The Southern Star Sport Podcast

PAUL O'DONOVAN was recently awarded for his incredible 2024 with a monthly West Cork Sports Star award, and we took the time to catch up with him in a year that has gone pretty well, it's fair to say.

A second Olympic gold medal, a seventh World Rowing championship, starting work as a doctor – it's been a busy year.

Thousands flocked to see O'Donovan and the other Skibbereen rowers at a massive homecoming event at the start of September – on this week's podcast, he tells us about why he loves West Cork, what the local recognition means to him, and how 2024 hasn’t been a bad year overall.

We also cover a very busy weekend of county and local football, taking you through each grade as we get ready for relegation play-offs and quarter finals in a couple of weeks time.

All this and more on this week's Star Sport Podcast. Watch above. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, by using the player below or by searching 'Southern Star Sport Podcast' wherever you get yours.

Follow our hosts on Twitter: @dyldonot & @matt_hurley01

Produced by Dylan Mangan.

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The Star Sport Podcast is brought to you in association with Access Credit Union.

Access Credit Union - Where your bank really does matter. Choose the Credit Union, Choose Local, Choose Community.

For more visit www.accesscu.ie

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ON THIS week's podcast, former Cork footballer and Southern Star Sports columnist John Hayes previews the county premier SFC final between Castlehaven and Nemo Rangers, on Sunday in Supervalu Pairc Ui Chaoimh at 3.30pm.

The Haven are going for their second Andy Scannell Cup in a row and face a Nemo side chasing their first crown since 2022.

The sides battled it out in the final in 2023 too as the Haven won out by 0-11 to 0-9.

We discuss where the game could be won and lost, Castlehaven’s experience, kickouts and overall key aspects to the big game.

Hayes also gives his final prediction.

There are other divisional finals taking place too and we look back at the drawn Carbery junior AHC final between Ballinascarthy and Diarmuid O Mathunas (0-13 apiece).

The Carbery junior AFC final is on the horizon too as Kilmacabea, after their semi final win against St Mary’s last weekend, take on Mathunas on Saturday in Dunmanway at 7.30pm.

All this and more on this week's Star Sport Podcast. Watch above. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, by using the player below or by searching 'Southern Star Sport Podcast' wherever you get yours.

Follow our hosts on X: @matt_hurley01 and @seanholland_15

Produced by Matthew Hurley

***

The Star Sport Podcast is brought to you in association with Access Credit Union.

Access Credit Union - Where your bank really does matter. Choose Credit Union, Choose Local, Choose Community.

For more visit www.accesscu.ie

Subscribe to The Southern Star's digital edition for less than €2 per week via https://subscribe.southernstar.ie/plans

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ON THIS week's podcast, Tom Savage from Three Red Kings joins us to discuss the current state of play involving Jack Crowley.

The Bandon RFC graduate and Innishannon man has been in competition for the Irish number ten jersey for the past few weeks with Leinster players Ciaran Frawley and Sam Prendergast.

Crowley played 58 minutes against New Zealand and 62 minutes against Argentina in Ireland’s recent Autumn Internationals, scoring a combined 20 points, including a try against the South Americans.

Ireland scored no points in the time Crowley was off the pitch during the two games.

Savage talks to Kieran McCarthy about why Crowley has earned his right to retain his starting spot and his thoughts on the current form of the Irish team overall.

In other news, Cork camogie received eight All Stars this week too, including Courcey Rovers star Saoirse McCarthy.

Goleen are in junior B action against Ballinhassig and Beara U21s find themselves in a county final after they beat Valley Rovers.

All this and more on this week's Star Sport Podcast. Watch above. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, by using the player below or by searching 'Southern Star Sport Podcast' wherever you get yours.

Follow our hosts on X: @matt_hurley01 and @KieranMcC_SS

Produced by Matthew Hurley

***

The Star Sport Podcast is brought to you in association with Access Credit Union.

