Olympics dream comes through for Galway rowers Murtagh and Keogh
By Dara Bradley
TWO Conamara athletes are set to make waves in Tokyo this summer after becoming the first Galway women rowers to qualify for the Olympic Games.
Fiona Murtagh of Moycullen and Aifric Keogh of Na Forbacha secured tickets to Tokyo with a stunning performance in the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland on Sunday.
The Ireland women’s coxless fours team – including Eimear Lambe and Emily Hegarty – justified favouritism by cruising to victory in the ‘Regatta of Death’. China clinched the only other Olympic qualification spot, and Italy, in third, filled out the podium.
Murtagh and Keogh will become Galway’s first female rowing Olympians, and follow in the footsteps of two-time Olympic oarsman, Neville Maxwell (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000) from Kingston in the city, and Bearna’s Cormac Folan (Beijing 2008).
“We’re leading the charge for the women,” quipped Murtagh to Tribune Sport during an interview from Lucerne.
“I remember watching Sanita (Puspure) and I always thought it would be always something I’d be watching not something I’d be a part of. It’s been a dream; a dream come true,” she said.
Murtagh added: “The flag is flying high in Gortachalla in Moycullen. Amazing, my family are over the moon delighted. It’s so surreal. The messages are pouring in. We’ve been flooded with messages all week and I’m trying to get back to people, it’s mad.”
Aifric Keogh from Aill an Phréacháin in Na Forbacha, was also ecstatic with the achievement.
“I think ultimately it is a dream come true but it’s just a massive relief as well. . . It’s pretty surreal to be honest. Obviously that was our goal and in our plan for so long. We’ve been visualising it and imagining it this whole time but when it happens, it’s crazy,” said Keogh.