Six Irish crews will compete for medals over the weekend at the European Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia.
Reigning European, World and Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy and new partner Hugh Moore were third in their lightweight double sculls semi-final, which was enough for a place in the A final.
McCarthy's usual partner in the boat Paul O'Donovan was back home being conferred with his medical degree but the new-look crew were just over four seconds behind winners Switzerland and two clear of fourth-placed Spain to take the last spot in the decider.
Congratulations to Paul O'Donovan on finishing his medical studies and graduating from UCC! https://t.co/KqHPhLP0W4
— Rowing Ireland (@RowingIreland) May 26, 2023
The duo's time of 6:18.31 was eight and half seconds faster than in Thursday's heats.
Their final takes place at 1.13pm Saturday (live on the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player)
The Ireland's women's four also secured their place in the A final after finishing third in this morning's repechage
The Irish team took bronze in the event at Tokyo 2020, with Olympic medallists Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe and Fiona Murtagh joined by Tara Hanlon, who replaced Emily Hegarty in the event last year.
They finished second in Thursday's heat behind Great Britain, with only the winners advancing to the final.
However, the Irish quartet have booked their spot in Saturday's final (11.22am) with a third-placed finish in the repechage.
Galway's Siobhan McCrohan won her lightweight single sculls repechage this morning to seal her spot in the A final (10.01am Sunday).
McCrohan, who finished second in Thursday's heat, triumphed in this morning's repechage, finishing three seconds clear of Switzerland's Eline Rol.
Sanita Puspure and Zoe Hyde powered to victory in the women's double sculls repechage, securing passage to the A final (11.37am Sunday).
In Thursday's heat, the Dutch had proven their nemeses again, taking first spot, having pipped them to second in last September's world championships. Puspure and Hyde edged the French and British duo in this morning's repechage.
Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen are also through to the A final (12.57pm Saturday) in the lightweight women's double sculls, after placing second in this morning's repechage, two seconds behind the Greek pair of Dimitra Eleni Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou.
Steve McGowan and Katie O'Brien were fourth in the para-rowing mixed double sculls repechage and will contest the A final at 11.20am Sunday. The pair were almost 14 seconds faster than the heats in 8:21.90.
The men's four of Fionnan McQuillan-Tollan, Nathan Timoney, Ross Corrigan and John Kearney finished fourth in their repechage by just .07 of a second. and will take their place in the B final.
Women's pair duo Imogen Magner and Natalie Long will also enter the B final after finishing third in their repechage, behind the winning Croatian duo, with GB placing second.
Brian Colsh was fourth of four in the men's single sculls repechage and then came second in the C/D semi-final to advance to Sunday's final.
Watch the European Rowing Championships with RTÉ Sport on Saturday from 10.30am on the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player. Coverage on Sunday begins from 9.30am also on the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player
