Latest news with #FionaMurtagh
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Fiona Murtagh named Sportswoman of the Month for June
The Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman Award for June: Fiona Murtagh (Rowing) Such has been Dominic Casey's record of coaching success in Irish rowing, Fiona Murtagh had long since learned to trust his judgement. But that trust wobbled a bit at the beginning of the year when he suggested that she go solo. 'I was like, 'what?'', she says. For a woman who had always been used to company in a boat, like when she won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics with Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe and Aifric Keogh , or when she competed with Keogh in the pair at the Paris Games, it took some persuading that this was the right move for her. But come the first day of June, she was standing on the podium in Bulgaria with a European Championship silver medal draped around her neck after her first ever single sculls final at elite level. And come June 29th she was at it again, adding another silver to her collection at the World Cup in Lucerne. The moral of the story? Never, ever doubt Dominic. READ MORE 'Exactly,' she says with a laugh. 'He's so funny, he's very firm but he's subtle at the same time. But he was very, very firm on me being in the single right from the beginning of the year. And everyone trusts him so much – when he has an idea, a vision, he'll see it through and nine times out of 10 it's gonna work. He has the results to prove it, for sure.' 'It was daunting at first, I was really outside my comfort zone and I had a lot of learning to do, but knowing that Dominic had confidence in me brought the confidence out of myself. I didn't know how it was going to go, but I was like, 'why can't it go well?'' As it proved, it was just the kind of fresh challenge that Murtagh needed after she was left floored by the disappointment of Paris when she and Keogh failed to qualify for the final. Keogh, as planned, retired after those Games, but Murtagh, who turned 30 on Friday, didn't know what to do with herself. She was, she says, 'lost'. Fiona Murtagh with family and friends after she won silver at last month's World Rowing Cup in Lucerne. Photograph: Benedict Tufnell/Sportsfile 'That was a very difficult spell,' says the Galwegian. 'So this was just the refreshing thing I really needed to happen. It was an exciting feeling, it had a newness to it. I'm about to enter my third Olympic cycle but everything feels fresh. And yeah, I needed to feel like that again. I've been training high performance full-time for six or seven years, but I was feeling like a first-timer almost. And that felt both nerve-racking and exciting.' But how did it feel going from being a team player to a solo artist? 'Honestly, the only time I'm ever on my own is when I'm on the water. The rest of the time I'm surrounded by such a good group of people at the [national rowing] centre. There's a real closeness, it's like family, everyone goes out of their way to make you feel like you're part of a team, no matter the boat you're in.' 'But yeah, I've always been used to company in the boat, and I always took such pride in working for someone else, being part of a team. I never really thought about myself, I was doing it to help them, so this has been a complete shift – suddenly I'm just doing it for me. I've had to change my mindset, it's a vulnerable space. But I'm taking it in my stride.' And then there were the more technical challenges, not least going from only having one oar to worry about [sweep rowing] to being in charge of two [sculling]. 'And I always thought that I was closed in to sweep rowing. I limited myself, I never actually gave sculling a go. So this has really opened the sport up for me, there's so much more to it than I ever tried before. It's cool.' Ireland's rowing medallists from the 2021 Olympic Games on their arrival at Dublin Airport. From left: Emily Hegarty, Fiona Murtagh, Paul O'Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Aifric Keogh and Eimear Lambe. Photograph: Tom Honan for The Irish Times 'Still, I can remember how nervous I was going to the Europeans. Training was going really well, but you never know who's out there internationally when it's the first major event of a new Olympic cycle. Who has retired? Who is taking a break? Who's emerging? You just don't know until you're in it.' 'I was unconfident off the blocks. I was jittery. Little things. The boat is so sensitive, it moves so differently to what I'm used to. And anything you do in it is reflected straight away. Some of those girls have been sculling all their lives, it's their bread and butter. This was a whole new world for me.' 'But I went there with the attitude 'I have nothing to lose, no one knows who I am', it was as much about learning as anything.' After winning her heat and semi-final, though, her confidence grew. And just like in Lucerne at the end of the month, only Britain's Olympic gold medallist Lauren Henry finished ahead of her. 'I'm so competitive, I felt I should have been closer to Lauren, but in sport you can't take podiums for granted, they don't come around very often. I have to appreciate them, enjoy them while I have them.' 'The key for me was how much I learned. I know what was good and I know what needs work. Even in that one month, I improved my first k so much, but I'm still understanding my pace and that final sprint. That will come with time. What I do know, though, is that I'm a different athlete now than I was at the start of the year.' Murtagh is in action again this weekend at the Irish Championships in Cork. The chief focus for all our rowers, though, is September's World Championships in China. 'The last cycle has taught me not to think too far ahead. You can want something really badly, but that doesn't mean you're going to get it. But we're such a successful team across the board, we all know what it takes to win. We've created an environment where podiums are the target. If you do it, and you do it well, you're gonna get there.' Previous monthly winners – December : Ellen Walshe (Swimming); January : Hazel Finn (Basketball); February : Lara Gillespie (Cycling); March : Kate O'Connor and Sarah Healy (Athletics); April : Aoife Wafer (Rugby); May : Katie McCabe (Soccer).
