THE O’DONOVAN BROTHERS captured the hearts of the nation following their silver medal exploits at the Rio Olympics.
Their positive disposition, quirky phrases and affable nature made them a popular pair.
Last night, RTÉ aired the ‘Pull Like A Dog’ documentary which charts the lives of the O’Donovan brothers and their fascinating journey in rowing.
The documentary features a range of voices who watched the brothers progress in their sport, including their parents, coaches and clubmates from the Skibbereen Rowing Club.
Here are some of the interesting things we learned from the programme.
It could have been gold
While winning an Olympic medal is a notable achievement, the O’Donovans know that the gold medal was within their grasp. Speaking on the documentary, Paul spoke openly about the upsetting emotions that come with watching the final race.
“I find it hard, just when people play back the race and you can see us nearly overtaking the French and we just fall back and they start pulling away. It gets harder and harder every time.”
Hopes for the future
The O’Donovan brothers have been rowing since they were less than 10 years of age and their father Teddy revealed on the documentary that he was dreaming of one day when they might compete on a world stage.
“They had no interest in learning to row, they wanted to race. There was something there, a drive and an urge. I suppose at that stage, I was probably dreaming a bit of what might be rather than what would be.”
Becoming characters
Teddy O’Donovan nurtured the rowing talent of his two sons but as the boys progressed in the sport they developed an arrogant attitude, which made them difficult to coach at times.
In the documentary, they recall seeing their father getting irate in the boat whenever they would disobey him during training. In retaliation, they would sometimes “shake the boat, to see if we could knock him out”.
Setting the record straight
Gary and Paul are members of the Skibbereen Rowing Club, but their home parish is Aughadown in west Cork.
During the coverage of the Olympics, the O’Donovans were sometimes named as natives of Skibbereen and during the ‘Pull Like A Dog’ documentary, local parish priest Fr Donal Cahill wanted to set the record straight.
“One other thing that struck me and I feel a bit angry about it. Of the seven (rowers) who were at the world championships — six of them come from the parish of Aughadown, so why are they calling it Skibbereen?”
The secret of Skibbereen Rowing Club
Skibbereen Rowing Club is Ireland’s top ranked club, according to the documentary, and is home to 163 national titles.
Gary O’Donovan says their head coach Dominic Casey is a “freak” when it comes to rowing and is constantly looking for new ways to improve the club and the performance levels of the members.
But aside from hard work, there’s no secret behind their success. Everyone trains together, from their youngest members right up to the international rowers like the O’Donovan brothers.
Parting ways with their Dad as coach
They credit their father with teaching them how to row from an early age, but the O’Donovans found the constant interaction with their father difficult as they got older.
Speaking on the documentary, Gary explained the reason why Dominic Casey took over the coaching duties from Teddy.
“When we were younger, we didn’t really like the fact that our Dad was there all the time with us in the rowing club. We were young and growing up and wanted to be away from our parents.
“We were hanging out with our friends. We kind of found it difficult that our Dad was there all the time.”
Olympic confessions
The rowing pair qualified for the Olympic final after placing third in the semi-final, but it turns out that Gary wasn’t quite giving it his all.
Towards the end of the documentary, Paul says:
“During the semi-final, I was in bits at the end because for whatever reason, Gary didn’t realise how hard I was pulling. I remember hearing Gary say, ‘Jesus I thought we were going to win it, that was great, we’re in the shape of our lives.’ I nearly turned round and strangled him only I hadn’t the energy. But I was like, ‘OK, he has more to give.’”
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Not sure if I would call the booing of the knee disgraceful. As Kevin Doyle said in the studio, they are adults and they are old and mature enough to make a decision for themselves. And it’s not that they were racist in any way, they had their own way of supporting anti racism by pointing at the respect badge on their shirt.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: it took you that long to write that bucket of *****.
There are many ways to respect it, but their booing and disrespect shows them up for what they are. Nazi salutes going on in the background and clearly seen on the tv too
@Eoin Fitzgerald: it wasn’t the Hungarian players booing, it was the fans. They didn’t even point at a badge, many made Nazi salutes. If UEFA have any balls they’d remove Hungary as a host nation.
