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 claiming a European silver medal in Bulgaria earlier this month.
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.
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 Paris Olympics changed everything when she finished sixth in her semi-final while rowing in a pair with Aifric Keogh.
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.
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.”
Keogh retired as she had planned after Paris but Murtagh did not know what she wanted to do 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.”
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!”
AFTER giving three years of his life to managing his county, the least Kevin McStay deserved was a fond farewell.
The manner in which Mayo GAA has managed their affairs in recent times has drawn criticism from many quarters, so it was not a massive surprise to see how they handled McStay’s departure.
Still, it is hard to make sense of why they were in such a rush to part company with a man who is obviously going through a challenging time personally.
Due to his health situation, the likelihood is that McStay would not have been in a position to continue in the role for a fourth season anyway.
But justifying such a hasty decision on those grounds — and the curt statement that was subsequently issued — missed the point.
With Mayo still licking their wounds after having their season harpooned just ten days earlier, was there really a need to put the boot into the management so soon?
The gentlemanly thing would have been to sit down with McStay, talk through the last three years and engage on what would be best for the future of Mayo football. Mayo GAA bosses are entitled to feel that the time had come to move in a different direction.
Equally, the management were entitled to be treated with more respect.
McStay is a passionate Mayo man who took on the job with the best of intentions.
And he will feel more disappointed than anybody that his tenure did not yield more success.
But it should not be forgotten that his reign brought a National League title.
Championship wins over Kerry in Killarney and Galway in Salthill were no mean feats either.
His successor is sure to discover how difficult a job it is to manage Mayo. In many ways, it is the hardest one in Gaelic football because it comes with expectations that are not rooted in any kind of reality.
Anything less than an All-Ireland will not satisfy Mayo fans — but their best chances of achieving that are behind them at this stage.
If I had aspirations of being involved in inter-county management, the Mayo gig is one I would not go near.
With that in mind, one can only admire McStay for his efforts.
But the events of the last few days would suggest that he is better off without it.
I wish him all the best for a happy and healthy future.
MACK HANSEN was baying for Lions blood 12 years ago — now he is lining up for them back in his homeland.
The Aussie-born Connacht wing starts for the tourists today against Western Force in Perth and even has a tattoo of Lions coach Andy Farrell on his leg in tribute to the pair’s 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam triumph with Ireland.
Hansen has seen first-hand what it means for an underdog province to topple the Lions when they get their once-in-a-career shot at it.
The Canberra-raised ace was 15 when dad Craig took him to watch local outfit the Brumbies take on Warren Gatland’s side during the 2013 tour.
Hansen, who played for the Brumbies from 2018-2021, went wild in the stands as a Lions team including Ireland trio Rob Kearney, Seán O’Brien and Rory Best were downed 14-12.
The 27-year-old said: “It seems like an alternative universe. I remember the buzz around Australia and seeing these players you didn’t really get to see.
“It was amazing. I always loved the Lions and I didn’t know it would be something that I’d get to do — but I’m here and I’m enjoying it. It feels like I’m properly living the dream.
“We were sitting behind the goalposts watching it. It was mad.
“I talked to guys after that and they’d been pumped up for the game for weeks, working towards it.
“They saw it as the be-all and end-all. Also, guys are playing to try to get into the Wallabies as well, so there’s still a lot on the line for a lot of these teams.”
Hansen qualifies for Ireland through Cork-born mum Diana, but only moved there in 2021, signing for Connacht from the Brumbies, and making his Ireland debut a year later.
He saw the Farrell fear factor in action after the Lions slumped to a 28-24 reverse to Argentina last week in Dublin when the head coach tore into the team.
And Hansen knows what is coming if the tourists slip up again today.
But the 28-cap wing insists his side should be knocking over the provincial teams easily before the Test series.
He added: “If anything, it’s good to feel it early and then we know that we’ll get our heads absolutely chewed off if it happens again.
“The only thing that can beat us, is us. We’re from four of the best teams in the world, so the expectation is to win regardless of who you’re playing.
“You should be winning every time, so every time it’s a loss, it just isn’t good enough.”
LIONS: Daly; Hansen, Ringrose, Tuipulotu, Lowe; Russell, Williams; Schoeman, Sheehan (capt), Furlong, Cummings, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Pollock. Reps: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Chessum, Conan, Mitchell, Jones, M Smith.
WE’RE just four weeks away from seeing Jarlath Burns hand over Sam Maguire — yet it’s hard to recall a time when forecasting a winner at this stage of the Championship was such a conundrum.
The finely balanced match-ups thrown up by the draw have made this weekend’s quarter-final bill hugely exciting.
At 11-4 each, Meath and Monaghan are the biggest outsiders to reach the last four.
Still, given the form and calibre of both teams, it would not go down as a major shock if either, or even both, were to advance.
Given that nobody can seem to agree on who is in pole position to claim All-Ireland SFC glory on July 27, here is my own pecking order in the race for Sam . . .
THIS one might raise eyebrows straight off the bat.
And such are the fine margins at play, there will be no great surprise on my behalf if Galway are back at Croke Park in a fortnight.
But for me, a Tribe side capable of blowing hot and cold are not as formidable as they were 12 months ago.
When Shane Walsh does not catch fire, they tend not to function well as a unit.
They have coped without Damien Comer, though the different dimension he can provide would be a huge asset for them.
After losing an All-Ireland final by a point, the road to atonement is long and arduous.
Both mentally and physically, there is a lot of mileage on the clock.
BEATING Galway tomorrow is well within Meath’s capability. The Royals have excelled under the new rules and they have become a very confident outfit under Robbie Brennan.
It is as if the shackles have been taken off, particularly for the younger players as they have really started to express themselves.
