Rowing World Championships: Northern Ireland celebrate continued rowing success in Belgrade

“I wanted to win the medal to make sure I wasn’t left out and their efforts spurred me on,” said Banbridge’s Doyle.

“It puts me under pressure that I don’t want to be the one Northern Irish rower who doesn’t end up on the podium.

“It’s kind of like a pressure cooker. Every Northern Irish rower here for either Ireland or Great Britain, qualified for the Olympics in their category,” he explained.

“If you asked me how many a few years ago, it was maybe one or two of us. Every year we’re pushing higher and higher.

“For only six counties to be performing so well across two different nations, it’s just spectacular and we all want to see each other do well. There is heartbreak when we don’t win the golds, but it is great to see the podium finishes from all of us.”

Doyle’s Irish team mates Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan played Gaelic Games when they were younger.

Corrigan was a footballer at Kinawley while Timoney enjoyed hurling but they were bitten by the rowing bug under the guidance and coaching of two former Irish Olympians Ian Kennedy (1976 Montreal, 1980 Moscow) and Derek Holland (1996 Atlanta) at Enniskillen Royal Boat Club.

Now, after only being together in a pair for three months, they not only qualified for the Olympics but won a World bronze medal.

Corrigan went to Queen’s University in Belfast where he met Rebecca Edwards, who took up the sport at university, although Doyle is taking credit for the Fermanagh man.

“I take responsibility for Ross Corrigan’s legacy. I was on the bike in Queens and this young pup came along with curly hair, and he was like, ‘hello, how are you? I’m Ross Corrigan’ and I was like, ‘how are you?’

“Then for the next couple of years we just became best friends. We live together now in Cork and anything he does I have to do the same or better, so we push each other.”

He added: “I take responsibility for him and he takes responsibility for me and we keep each other honest. We have the hard talks through the year.

“It’s great to see them perform so well and for me, to be able to match that performance, was amazing.”