The Irish Sun
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Fintan McCarthy gets one over on Paul O'Donovan as Olympic teammates race AGAINST each other at World Rowing Cup
IRELAND'S rowers scooped three medals at the World Rowing Cup yesterday. Fiona Murtagh, who Advertisement 3 Murtagh celebrates after finishing second in the Women's Single Scull Final A 3 Konan Pazzaia and Fintan McCarthy picked up where they left off from their bronze medal at the European Rowing Championships 3 They actually won ahead of fellow Irish duo Paul O'Donovan and Daire Lynch Favourite Lauren Henry from Britain was first while Frida Sanggaard Nielsen from Denmark claimed the bronze medal. In the men's double sculls A final, The Irish crews went head-to-head after coming through their semi-finals on Saturday. O'Donovan, racing against Olympic pal McCarthy, and Lynch finished the race in fifth. Advertisement Read more on Irish sport Meanwhile Sarah Lavin starred — but it was not enough for Team Ireland to seal a place in Division 1 of the European Athletics Team Championships. Lavin won her event in the women's 100m hurdles to pick up maximum points. And despite other strong performances from Nicola Tuthill, Cian McPhillips and the mixed 4x400m relay team, Ireland could only secure a fifth-placed finish. Their 349-point haul saw them come behind champions Belgium on 451.5. Advertisement Most read in Athletics Slovenia claimed 402.5 and Norway got 400. Turkey recorded 382. Sharlene Mawdsley shows off makeup before Zagreb race
The 42
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Silver medal for Murtagh while McCarthy and Pazzaia earn bronze at World Rowing Cup
IRELAND HAVE WON a silver and two bronze medals at the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland. The final day of racing saw strong performances from Irish crews across both A and B Finals. Highlights included Fiona Murtagh's silver in the Women's Single Sculls and a bronze for Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia in the Men's Double Sculls, adding to the bronze medal won by Sadhbh Ní Laoighre and Tiarnán O'Donnell in Saturday's PR3 Mixed Double Sculls. Advertisement Fiona Murtagh (University of Galway Boat Club) claimed the silver medal in the Women's Single Sculls with a time of 07:18.63. Murtagh held second place throughout the race, consistently pushing the pace. At the 1000 metre mark, she trailed race favourite Lauren Henry of Great Britain by just 0.3 seconds and kept the pressure on to the finish. Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen Rowing Club) and Konan Pazzaia (Queen's University Belfast Boat Club) secured a bronze medal in the Men's Double Sculls, finishing third with a time of 06:11.65. Just one second separated the top three crews in a thrilling A Final. The Irish double set a strong pace from the start and led the race up until the final 250 metres. Powerful sprint finishes from New Zealand and Serbia saw them take first and second place. Paul O'Donovan (Skibbereen Rowing Club) and Daire Lynch (UCD Boat Club) finished fifth in the Men's Double Sculls with a time of 06:16.18. The crew were in sixth place with 500 metres to go in a very tight race. A strong sprint finish in the final stretch saw them overtake the Individual Neutral Athletes crew to claim fifth overall. Mags Cremen (UCC Boat Club) and Zoe Hyde (Tralee RC) finished sixth in the B Final of the Women's Double Sculls with a time of 07:01.76. It was a closely contested race from the start, with less than two seconds separating Ireland from the leading crew at the 1500-metre mark. Switzerland, the home favourites, went on to take the win in the B Final. The Women's Four of Claire Feerick (Neptune Rowing Club / Oxford Brookes), Natalie Long (Lee Valley Rowing Club), Aisling Hayes (Skibbereen Rowing Club), and Imogen Magner (Lee Valley Rowing Club) finished third in the B Final with a time of 06:41.23. In the final 200 metres, the crew made a strong push, closing the gap on Canada to less than a second at the line. The Men's Quadruple Sculls crew of Andrew Sheehan (UCC Rowing Club), Adam Murphy (UCC Rowing Club), Ronan Byrne (Shandon Boat Club), and Brian Colsh (University of Galway Boat Club) finished second in the B Final with a time of 05:50.78. Ireland sat in third at the 1000-metre mark but moved past home favourites Switzerland by 1500 metres to take second place. A sprint finish brought them within just 0.3 seconds of the winning crew from Czechia.