Access Credit Union - Where your bank really does matter. Choose Credit Union, Choose Local, Choose Community.

For more visit www.accesscu.ie

Subscribe to The Southern Star's digital edition for less than €2 per week via https://subscribe.southernstar.ie/plans

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PAUL O'Donovan might have chosen to take some time off after winning his third Olympic – and second gold – medal in Paris during the summer. He would have been well within his rights to rest, recover and let everything sink in.

Instead, he travelled to Canada just a couple of weeks later and won his seventh World Rowing title. He also started working as a doctor in the interim.

His recent achievements, along with his European and national titles got us thinking, at Star Sport HQ, is Paul O'Donovan the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time?

There are plenty of contenders to the title: Roy Keane, Katie Taylor, Henry Shefflin to name but a few.

O'Donovan has dominated a sport like no other Irish person has, and has raised the profile of a sport in a way perhaps only Katie Taylor can match.

We're obviously biased down here in West Cork, but spoke about why he just might be Ireland's greatest sportsperson of all time on this week's podcast.

All this and more on this week's Star Sport Podcast. Watch above. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, by using the player below or by searching 'Southern Star Sport Podcast' wherever you get yours.

Follow our hosts on Twitter: @dyldonot & @KieranMcC_SS

Produced by Dylan Mangan.

Paul O'Donovan's medal haul – the highlights

Olympics

Gold medal (Lightweight double sculls, Tokyo 2020)

Gold Medal (Lightweight double sculls, Paris 2024)

Silver medal (Lightweight double sculls, Rio de Janeiro 2016)

World Rowing

O'Donovan has seven World titles, four in the double (2018, ’19, ’22 and ’23) and now three in the single (2016, ’17 and ’24).

Olympic rowers' homecoming

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy will be joined by thousands of fans, who are expected to descend on Skibbereen this Sunday afternoon for the homecoming that

will celebrate the incredible exploits of Skibbereen Rowing Club’s Olympians at the Paris Games.

For the second Olympics in a row, four Skibb rowers – Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Emily Hegarty and Aoife Casey – flew the West Cork flag on the world stage, and again they wowed.

Olympic champs Paul and Fintan won back-to-back gold medals with their victory in the lightweight men’s double in Paris, Aoife finished fifth in the lightweight women’s double sculls and Tokyo bronze medallist Emily was part of the Irish women’s four that won the B final.

Since then, Paul has added a seventh World title to his collection with his latest success at the World Rowing Championships last weekend adding another reason to celebrate this Sunday.

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ON THIS week's podcast, Castlehaven captain Mark Collins joins us on the show after their 0-16 to 0-11 win over Nemo Rangers, winning their second county premier SFC title in a row.

They repeated the feat of 2012/2013, manager Seanie Cahalane captained the team 11 years ago and is now the winning manager.

The Haven were full value for their win after outscoring Nemo by 0-9 to 0-3 in the second half.

Collins talks about what the win means for the Haven, completing the two in a row and another possible Munster run.

Also on the show, we talk about the Carbery junior AFC final where Kilmacabea reigned supreme over Diarmuid O Mathunas, 1-12 to 1-4.

Mathunas have to go again for the divisional hurling decider this weekend as they face Ballinascarthy in a replay.

Goleen made headlines too with their junior B victory over Clann na Gael and having won the confined junior B county earlier in the year, they are on a role.

All this and more on this week's Star Sport Podcast. Watch above. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, by using the player below or by searching 'Southern Star Sport Podcast' wherever you get yours.

Follow our hosts on X: @matt_hurley01 and @seanholland_15

Produced by Matthew Hurley

***

The Star Sport Podcast is brought to you in association with Access Credit Union.

Access Credit Union - Where your bank really does matter. Choose Credit Union, Choose Local, Choose Community.

For more visit www.accesscu.ie

Subscribe to The Southern Star's digital edition for less than €2 per week via https://subscribe.southernstar.ie/plans

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.