Tiarnán O’Donnell

About Tiarnán

The story so far.

At just 26, Tiarnán O’Donnell from Limerick has established himself as one of Ireland’s most versatile para-athletes. Currently training at the National Rowing Centre’s high-performance facility, the PR2-class competitor began his competitive sporting journey on the basketball court, becoming one of Ireland’s top wheelchair basketball players. With the Limerick Celtics, he secured multiple national titles, earned National Player of the Year and European All-Star honours, and captained the Irish U23 team to a podium finish at the 2023 European Championships in Finland.

Transitioning to rowing through the NextGen programme, Tiarnán quickly earned selection for the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. That year, he also claimed silver in the PR2 Single Sculls at the World Rowing Cups in Lucerne and Poznan. In 2025, he achieved his first international gold in the PR2 Men’s Single Sculls at World Rowing Cup I in Varese, followed by a bronze in the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls in Lucerne.

Beyond sport, Tiarnán is passionate about community and inclusion — hosting storytelling events nationwide with hundreds attending each, and being recognised by the University of Limerick for improving campus accessibility while serving on Student Council.