entries. Crews will progress from the heats into D and C Finals, as well as the A/B Semifinals.

Heat 4: Thursday, 29th May – 9:24am IST (Lane 2)

W4x
The women’s quad features Alison Bergin, Aisling Hayes, Natalie Long, and Claire Feerick. The Irish crew will face strong competition from the nations that won gold, silver, and bronze at the 2024 European Championships, all of which will return with different lineups. There are 10 entries with heats progressing to A or B finals.

Heat 1: Thursday, 29th May – 12:00pm IST (Lane 1)

M4x
The men’s quad features Philip Doyle, Ronan Byrne, Adam Murphy, and Andrew Sheehan. Philip returns to international duty as the 2024 Olympic bronze medallist in the men’s double. The Irish crew will face competition from Italy, the reigning European champions, who return with a different lineup. There are 13 entries with heats progressing to an A/B Semi.

Heat 2: Thursday, 29th May – 12:15pm IST (Lane 1)

W1x
Olympian Fiona Murtagh moves into the women’s single after previously competing in the women’s pair. She will face strong competition from Paris 2024 bronze medallist Viktorija Senkute of Lithuania and 2024 European Championships silver medallist Alexandra Foester of Germany. This is a large category with 17 entries, with heats progressing to a C final and A/B Semi.

Heat 1: Thursday, 29th May – 12:27pm IST (Lane 1)

A new World Rowing progression system will be in use this year. Watch this explainer video to learn how crews will advance through the competition.

Stay up to date and follow every race:
2025-ERCH-Plovdiv-Programme V1
Day 1 Audio Commentary
Results

Download the Rowing Ireland Media Guide to learn more about our crews, athletes, and the boats they’ll race in at the 2025 European Rowing Championships.

Catch the action live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player:
Saturday, 31st May | 08:30 – 11:30
Sunday, 1st June | 08:30 – 11:10

As racing gets underway in Plovdiv, we extend our very best wishes to all of our High Performance athletes. Your commitment, determination, and passion continue to inspire everyone across the rowing community. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the High Performance coaching and support staff, whose tireless work behind the scenes ensures our athletes are prepared, supported, and ready to perform at the highest level. Finally, a sincere thank you to all our partners and sponsors whose ongoing commitment makes our High Performance Programme possible.