Cork sporting heroes Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy captured in new city centre painting 

The outstanding sporting achievements of Olympic gold medalists Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have been marked with an outdoor painting in the city centre.

The painting, on an electricity box on the corner of Liberty Street and North Main Street in the city centre, is the work of local artist, Alan Hurley.

“The box is painted as part of the ongoing PROC (People’s Republic of Cork) project to honour Cork people, causes, or to just provide interesting colourful talking points in the city,” Mr Hurley told The Echo.

“It’s also a way to add some colour as a break from all the grey around the [city] centre.

“The box itself is just a little reminder to the public of the rowing achievements of Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy.” 

Earlier this month, thousands lined the streets of Skibbereen as the town welcomed home its Olympic rowing heroes.

Double gold medal winners O’Donovan and McCarthy were joined by Olympic finalists Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty on an open top bus tour of the town.

O’Donovan has been described as arguably Ireland’s best every sportsperson following his gold in Paris.

That medal followed gold in Tokyo in 2021 and silver in Rio in 2016.

He told the rally that the best part of all three-medal successes was returning home.

“They’ve all been good, but I think definitely the best part is, you know, coming back here to Skibbereen and seeing all the crowds and local people, friends and family, and all the young kids from schools and everything,” he said.

McCarthy, who was ribbed about being a Matt Damon look-a-like during the party, said the weeks since his golden moment in Paris had been “absolutely insane”.

“You can tell from the crowd here,” he said.

“I’ve been kind of at home lapping it all up, and it’s been so nice to see everyone.

“I think whether we won a gold medal or not, we still have the support of the whole town, the whole community, and you know we can really feel it.” 

O’Donovan and McCarthy claimed one of Ireland’s four gold medal wins in Paris 2024.

The homecoming in Skibbereen was delayed for several weeks to accommodate O’Donovan’s participation in the World Rowing Championships in Canada, where he won another gold medal.