With last year’s extremely successful high performance teams results- particularly in men’s sculling – now behind us, Rowing Ireland will be looking to create another HP squad to equal or maybe even overhaul the team from last year. With 76 scullers entered and plenty of big names involved, this is not a race worth missing. With that being said, let’s have a look at the strongest competitors for this year’s November High performance trial.
Evan O’Byrne – St Michaels Rowing Club
One of the most experienced entries this year will certainly be Evan O’Byrne. Having already represented the country twice at the World Championships, on top of his two National Championship wins last year, O’Byrne will be coming into these November trials confident and able to take the first step towards his third-year rowing with the high-performance squad. His recent commitment to Harvard University is one of many achievements that barely scratch the surface at showing how talented he really is. If O’Byrne can keep his cool at make it down the 3km course with no mishaps, he will almost certainly be returning for later trials in the year.
Mattias Cogan – Skibbereen Rowing Club
In his final year of Junior rowing, Mattias Cogan will also be looking to come back to the high-performance squad for the third year running. Having raced the U19 coxed four in 2024 and the U19 quad in 2025 at the World Rowing Championships with previously mentioned Evan O’Byrne, Mattias will be hoping to put a seriously powerful piece down in the single scull this Saturday. Known around the country for his terrifying speed and power on the erg and water, Cogan will certainly be the one to beat for many. Having broken practically every junior ergometer record in Ireland last season, one can only imagine the momentum that Mattias will be bringing into this one, which easily makes him one of the top picks for these first trials in November.
Sam Wheeler O’Brien – Skibbereen Rowing Club
Having been one of the youngest ever to compete for Ireland last year at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in this very category, there is slim doubt that Sam Wheeler O’Brien is the future of Irish rowing. Coming off his impressive performance at Coupe and winning the J16 single scull as a J15 in last year’s National Championships, O’Brien will be looking to maybe go one better this year and claim himself a spot in the next trials, where he has the potential to make a World Championship squad.
Harry McCartney – Methodist Rowing Club
Harry McCartney will be the third returner from last year’s U19 quad at the World Championships to these trials, where he will be hoping to come back even stronger and faster than last year. Having achieved a gold medal at the Home Internationals in 2024 and a win in the B final of last years World Championships, McCartney has shown that he is capable and experienced enough to make it on to the next trials. If Harry can keep his cool and trust his training, there is no doubt that he will be returning later this season.
Prediction
I believe that the variety of talent in this draw is so vast that almost anyone could be a top pick but if I were to select one it would have to be Evan O’Byrne. He should be coming into these trials fuelled with confidence due to his recent commitment to Harvard and he has shown countless times that he can take the top spot. His two partners from last year, Cogan and McCartney, are surely not ones to rule out either and Sam Wheeler O’Brien could be a dark horse in these trials as he aims to go one better than last year.
