Women in Sport Week 2023 kicks off with Monday’s theme – High Performance. Have a look below at our amazing achievements by women in High Performance.

Our High Performance programme has shown amazing progress in recent years in getting more and more women training, competing and succeeding at the highest levels of the sport. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics we saw the first ever women’s team medal come home to Ireland, with our Women’s Four bronze medal.

Margaret Cremen, Tokyo 2020 Olympian said, ‘What I love about being a woman in sport is that I never have to look too far for inspiration. My female team mates are my sporting heroes. Through my junior club days, college rowing, to high performance. 

I think partly because I know the adversity/obstacles they have had to overcome along the way and have still become the person (athlete) they are today. 

In college competing in the 8s I remember having a realisation that these girls are my blood sweat and tears? Training day in and day out together, living inside each others pockets. I thought, I want and I need to be the best version of myself for them. I think that’s so cool & powerful that women can impact and lift each other within sport and life too. Some of them were leaders, some were messers, some would sit next to you on the rowing machine until you finished the session. Everyone’s qualities shone. 

Behind every result, behind every athlete and woman there’s a story and people can relate to these things. And therefore believe well I could maybe do that? This is where it starts, that’s the jackpot – you can absolutely run away with belief and take it somewhere special.’

‘When we embrace equity, we embrace everyone from different diversity’s in life.’ said Alison Bergin, U23 Bronze medallist. ‘In sport there is no reason as to why we can’t empower women and all genders to embrace equity.’

Below you can see some summaries of performances on the international stage by women in the last 12 months.

Success at U19 and U23 World Championships, July 2022

In the summer 2022 season we saw women’s crews achieve excellent results at the U19 and U23 World Championships. These crews included:

  • The Women’s Quad of Kate Reidy (Lee RC), Lauren McCarthy-Steele (Skibbereen RC), Moya Knowles (Skibbereen RC) and Ayla O’Neill (Kenmare RC) who finished 3rd in the B final
  • W2x of Holly Davis (Lee Valley RC) and Anna Keating (Shannon RC) who finished 6th in the A final
  • Alison Bergin (Fermoy RC) stormed home in the BW1X with a bronze medal at the U23 Championships, as well as setting a new World Record in her semi final!

These crews were supported by international female coaches Leah O’ Regan and Janet Walsh

Success at World Cup II, June 2022

  • The W4- of Tara Hanlon, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe and Aifric Keogh finished in third place, taking home a bronze medal.

  • Sanita Puspure and Zoe Hyde won silver medals in the W2x.

  • Katie O’Brien won her final of the PR2 W1x, to take the gold medal.

  • The LW2x of Margaret Cremen and Lydia Heaphy had a huge race, finishing in bronze position.

  • Fiona Murtagh and Emily Hegarty also took home bronze medals, thins time in the W2-.

Success at the Senior World Rowing Championships, September 2022

  • Katie O Brien (Galway RC) claimed victory in the PR2 1x to become World Champion.

  • Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey (UCC) blazed home to bronze in the LW2X.

  • The Women’s Four of Emily Hegarty, Fiona Murtagh, Eimear Lambe and Aifric Keogh finished sixth in the A Final.

  • The Women’s Pair of Tara Hanlon (UCCRC) and Natalie Long (Lee Valley RC) finished in second in the B final.

  • Lydia Heaphy (Skibbereen RC) finished in third place in the Lightweight Women’s Scull B Final, ranking her ninth in the world.

  • The Women’s Double of Zoe Hyde (Killorglin RC) and Sanita Puspure (Old Collegians) pulled a blinder of a race to win a bronze medal in the A final.

Success at the World Rowing Coastal Championships, October 2022

  • Niamh Hayes of Galley Flash RC finished 5th in the CW1X B Final
  • Gillian Hosford of Castletownshend RC finished 9th in the CW1X B Final
  • Barbara Johnston ( Olderfleet RC), Catherine Maxwell, Joanne Stewart & Kirsten Leitch and Norman Leitch finished in 1st place in the CW4X+ B Final
  • Aoibhe Sweeney, Caitlin Ward, Cian Sweeney, Leah Gallagher and Mairead Bholscaidh finished 9th in the CW 4x B final (Loughros RC and City of Derry RC)
  • Sionna Healy (Arklow RC) 4th in the CW1X final
  • Xena Jordan (Arklow RC) 5th in the CW1X final
  • Miriam Sheehan (Castletownbere RC) 8th in the CW1X final
  • Monika Dukarska (Killorglin RC) 13th place in the CW1X final

  • Rhiannon O Donoghue & Monika Dukarska (Killorglin RC)2nd place in the CW2X final

  • Ella Cialis & Gillian Hosford (Castletownbere RC) 9th place in the CW2X final

  • Dineka Maguire and Niamh Doogan (Kinclassagh RC) 15th place

  • Andrea Kinsella & Mary Ann Kent (DNF)