Paris 2024: Fermanagh rowers share 'ultimate goal' of Olympic qualification

Ireland’s John Kearney, Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney and Jack Dorney at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Czech Republic

Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan have been rowing together since their school days at Portora Royal Grammar School.

They are both County Fermanagh born and bred, proud members of Enniskillen Royal Boat Club, undergraduates at Queen's University, Belfast and now with ambitions of representing Ireland at the Paris Olympics.

"I've known Ross since I first joined the boat club. He was in a group a year or two older than me and I remember looking up to him because his group was excelling," said Nathan.

"I wanted to be at that level. Since then, we've trained together, we've raced together, we've won Irish titles together and finally to be on the world stage racing together is truly something special," explained 23-year-old Timoney.

Both men played gaelic games when they were younger. Corrigan was a footballer at Kinawley while Timoney enjoyed hurling, but they were bitten by the rowing bug under the guidance and coaching of Olympians Ian Kennedy (1976 Montreal, 1980 Moscow) and Derek Holland (1996 Atlanta) at Enniskillen.

Corrigan, a year older than Timoney, added, "Looking back on it, it is a bit mad. It is amazing how far you can come along in such a short period of time. It is special, we did so much together growing up as juniors and then we had a bit of time apart before Nathan came to Queens and then back into the Rowing Ireland system."

"To be where we are now is exciting and it's really special for Enniskillen Royal Boat Club as well because everyone at home can see two lads from Fermanagh and they used to train where we're training now, and the young lads are buzzing about that and without thinking about it you're giving them a reason to push on."

In recent years both Corrigan and Timoney have won medals at the World Under-23 Championships in the men's four, Corrigan a silver in 2021 and Timoney a bronze 12 months later.

They made their senior debut for Ireland at last year's World Championships as part of a heavyweight four that finished eighth.

At the European Championships in April, they slipped to 10th place. Following testing and a reshuffle it was decided to send a men's pair to the third World Cup in Lucerne last month. The Fermanagh duo earned the opportunity to prove themselves.

En route to reaching the A Final on their debut in the boat, they beat World and Olympic medallists and eventually finished sixth.

"I felt like our expectations changed as the weekend went on. We were definitely looking to make the A Final, that was our goal but then after you get a few races under your belt, and you do well then suddenly we're thinking could we get a medal.

"So, it was exciting to reach our first senior final as a new pair combination and to do so well straight away," said Corrigan.

"We knew we were fast but we didn't know how fast in comparison to the world and you're up against world champions and Olympic medallists so we went in as the underdogs, no one expected anything from us and to make the A Final was the dream target. It was a test for us to see how we would do up against the world and we passed it and we're now excited to see what we can do.

Ireland's Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Czech Republic

This may be a partnership forged in friendship but its foundation is honesty and that should stand them in good stead as they prepare for this year's World Championships in Belgrade at the start of September when Olympic qualification for Paris will be on the line.

Timoney added: "Growing up together for the past eight years, people say we're like brothers. But like brothers you're always going to have your momentary disputes in the boat but that's one of our strongest bonds and makes us quite compatible.

"I'm not afraid to be brutally honest with Ross and vice versa. I can say to Ross if I think he needs to make a change in the boat and likewise he can tell me the same thing because we both know that our common goal is to make the boat go faster and thankfully it has been going well."

They might be the new kids on the block in the Irish squad that includes Olympic champions Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan and the bronze medal winning women's four from Tokyo as well as World medallist Philip Doyle from Banbridge, but they are now within touching distance of achieving their own dreams.

Timoney said, "If you could ask my 18-year-old self if he was capable of qualifying for the Olympics he would have told you it was unrealistic because when I started rowing I knew nothing about it, how hard the training was or anything but when the O'Donovan brothers won that silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 suddenly it didn't seem so impossible.

It's been a dream for as long as I can remember, for all of us. That's why we do this, it's the ultimate goal."