@TheHospitalPass: what I found interesting was that we didn’t take the v Andorra but last night we did. Wonder what the thinking behind that was.
**didn’t take the knee
@Eoin Fitzgerald: we did take the knee against Andorra. Not getting much right today are we….
@Teddy Bear: go to the RTEsoccer page on twitter and watch Adam Idah’s interview. You will hear that both Tony O’D and and Adam said that they didn’t take the knee v Andorra and they did take it last night.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: those that boo at anyone taking the knee are the reason why they take to their knee.
George Floyd was murdered just over 1 year ago. Before that, athletes taking the knee was rare. Now it is very much part of the pre game drama. But not everywhere. Far from it. It has been adopted in North America and parts of Europe and some places elsewhere. There is a full round of AFC World Cup qualifiers on this week and I’d be surprised if there is any knee taking despite the narrative that this has swept across the globe. My point is, 12 months ago this was almost unheard of. Now we have adpoted it and we’re calling out others for not following what we do. Should the Hungarians or anyone else boo? No. But it is ridiculous to go around passing judgment on others for behaving in a way we wouldn’t for something that didn’t happen 12 months ago.
@2thFairy: they are absolutely right to boo, and that doesn’t mean I’m endorsing any neo-Nazi saluting that was going on in the stands. Promoting a dubious political message in entertainment or sport is always off-putting but taking the knee is controversial in its own right. It was started by Colin Kaepernick in the NFL as a protest against the American national anthem and spread to groups of whites across the US abasing themselves before blacks, in some kind of faux atonement. Be a decent person, treat all people according to their character, but ffs don’t degrade yourself in the process.
@Squarepeg01: you are why they take the knee. Every comment you make supports racism. I applaud any peaceful protest that supports equality and highlights what is wrong in this world. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a park, your own front room or a football pitch. The message is about kindness. Helping people who are treated less favourably than themselves.
@2thFairy: ha! Well your comment is hardly about kindness. You’ve effectively called me an enabler of racism simply by finding the kind of political theatre that warms your cockles distasteful. If you want to help people who are treated less favourably than yourself, go out and help them. Stop applauding and go out and do something. But don’t turn sport into a canvass for your politics and stop pretending you are more virtuous than people you don’t share your particular view of things.
@Squarepeg01: it appears I’ve rattled your cage. I do my bit, albeit a very tiny bit in the greater scheme of things, so don’t be too judgmental of my virtue. I detest racism in all forms and will always speak out against it. Society is very angry at the moment and hatred is on the increase so why anyone would want to start a crusade to actually try and prevent a very short, peaceful visual is beyond comprehension.
@Squarepeg01: applauding bad, booing good? That you think Kaepernick was protesting the national anthem tells us all enough about where you’re coming from without even looking at the “abasing” comment.
@EM: the background is the radical left’s attempt to downplay the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, and instead portray 1619 as the true founding of America when slaves were first brought to the New World and oppressed from then until today. This, in an attempt to spin the history of the West in general and the US in particular as uniquely evil civilisations, when the fact is, in spite of their flaws, they still offer more freedom and opportunity than any civilisations in history. I can only guess what you think Mr Karpernick’s protest was really about.
@2thFairy: ..and by the same token please don’t be so judgemental of mine. I find holier than thou antics like the one you tried on with me to be pretty low tactics that lead straight to the cancel culture that is sucking the life out of so much public debate at the moment. If you have a point to make, make it and move on. And yes, society is angry for many reasons and a lot of them are illegitimate. Black people are not being oppressed, either in Europe or the US where this whole knee-taking movement started.
@Squarepeg01: the issue is that an opposing argument these days is not considered on merit only viewed as affirming or detracting. For a point to be of value in this climate it must bolster an emotional/fashionable/profitable idealogue. If the readers ego is not bolstered the all. Substance is ignored and the usual terms of ist or phobe etc are used as trump cards.
A few overpaid footballers isnt going to stop racism.