The Irish Sun
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Irish rower Fiona Murtagh hails coach for talking her into ‘new era I never foresaw' after bitter Olympics heartbreak
FIONA MURTAGH knew after her Paris woe that she needed some time alone — she just never expected it to be in a boat. The 29-year-old is in Lucerne this weekend for the World Rowing Cup as one to beat after 2 Rower Fiona Murtagh poses for a portrait during an OFI Media Conference Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile 2 Fiona Murtagh in action during the Women's Single Sculls A Final at the 2025 European Rowing Championships Credit: Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile Murtagh — who won her heat yesterday to qualify for the semi-final in Switzerland — claimed Olympic bronze as part of the coxless fours in Tokyo but is now bringing home precious metals in the single sculls. She told SunSport: 'It's a new chapter that I never foresaw. I didn't see it happening. I used to actively avoid being in a single. 'If they ever asked if I'd like to go out in a single, I would say 'No!' ' And it was never an ambition of hers either — despite watching former Irish world champion Sanita Puspure shine on the biggest stage. Read More on Olympics She said: 'It was just never a strength of mine. I'd look at Sanita and it would be, 'Fair play girl! But not for me!' And now, here we are. It's funny how things work out.' The agony of the The pair went to Vaires-sur-Marne among the favourites having medalled in every event in the build-up. But their form simply deserted them on the day. Most read in Other Sports Murtagh said: 'It was just massively disappointing, especially after having such a good season going into it. 'We were going from strength to strength and it just didn't happen. We don't know why it didn't happen.' I worked late shifts at a Land Rover factory but hated it so much it inspired my Olympic dream, says Galal Yafai next . And getting back in the water was not appealing to the Galwegian. But Rowing Ireland head coach Dominic Casey had different ideas and reckoned the solitude of a solo rower was what Murtagh needed. Murtagh explained: 'It was difficult post-Paris. But I'm thankful to my support network, the girls, my family and the people around me who brought me through it. 'After two Olympic cycles, I just felt so tired and I didn't know what to do with it anymore, or what I could give. 'But I have to credit Dominic for giving me the space , being incredibly patient and staying firm. 'I asked to get out of the single and he was, 'No, you're sticking to it'. He could see it. 'He had the vision and could see it long before I did.' 'HARDEST PART' And it meant a lot of solitude. Murtagh was not used to being in a boat on her own at the National Rowing Centre in Farran, Co Cork . She said: 'That was the hardest part of it, doing the session on your own. Even if there was someone else on the water, a faster boat, or some of the lads, anyone . . . doing intensity sessions completely solo at 7am, you're like, 'What am I doing?' 'It was like a vulnerable space. I didn't want to do it because I didn't think I had the skills to be honest. 'But I needed to come face to face with how I am as an athlete and what am I good at, what do I need to improve on and how can I improve that? 'Being in the single helped answer those questions.' The evidence was soon there as the competitiveness that was always in her came to the fore. The rookie single sculler quickly proved she is one of the best in Europe . 'We may not be rowing together but we're still in tandem!' She said: 'I didn't know what I was going to do after Paris and I didn't expect the single to be the answer to it. But I'm glad that it was. 