Watch as Olympian O'Donovan brothers are named Cork Person of the Year
While there were several others who could have challenged the accolade, it was deemed “a no-brainer” that the Skibbereen rowers would get the nod.
Any question of the need for a stewards’ inquiry was firmly put to bed when event organiser Manus O’Callaghan revealed that the O’Donovans got the most nods ever in the 24-year history of the awards.
He reminded everyone the pair had brought the country to a standstill when they captured the lightweight double sculls silver medal in Rio de Janeiro last summer and their catchphrase, ‘pull like a dog’, will be forever associated with the win.
The Skibbereen natives had already pocketed the RTÉ Sports Team of the Year Award, and RTÉ director general Dee Forbes, who spoke at the lunch, was the first to congratulate her fellow West Cork neighbour Gary as he received a standing ovation.
Paul was unable to attend as he was taking exams at UCD, but mother Trish and nan Mary Doab beamed with delight.
Former CIT student Gary, now studying marketing at WIT, said the brothers had the will to improve and win even more medals. He said they haven’t been training on the river as much as they like and while Paul was using a rowing machine in Dublin, it was not ideal.
Gary said that, from a young age, he would get very excited the night before a major race and couldn’t get to sleep, He said he often got just two hours’ sleep and had to practice techniques to get a longer rest. These included “trying to let his mind think of the colour black and scratching the headboard with his fingernail”.
“We want to step it up to gold, we have a love and passion for the sport. We would still be out on the water in Skibbereen if we didn’t win the medal,” he said.
Tom Crosbie of Landmark Media, owners of the Irish Examiner , one of the sponsors of the awards, said the brothers’ positive outlooks made them “outstanding ambassadors for youth, sport, and Cork”.
“Manus with his team at Southern Advertising, in starting and persevering with these awards for all these years has created a great forum for us to recognise and celebrate achievement in Cork city and county,” he said.
Mr Crosbie said he was delighted that the newspaper had been a sponsor of the awards since their inception and the event gave him the chance to thank customers and staff for their loyalty.
The award was jointly presented to Gary by the Mayor of Cork County Seamus McGrath and Lord Mayor Des Cahill. Master of ceremonies was RTÉ broadcaster Seán O’Rourke and the judges were Tim Lucey, CEO of Cork County Council, and Ann Doherty, CEO of Cork City Council.
Sponsors of the Cork Persons of the Year award also included RTÉ, marketing, design and media company Southern, AM O’Sullivan PR, Lexus Cork, Tony O’Connell Photography, Cork Crystal, and C&C Gleeson.