@Munster1: actually what happened in South Africa in the 1980s indicates otherwise
@Munster1: who said it would? Hardly means they should just ignore though, does it?
@Brendan Cooney: you should really read a little about who and what actually brought an end to the SA problem. That statement you made is beyond ignorant and pretty disrespectful.
Well done to the Hungarian supporters for calling out this kneeling nonsense by overpaid, over rated virtue signalling prima donnas
@Slafella: nah, they were just being predictably racist.
@Graham Manning: nah, when everybody you disagree with is a racist, it just cheapens the term.
I thought there were positive signs in that performance. I’d of preferred Kenny to start Manning ahead of McClean. James is on his last legs for me and we need to see some nee blood out on the left. Cullen and Knight could be in that midfield for years to come. Molumby needs to progress quicker and he’s be in there as well. We are crying out for an outstanding creative player. Someone with just pure creative talent, not sure he’s out there tho. Troy was a little lost and Idah is out of his depth. Is Keano’s kid old enough to play yet :-)
@Ultimate FM: ‘Crying out’? Well cry no more, you obviously need me to send you a betamax copy of me bossing the top half of the astro for my 5-aside team. I don’t even celebrate my hatricks anymore, I’m all about the assists for me, I celebrate those with the old Sharpy Shuffle or Ravinelli! Regularly record 5 or 6 a game. Granted covid might see me return with a loss of 5 or 6 yards of pace, though I never really relied on my pace. It was more my wand of a right foot and ability to hold and shield the ball with my big hole so if anything lockdown will have aided that, I just hope I can get the socks up over my fat knees! Shoot on your address and I’ll post you a copy!
@This time its personable!: Cry no more…. Sounds like we’ve found our savior ?!
@Ultimate FM: agreed on Idah for sure.. Havent seen anything from him in a Senior green Jersey so far that would ear mark him as future #9.
@Ultimate FM: glad you talked about the match lol
Players don’t get it, the very people they wanna stop racially abusing are loving this, they see ads about racism or players taking the knee and its like fuel to the fire. To these people the world is too PC, they think the odd racial remarks online or a sexist comment about say women’s sport or players is just “banter”, so they continue to push back and rally others. You wanna stop this, hit them where it hurts, their precious teams either at club or international level. Bring in threats of stadium closures for big games, points deductions or expulsion from big tournaments, and the tune will change fast, cos other fans will have to step in them and stop these people.
@Michael Healy: how much football money comes from sweatshop based companies’ merchandise or sponsorship deals? Can a Nike backed player honestly complain about any kind of injustice without appearing hypocritical in the extreme while contributing to the very oppression they are busy complaining about. Forget taking the knee. Drop the sponsor and see what this might do.
@alan: I agree the hypocrisy is strong in football, the whine about the European super league and its money, yet the TV companies have helped divide football football even more financially, they do social media blackouts yet won’t spend even a fraction of the money on stopping online abuse as they do on stopping illegal streams to protect their billion euro investment…People can’t understand football is a business and entertainment industry before sport, so morals and the rest have gone out the window years ago
@Michael Healy: agree totally. Taking the knee brings these contradictions into sharp focus. I’d much rather people argued about this contradictions rather than about whether it is right or wrong to take the knee which, in the context you are talking about, is little more than a distraction from the real underlying problems.
@alan: ✔
Im not racist but this kneeling stuff is cringe annoying making things worse
Bazunu gets the nod over Kelleher. Seriously. I wouldn’t have thought so. Kelleher looks to me to be the real deal. He has to Ireland’s no.1 for the next few years. He is outstanding.
Until Ireland get some soccer players ( a team full of immigrants will do) that have learned how to hold onto the ball against even moderate opposition like Hungary and score the odd goal (a boring draw is not a victory) I find watching Eastenders more entertaining than watching Ireland try to play soccer.
@Richard Mccarthy: I think football in general has alot more boring matches than entertaining ones these days
A country that repeatedly elected Urban is racist as hell??? What a shock.
Thought Knight had a great 2nd half
Bit of a one sided take on the booing. Maybe the Hungarian fans just have less tolerance for B S.