Donegal Olympic finalist Sinead Jennings has paid tribute to one of Ireland’s brightest future hopes in world rowing who tragically passed away six days after sustaining critical head injuries in a fall.
Ailish Sheehan fell just hours after winning a Bronze medal at the FISU World University Rowing Championship, in Poznan, Poland.
Ailish, 23, from Kildimo, Co Limerick, suffered catastrophic injuries after she slipped and fell while out celebrating her victory with friends.
Last Sunday, Ailish and the rest of her team mates, Rebecca Edwards, Annie Withers, and Gillian Cooper, came third for Great Britain in the Women’s Senior Coxed Fours.
Having secured dual citizenship, the rising sports star had rowed for both Ireland and England.
Today, Irish Olympian, Sinead Jennings, a former team mate of Sheehan’s described the Limerick athlete as “one of the most talented I’ve ever met”.
Sinead, from Hawthorn Heights in Letterkenny, said: “It’s absolutely awful. I rowed with Ailish in 2013 when we won the senior (pairs) together. She is an amazing girl. She was so bright and so full of life and energetic.”
“I think we are all in shock – we can’t believe it has happened really, at all. She had such a future ahead of her. She was such a lovely girl,” she added.
“To think she was just out celebrating, as anybody would be, after winning the bronze medal. It just shouldn’t have happened.”
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