Age: 26
Hometown: Limerick
Club: Lee Rowing Club
Disability: Right leg amputee
Sport Class: PR2
Tiarnán, though a relative newcomer to rowing, has already demonstrated remarkable potential. A Limerick native, he first gained recognition as one of Ireland’s top wheelchair basketball players. Over the years, he has secured multiple national titles and cups with his local team, the Limerick Celtics, and has earned accolades including national Player of the Year and European All-Star awards. In 2023, he captained the Irish U23 Wheelchair Basketball team to a medal podium finish in Finland.
He transitioned to rowing through the PTSB NextGen programme and moved to Cork to base himself closer to the National Rowing Centre. His rapid progress and natural talent have earned him a place alongside Katie to compete in Paris in the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls.
In May, Tiarnán won his first international medal at the 2024 World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland in the PR2 single sculls. He followed that up by winning his second medal, another silver, at the 2024 World Rowing Cup III in Poznan again in the in the PR2 single sculls.
Tiarnán was diagnosed with a rare malformation in his right leg at the age of five. He underwent multiple surgeries throughout his childhood, but by his teenage years, his condition began to deteriorate rapidly. After consulting with doctors in the USA, he was re-diagnosed with a rare tumour called Fibro-Adipose Vascular Anomaly, making him just the sixteenth person in the world diagnosed with this condition.
In the summer before his Leaving Cert year, Tiarnán underwent an extremely risky procedure to remove a large portion of the tumour from his calf. Unfortunately, the surgery resulted in severe nerve damage, leaving his leg paralysed. He became critically ill during his Leaving Cert year due to the effects of the treatment, which led to the difficult decision to amputate his leg.
In 2018, Tiarnán moved to London for the amputation procedure, spending two weeks in hospital following the surgery before returning home to recover. Six weeks later, he flew back to London and began the challenging process of learning to walk again. It took 13 days of rigorous physiotherapy and gym work before he could successfully walk once more.
He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Limerick, where he was also awarded a sports scholarship in recognition of his athletic achievements.
He has a twin brother.
Schedule:
Day 2 – August 30th
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (heat) 9:30 – 12:50
Day 3 – August 31st
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (repechage) 9:30 – 11:50
Day 4 – September
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (final) 8:15 – 13:30
Instagram: tiarnan_98
LinkedIn: tiarnanodonnell
Paris Results:
Day 2 – August 30th
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (heat):
Day 3 – August 31st
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (repechage):
Day 4 – September
PR2 Mixed Double Sculls (final):