'I'm really enjoying the journey of it all and it's just giving me that new freshness. 'It's feels almost like day one. I'm competitive anyway. 'Even if I go in saying, 'I'll see what it's like', I'll quickly be like, 'I want a medal'. 'It was great, even at the Europeans, but there is so much that I can still grow.' And while she is now alone in a boat, it is very different on dry land. Her Tokyo WhatsApp group is still going strong with support for her new solo pursuit. And her Paris partner Keogh is seen as much as if they were still on the water together. Murtagh said: 'I've started working in JP Morgan — there is an athletes programme through Sport Ireland. 'Aifric is there too. We haven't left each other's lives. 'Even the day I was at the Europeans and won silver, Aifric did the women's mini marathon and had her medal from the 10k. 'We Facetimed after I was on the podium so I'm there with my silver medal around my neck from the Europeans and she had her medal. 'We may not be rowing together but we're still in tandem!'
Irish Examiner
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Murtagh wins silver while McCarthy and Pazzaia claim bronze at the European Rowing Championships
Fiona Murtagh has won silver in the Women's Single Sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria with Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia claiming bronze in the A final of the Men's Double Sculls. Murtagh claimed silver in a time of 7:21.11 in mixed conditions with a headwind at the start and a tailwind over the final 600 metres. She showed composure and consistency to almost match her heat time exactly. McCarthy and Pazzaia won Ireland's first medal of the regatta when the duo secured broze in the Men's Double Sculls. The pair were in medal contention throughout the race holding off a strong challenge in what was a tightly contested race. This marks McCarthy's first international medal in an openweight boat and it is a first senior championship medal for Pazzaia. Jake McCarthy finished fourth in the A final of the Lightweight Men's Single Sculls and closed with the fastest 500m of the race in a time of 7:01.45. In the A final of the Lightweight Women's Single Sculls Izzy Clements finished fourth on her senior debut which was an excellent result after holding a top three position for much of the race. Mags Cremin and Zoe Hyde finished fourth in their A final of the Women's Double Sculls posting a time of 6:55.73 which was just 3.77 seconds off a podium finish in what was a fast and competitive race. The newly formed crew of Claire Feerick, Natalie Long, Aisling Hayes and Alison Bergin finished fourth in the B final of the Women's Quadruple Sculls with a time of 6:28.50 weehich was a significant improvement from their heat. The Men's Quadruple Sculls of Andrew Sheehan, Adam Murphy, Ronan Byrne and Philip Doyle finished fifth in their B final delivering an assured and consistent campaign. Ross Corrigan and Daire Lynch finished third in their B final in the Men's pair with a time of 6:26.50. Michelle Carpenter, CEO of Rowing Ireland, was delighted with the team's performance. "It was an honour to be on the ground in Plovdiv supporting our athletes at the 2025 European Rowing Championships. Across the board, we saw determination, resilience, and world-class performances from our crews. Fiona Murtagh's silver medal today in the Women's Single Sculls was a standout moment, as was the superb bronze from Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia in the Men's Double Sculls yesterday." "To come away from the European Championships with two medals, five A Final appearances, and encouraging performances from newly formed crews and systems, under the guidance of world-renowned coach Dominic Casey, is a testament to the strength and depth of our High Performance Programme. I'm immensely proud of our athletes, coaches, and support staff. These results reflect the hard work and commitment that takes place every day behind the scenes. A sincere thank you to our clubs, partners, and supporters who continue to play such an important role in our journey."
