North-south core to team

ROWING: The emerging Irish rowing team for the World Championships in Milan in three weeks' time shows a distinctly Munster-Ulster emphasis, writes Liam Gorman.

Limerick's Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey from Fermoy in Cork have been selected to represent the country as a lightweight double.

And while the other relevant Olympic category for men, the lightweight four, has yet to be finalised, the four in pole position are Paul Griffin from Killarney, Tim Harnedy and Eugene Coakley from Skibbereen and Richard Archibald from Coleraine.

Dubliner Niall O'Toole was unable to trial during the week because of illness, and he is due to do an ergometer test on Wednesday. If it goes well the experienced Commercial oarsman, who has done well in seat racing this year, will join the squad in Hazewinkel in Belgium and will be in the mix for the four.

The women's lightweight double, another Olympic crew, could not be finalised this week either.

Sinéad Jennings has been suffering from tendinitis, but the Donegal woman is likely to be part of the crew, partnered by Galway's Heather Boyle or Fiola Foley from Killorglin in Kerry.

If the men's four is not redrawn, the presence of two Skibbereen men in a national crew at this level would be an extraordinary achievement for a club with a relatively small pool from which to draw.

Such success is never entirely down to one person, but Dominic Casey, a quiet-spoken coach who has produced remarkable results with juniors, must be given great credit.

Harnedy is only 20 - he turns 21 this day week - but like Coakley he is the product of Casey's system, which has produced a string of internationals in recent years.

One of the youngest and most promising of these is Orla Hayes, who competes for Ireland in the Coupe de la Jeunesse, a European Junior Championship, in Hazewinkel this weekend. The diminutive Hayes still has a year left as a junior.

Ireland will also have a men's pair and single scull and a women's four in action at the championships.