SKIBBEREEN is celebrating the dawn of a golden sporting era. The small west Cork town now ranks as a true global Olympic powerhouse.

The town boasts an Olympic medal for every 600 residents. Athletes from Skibbereen Rowing Club (SRC) have now accounted for half of Ireland's medal haul so far from the Tokyo 2020 Games – three out of six medals.

The club medal haul from Tokyo alone is equivalent to one medal per 900 local residents in the west town, which has a population of just 2,700.

Skibbereen Rowing Club even has a greater rowing medal total from Tokyo 2020 than Team GB. Locals are now preparing to welcome home their Olympic heroes – bronze medallist Emily Hegarty and gold medalists Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, as well as the double sculls reserve rower, Gary O'Donovan.

For Trish O'Donovan – mother of Paul and Gary – her native parish of Lisheen went en fete to mark the historic achievement of only the tenth gold medal won in Irish Olympic history.

Ms O’Donovan – flanked by family members at her Lisheen home – admitted she was exhausted having stayed up all night to cheer for an Irish win.

"He (Paul) was always my golden boy,” she said. “From the day he was born, he was special. Gary too. I always think when you grow up in the country you have a different rearing than in the city – they were wild but they were country boys.

"They went out, they played until dark and made fun swinging off trees – they were like monkeys.

"Paul, you devil you, fair play to you – you did it. And fair play to Fintan too. They are good, sound boys.

"Paul was just not going to stop – no one was going to stop them getting gold. It is never a given until they pass the line but they worked so hard for it," she added.

"Way back when Paul and Gary were in primary school, they wrote into their copy books that they were going to the Olympics in 2012. It was written there. I still have the copy book but don't ask me to find it."

Ms O’Donovan said the only negative was not being able to travel to Japan to see the gold medal-winning performance in person.

"It was very disappointing not to be able to go – I am still gutted about it. But what can you do?"

Fintan McCarthy's family also expressed delight at his achievement.

Tom and Sue McCarthy, alongside Fintan's siblings, twin brother Jake and sister Caitlin, watched the final from their Skibbereen home in the early hours of this morning.

"Proud just isn't a big enough word – it was an incredible achievement. We are all over the moon," Sue said.

She admitted the tension was unbearable as the Irish duo fought a titanic battle with the German rowers for the gold medal, winning by half a boat length.

"We always believed they could do it – their time in the semi-final was absolutely astonishing. But the tension during the final was incredible. I think it was 6am when we all finally got to sleep."

Tom said they had been in contact with Fintan, via text messages, after the historic win. However, his phone had broken with the sheer volume of texts and calls he received.

"We are just looking forward to getting him home. And maybe getting to hold that Olympic gold medal in our hands."

The family have already been discussing the best place in their idyllic farmhouse to place the gold medal.

Fintan's sister, Caitlin, said everyone has been overwhelmed by the reaction to the duo's performances in Tokyo.

"The phone hasn't stopped ringing – friends, schoolmates and neighbours have been ringing with their congratulations. The excitement is unreal. Everyone is so thrilled."

She joked that Fintan wasn't overly sporting as a youngster.

"He used to run away from the ball when it was thrown at him, he was that kind of kid," she said while laughed.

Jake vowed they would all "keep him (Fintan) humble when he gets home".

"But I think the message from all of this is that there is a sport for everyone. Hopefully this will encourage everyone to get active and get involved in sport – to find the sport that suits them."

"Fintan got involved in rowing around 15 or 16, which is kind of later for rowers to start. But he came on a lot and loved it."

Jake and Fintan watched the Rio 2016 double sculls final as teenagers when the O'Donovan brothers won Ireland's first Olympic rowing medal - and dared to dream that an Olympic final could be in their futures.

"I think we always believed from then on that it could happen. Watching that, I felt the desire to be there myself. Hopefully it can happen (for Paris 2024)."

Before Tokyo 2020, Fintan was already a European and World champion rower and his twin brother, Jake, is also an international champion.

Jake was prevented from being in contention for Tokyo by a lingering back injury.

For Skibbereen Rowing Club, it is the stuff of dreams.

"I never in a million years thought that our rowing club would have the complete suite of Olympic medals – gold, silver and bronze thanks to Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. I never, ever thought I would see it," SRC secretary TJ Ryan proudly said.

"I keep thinking that it is a dream – that I'll wake up an realise it was too good to be true."

SRC captain Sean O'Brien said locals don't know how they will manage the homecoming in light of the pandemic restrictions – with 15,000 having packed into Skibbereen for the Rio 2016 celebration.

Skibbereen wasn't even permitted to have the Olympic final broadcast on a large open-air screen in the town centre yesterday amid Covid-19 social distancing concerns.

"It is a great day for Skibbereen, for Cork and for Ireland. It is beyond belief what this club has managed to achieve – and I want to pay tribute to all the athletes from the club that so proudly represented Ireland."

Mr O’Brien pointed out that the Irish pair had only ever been beaten once by the German crew – and reached the final with a world record time in their semi-final.

Both families paid special tribute to SRC coach Dominic Casey – a rowing strategist hailed by Mr O'Brien as "the mastermind of Ireland's recent rowing successes".

Both the McCarthy and O'Donovan families said they expect another huge upsurge in rowing club membership – even bigger than after the silver medals from Rio 2016.

"Dominic will most likely be World Coach of the Year this year and deservedly so. He has been a huge asset to this club and to Irish rowing," Mr O'Brien said.

Fittingly, the SRC history was recently published by sports journalist Kieran McCarthy and was aptly titled Something in the Water.
Around Skibbereen, shops, homes, business premises, churches and schools were all adorned with photos of the SRC Olympians, tricolours and Olympic flags.

So great was the interest in the Tokyo Games that the rowing club even opened a pop-up shop in Skibbereen town centre.

"It's huge for the town. The excitement around the place is absolutely unreal. They've done everyone proud out there. Great credit to every one of them," Paddy O'Sullivan said.

"In the middle of all this Covid stuff, it is just the boost that everyone needed. Fair play to them."