A former Olympic Games bronze medallist has made a sensational start to a new discipline on the water.

For Galway’s Fiona Murtagh made light of her inexperience as a singles sculler at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria over the weekend.

The 29-year-old produced a stunning performance to claim the silver medal behind hot favourite, Great Britan’s Laurn Henry, in the final on Sunday.

Having won her semi-final decisively on Friday, hopes were high in the Irish camp that Murtagh would secure a medal against Europe’s elite.

And the Moycullen native rose to the occasion in magnificent style, the only one of the finalists to give Henry a race in finishing just over three seconds behind.

A winner of an Olympic bronze medal in the coxless fours at the Tokyo Games in 2020 when fellow Galway rower Aifric Keogh was among the crew, Murtagh has taking to the singles like a duck to water.

“First singles final, it’s been a long year – a tough year,” she said afterwards. “Really special, nice to be able to bring home a medal. An exciting season ahead.

“Throughout the regatta, I’ve gained so much confidence. The single is really a confidence boat. I had to back myself for the first 20 strokes and be really confident at the front and at the finish.

“It got hard through the one kilometre mark, but I could see the field spreading out a little bit. Once I saw those red buoys I was like, ‘there’s nothing left, empty it’, so I’m happy with what I’ve done.

“But I’ve so much to learn still. Some of those girls are new to the field but a lot of them are quite experienced so this is my first step on the ladder. I’ve such a long way to go.”

Murtagh also paid credit to Team Ireland: “Shout out to my teammates, they’re so good. They’ve supported me so much throughout the year.

“Even today, some of the girls were with me at breakfast, they were with me in the tent – I never felt alone even though I’m out there in the water on my own.”

It was Murtagh’s first time competing at elite level in the singles and she credited Ireland lead coach Dominic Casey for helping her to make the switch. “He had a vision, for a long time, of this. He saw it well before I could. He’s been great.

“It’s incredibly exciting, going from sweep rowing [where each rower holds just one oar] into the single. It’s a big move. I’m a sweep girl at heart! The single has never been a strength of mine. To be able to make it a strength is something I’m really proud of.”

Murtagh’s silver medal was Ireland’s only second podium finish of the European Championships after Fintan McCarthy and Konan Pazzaia captured bronze in the double sculls on Saturday.

Pictured: Galway’s Fiona Murtagh celebrates after winning a silver medal in the Women’s Single Sculls A Final at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on Sunday.