Tipperary rower's passport for Paris Olympics officially confirmed

Confirmation of Daire Lynch's participation in the Olympic Games came with the announcement of the Irish rowing squad, with 16 athletes in seven boats representing Ireland.

The Clonmel rower will team up with Philip Doyle in the men's double scull in Paris. 

Last week the pair won gold in the third and final regatta of the World Cup series in Poland.

This was the latest in a long line of successes for 25-year-old Lynch. 

He and Philip Doyle finished third in last year's World Rowing Championships in the M2x and their bronze medal-winning performance qualified the boat for the Paris Olympics. The pair also finished fourth in the 2023 European Championships in Bled, Slovenia.

Daire won five Irish championships (four singles, one pair) and previously placed eighth at the Junior World Championship. He won gold at the 2020 European Under 23 Rowing Championships, alongside Ronan Byrne.

From the World Cup series event in Poland, Lynch and Doyle returned to the National Rowing Centre in Inniscarra, Cork for training before heading to Varese in Italy to complete their preparations for the Olympics, with the rowing events beginning on Saturday, July 27.

Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan are included in the Irish Olympics squad, as they attempt to win back-to-back gold medals in the men's lightweight double sculls.

Aifric Keogh and Fiona Murtagh, who won bronze as part of the women's coxless four at the last Olympics in Tokyo, will make up the women's pair team, while Eimear Lambe and Emily Hegarty will be joined by Natalie Long, Imogen Magner and Holly Davis (reserve) as they look for another medal in the women's four.

The qualification process for rowing at the Olympics involved crews winning quota spots for the nation at last year's World Championships, for the pairs and the doubles, and at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne this year for the fours.