In pictures: Mona McSharry’s historic Olympic triumph celebrated in Ballyshannon

With Sylvester Maguire missing in action, savouring the l’escargot in Paris, you would have expected that the Aodh Ruadh Social Centre would have been a little quieter as the locals gathered to watch Mona McSharry’s Olympic final on Monday evening. Please click on the arrows to go through the gallery

The local Marlins Swim Club were thankful for the facilities at Aodh Ruadh and they were not disappointed as they cheered on their swim hero, Mona, to an Olympic bronze medal.

Marlins’ Kieran Summerville even considered the possibility of transforming Fr Tierney Park as he looked out on the pitch. “We could build a great pool outside here and this would be a perfect viewing area. I must have a word with Tom Daly,” he quipped.
He was thinking of the conversion which had taken place at the La Defense Arena, the home of Racing 92 rugby club and now hosting the Olympic swimming finals.

The local youth branch of the Phil Rooney Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann group entertained the assembled crowd during the build-up while Austin O’Callaghan of Ocean FM conducted interviews with the Marlins coaches and some of their young swimmers.

The excitement reached fever pitch as the RTE coverage on the big screen was handed over to the commentators in Paris with Mona McSharry in Lane 5, the penultimate finalist to emerge behind the Irish flag.

Just over 65 seconds later history was made. Mona was second on the 50m split and had to battle to the line to get her rewards. And when the screen showed Mona in third place, the place erupted.

Years and years of toil and suffering, most of it under the tutelage of the Marlins coaches, most notably Grace Meade, had come to fruition. One of their own, from the small village of Grange and so strongly connected to Ballyshannon through the swimming pool and the local secondary school, Coláiste Cholmcille, had done something that was just wonderful.
McSharry was the first swimming finalist in the Olympics for Ireland in 25 years in 2021 in Tokyo and finished eight. Three years later she was on the podium. What an achievement.

Not just for Mona McSharry herself, but to all who had an input in the build-up to this special moment on Monday night.
Whatever happens in the future, Ballyshannon and the Marlins Swim Club will always be associated with the triumph. All the early morning training, leaving home at an unearthly hour to be at those sessions and then attending Secondary School in Coláiste Cholmcille and sometimes another session prior to returning home to Grange.

The move to Tennessee in the US, away from friends and family, but always improving those times. Irish record followed the Irish record. And it was great to have some of those friends poolside on Monday evening as she carved her name in Irish Olympic history.