Mona McSharry's Laois relatives celebrate her Olympic bronze swimming medal

Monday night was an historic night for Team Ireland at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Mona McSharry finishing third in the 100m breast-stroke final to capture Ireland's first medal of the games.

McSharry's hometown of Grange in Sligo held a watch party for family and friends that hadn't made the trip to Paris. Among those in attendance were McSharry's aunt Deirdre Bergin (nee McSharry), uncle Michael Bergin and her three cousins Micheál, Cathal and Cillian Bergin. Remarkably, Deirdre's family hails from Shanahoe in Abbeyleix.

Speaking to the Leinster Express/ Laois Live, Deirdre spoke of her immense pride for Mona's achievement in Paris.

"From a young age, Mona demonstrated exceptional potential. Her determination and focus set her on a path to her Olympian dream of winning a medal and Paris 2024 was her goal.

"Mona's achievement has placed Ireland back on the global stage of high-performance swimming and stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration for our young swimmers and athletes nationwide.

"We are so proud of Mona's Olympic medal. Witnessing her accomplish her dream yesterday was definitely an emotional day for the family and, I am sure, the whole of Ireland as we watched her touch that wall. This is a day Mona’s family will never forget," Deirdre said.

McSharry is set to take to the water again at 10am on Wednesday morning in the 200m breast-stroke heats. If she is to qualify for the semi-final, it'll take place on Wednesday evening at 7.45pm.