ROWING / News round-up: First there was Paul Gleeson, the Limerickman who took up rowing in order to row the Atlantic - and succeeded - and now there is the Limerickman who took up rowing in New Zealand on a rugby scholarship and could yet go for glory for Ireland this season as an international.
Seán O'Neill headed for Wellington in the late 1990s as a teenager on a rugby scholarship and took up rowing to help his fitness.
He proved a natural and soon teamed up with Rob Hellstrom to win the senior coxless pairs at the New Zealand championships in 2002, 2003 and 2006. Remarkably, the pairs they beat this year included George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle, who won the world title last year.
O'Neill had come back for the Irish trials in 2003 but failed to find a team-mate and returned to his adopted country hoping to win an international place there.
The new Irish set-up already has a medal-winning heavyweight four, and O'Neill, who has been invited to the next Ireland training camp and the final Irish selection regatta by coach Harald Jahrling, may be in contention for a place in the four this season.
Jahrling said yesterday O'Neill had not made it through the New Zealand trials process and was definitely coming to Ireland. "We will have a look at him," he said.
Jahrling has cut heavily in naming his squad for the Easter training camp and the final selection regatta a week later. Former world champion Niall O'Toole and recent internationals Paul Giblin and Diarmaid Mac Colgain are among those excluded.
There will be a special, last-chance trial on the day before the selection regatta (Friday, April 21st) for those wishing to prove they should still be in contention.
Helen Walshe, who injured her back lately and has been unable to row, is also not named.
Jahrling has nominated the single scull as the priority boat for heavyweight women, and if Caroline Ryan can prove herself of the right standard she would seem set to represent the country this season.
Apart from O'Neill, the other surprise is the inclusion of Ger Ward of Commercial, who is only 19, in the senior ranks of lightweight men.
Ward impressed Jahrling at the first selection regatta last weekend, though he may still be chosen at under-23 this year.
Jahrling put together an under-23 heavyweight four of Paul Murray, Stephen Keyes, James Wall and Paul O'Brien last weekend, and all four, along with Niall Kenny and Dan Barry, are named for the camp and the trials. The under-23 heavyweight four to represent Ireland may be chosen at the camp, however.
Meanwhile, former world featherweight boxing champion Barry McGuigan has been brought in to motivate the Cambridge crew for tomorrow's Boat Race in London.
McGuigan appeared recently on Irish television, but this is surely a long way from Podge and Rodge.
INVITEES TO SECOND SELECTION REGATTA (Inniscarra Lake, April 22nd and 23rd)
Men: Heavyweight: S Casey, S Jacob, C Collis, A Martin, C Folan, J Forde, K McCarthy, S O'Neill. Priority boats: coxless four, coxless pair. Lightweight: E Coakley, G Towey, R Archibald, R Coakley, J Devitt, P Griffin, T Harnedy, G Ward. Priority boats: coxless four, double scull. Under-23: Heavyweight: P Murray, P O'Brien, J Wall, S Keyes, N Kenny, D Barry. Priority boat: coxless four. Lightweight: G Ward, L Molloy, J Brinn, B Clarke, S Walsh, K Rabbitte, M Carroll, V Ruane. Priority boats: double scull, coxless four. Junior: P Rae, J McDonald, J Wall, A McEvoy, S Penny, A Bulger, M O'Donovan, S White, B O'Mahony, L Rice, J Currivan, K Clarke, M Griffin (cox). Priority boats: coxed four, quadruple scull.
Women: Heavyweight: C Ryan. Priority boat: single scull. Lightweight: S Jennings, N Ní Chéilleachair, H Boyle, O Hayes. Priority boat: double scull.
