Niall O’Brien is still celebrating having returned home from Slovenia, where the Carlow rower won gold at the World Rowing Masters Regatta, dominating the single scull on his way to victory at the picturesque Lake Bled, not far from the Austrian border.
“I’ve been rowing all my life,” O’Brien told The Nationalist. “I come from a family of boatbuilders; my grandparents and my uncle in Kerry, they were all boatbuilders; so, I was literally born into it. I’ve been rowing as long as I can remember. I’m 60 now and my first and earliest memories are being in boats. I was literally born to row.”
The Graiguecullen native enjoyed his time at the Masters and savoured every moment of his victory, despite the challenging weather conditions.
“I have to say, the weather was atrocious. Lake Bled is a beautiful venue – I’ve raced there before; it’s very scenic; very, very beautiful part of the world. But the weather conditions this year were particularly diabolical. It just rained – heavy rain – continuously for three or four days.
“The race then was tight all the way down. I had raced the day before and didn’t feel too good, but the day I raced my own event, it was just fantastic. The boat just went well from the start.
“Halfway down, I had a half-a-boat-length lead. I just went for a push out then and got a about a boat-length lead and I just raced it home from there. It was a good win. It was a hard race. I probably made it look a bit easier than it was, because it was tough.
“There’s no medals handed out over there; you don’t get medals for free at the World Masters. The standard is ridiculous.”
O’Brien stressed the scale of the victory, explaining, “I raced in a two-man event as well with Anthony Dooley there from Carlow, Dooley Motors; I raced with him in a double and we were second in our event, which was fantastic too. But they don’t award gold, silver and bronze – it’s winners only at the Masters.” Gold in Slovenia was nothing new for 60-year-old, but rather the latest accolade in career awash with glory. “I’ve won international events a number of times,” he told us.
“I’ve represented Ireland at international events, and I’ve won in a green jersey a couple of times as well. Never made the Olympics – I made the Olympic team and they didn’t send it – which hurt. That was a long time ago; that was 1988, at the Seoul Olympics.
“I’ve had a great career. Once I turned masters, or what we call a veteran, I’ve raced all over the world at masters; I’ve won the World Masters seven times previously, so this is not my first one. I’ve won British Championships, I’ve won Henley Championships, I’ve won the Irish Championships a number of times in different grades age grades all the way up along.
“But every, single one is special. This was ten years since I won the last one – my last (gold medal) was 2016 in Copenhagen.”
Carlow rower Niall O’Brien, along with his son Ross, celebrates winning Gold at the World Regatta Masters in Slovenia.
O’Brien paid tribute to those who have helped him to his latest gold medal. “Kevin Kelly Pharmacy in town – Kevin Kelly is an absolute gentleman, and he was great to help me with supplements, and when I was injured, there was things I could take for training. He was brilliant,” he said.
“And then to be honest with you, half my medal should go to my physio, Leah Mullen. She does a lot of GAA stuff; she’s an absolute genius. You’re training six to seven days a week and I was in trouble a number of times in the lead up with my knees and various injuries in the lead up to it, and she kept me going.
“And then my son, Ross, he went (to Slovenia) with me, he was brilliant. And it was special, because the last time I won the World Masters in Copenhagen in 2016, Ross was with me that day too. So, it was great to have him there again.”