Gary O'Donovan said the feats of his Skibbereen clubmates inspired him and his brother Paul to their European Championships silver after an incredible morning on the waters of the Czech Republic.

Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan set the tone by capturing gold in their lightweight pair's final, quickly followed up by a silver medal for Denise Walsh in the lightweight women's single sculls.

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After that it was over to the O'Donovans, who wrapped up a sensational Irish performance with a dogged second place in the lightweight men's double sculls that completed a Skibbereen Rowing Club hat-trick.

"That was a good race. We feel good," Gary O'Donovan told RTÉ Sport afterwards.

"We saw Shane and Mark win and that was incredible. We won last year and we know what it feels like for them so it was amazing. Then we watched Denise win the silver and it was incredible. I don't think anyone expected her to do that well; she was unbelievable. 

"We were on a training camp last week in Italy and Aoife (Casey) from Skibbereen and Margaret (Cremen) from Lee got a silver medal at the Junior Europeans and that lifted the spirits no end.

"We were buzzing around the training camp like children... jumping for joy. The team is so good. To have four European medals in the last two weeks going to Skibbereen is just something else.

"You don't get that too often in Ireland."

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Earlier O'Driscoll shared his elation at taking the gold thanks to a brilliantly timed display alongside Mark O'Donovan.

"In the warm-up we'd a practice start and Mark wasn't too happy with my aggression, he was like, 'by God you better up that aggression off the start'," he revealed.

"I made sure I was concentrating on the first six strokes, get out nice and hard with aggression and that hunger. I think that set us up nicely. 

"The drop of whiskey they gave us before the race I threw up just now!"

Walsh meanwhile put her incredible performance down to her lucky socks, bought on St Patrick's Day: "I bought a five-pack in Penney's on Paddy's Day. I wore ones in Belgrade and one today!"

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