Meath have done extremely well to persevere in the face of injuries to some important players.
But that has left them a bit light on the bench.
Losing Martin Corey and Joe McMahon from the backroom staff was a massive blow in March.
Having since taken the scalps of Dublin and Kerry, the players should be commended hugely for the way they responded.
PLENTY of perplexed Armagh faces are sure to await me at Croker tomorrow after having the nerve to consign the All-Ireland champions to such a lowly position!
The strength of their panel is one of the things I have really admired this year.
However, with Soupy Campbell and Oisín O’Neill out injured, they suddenly look much weaker in that regard.
Such a talented team led by a man like Kieran McGeeney are more than capable of shoving this ranking back down my throat.
But we are at the business end of the Championship now. And as I learned in 1997 after Meath’s reign as All-Ireland champions was ended by Offaly in the Leinster final, it is a very different challenge when you are dealing with the additional pressure as you go from being the hunter to the hunted.
OF the teams remaining, Tyrone can make a solid claim to boasting the strongest panel.
Any side that can hold Peter Harte and Ruairí Canavan in reserve is clearly in good nick.
Apart from their big men in the middle, they are mostly a small, nippy team so Croke Park might suit them in one sense.
And if they can consistently hit the heights that they did against Donegal in Ballybofey, Malachy O’Rourke’s side have the ability to beat anyone.
The concern would be whether they can handle the rough and tumble over 70-plus minutes at this stage of the Championship.
THIS is a Monaghan team I have a lot of time for.
And while they will be up against it in today’s meeting with Donegal, a win could do wonders for them if they can get over the line. On the one hand, they were not tested massively in the group stages.
That being said, there is also a sense that we have not yet seen the best of them.
Jack McCarron is a fantastic player to have back in and they would have been disappointed to have lost two Donegal by two points in Ulster on a day when they were caught by the hooter.
Gabriel Bannigan’s charges are a good running team who are always tough to beat.
By all accounts, Andy Moran has had a massive impact behind the scenes too.
ASIDE from a brilliant display in Salthill when their backs were against the wall after losing to Meath, Dublin have flattered to deceive.
Are they still capable of setting the world alight?
If Con O’Callaghan is fully fit, today might be the day to answer that question.
The wake-up call they got against Meath was a catalyst for significant improvement for the Dubs. There is no doubt about that.
They have been good at times but there is still more in them.
And their team is still packed with players who know more than anybody else about what is required to win on the big days at Croke Park.
NOTWITHSTANDING their defeat to Tyrone, Donegal have probably been the most consistent team throughout the season.
Are they depending too heavily on Michael Murphy? Perhaps that is unfair to the supporting cast.
Nevertheless, they cannot afford for their prodigal son to be off-form.
They cut loose in the second half against Louth and the Wee County were no match for them. Getting over Monaghan would be a huge step for Donegal as this is no easy task.
You would certainly sympathise with them over the six-day turnaround.
Having said that, if they were playing in the second game tomorrow instead, Jim McGuinness would complain that they were getting home too late on a Sunday night.
It is all part of the siege mentality he is aiming to generate. In his eyes, it’s Donegal against the rest of the world.
And that could ultimately work in their favour.
WHEN you back a team like Kerry into a corner, expect them to come out fighting.
And with David Clifford in red-hot form again, the possibilities are endless. The man is unbelievable.
Since the defeat to Meath, there has been a bit of deflecting going on in the Kingdom.
By playing down their chances, people like Darragh Ó Sé have been doing their bit to try to take the pressure off them.
Going to Croke Park as underdogs is an unusual scenario for Kerry to find themselves in. But they will relish that too.
While they have been badly hit by injuries, Jack O’Connor is still taking a squad packed full of talent up to the capital tomorrow.
Even if he fielded his second-best XV, they would still probably trouble most teams.
The season starts tomorrow for Kerry.
Write them off at your peril.
DUBLIN will face Tyrone in an All-Ireland senior football quarter-final at Croke Park this evening.
Dessie Farrell’s side overcame Cork 1-19 to 1-16 in the preliminary quarter final to advance to the next stage.
A 0-31 to 0-18 win against Cavan in their final group stage game was enough for Tyrone to top their group book their place straight into the quarter-finals.
The Red Hands topped what many considered to be a group of death consisting of Donegal, Mayo and Cavan.
Dublin had it no easier with a second place finish in their group behind reigning champions Armagh and ahead of Galway and Derry.
Tyrone and Dublin have faced already this year in the Allianz League. The O’Neill County got the upper hand over the Liffeysiders in a 2-19 to 1-16 win.
The win unfortunately wouldn’t be enough for Tyrone to avoid relegation as they finished just behind Armagh on points scored to finish seventh.
Here’s everything you need to know before watching the huge clash:
The much anticipated encounter will be available to stream on GAA+.
Sunday’s quarter finals Meath vs Galway and Armagh vs Kerry will be shown live on RTÉ 2 whereas the two Saturday games Monaghan vs Donegal and Dublin vs Tyrone will be only available to stream on GAA+.
Throw-in is at 6:15pm for the Dublin and Tyrone clash as Donegal face Monaghan at 4pm in the Croke Park double header.
Bookmakers have this match-up to be a very tight contest with the odds of Dublin to win in 70 minutes at 11/10 with Tyrone to advance without extra-time also set at 11/10.
The odds for the game to be level after 70 minutes is 17/2 and the handicap at just one point in Dublin’s favour.
The sides have history in the competition, playing each other three times in it since 2018.
Dublin won all three encounters, most recently in 2019 in the Super 8’s group stage in Omagh.
The Dubs came away 1-16 to 0-13 winners to top the group. Tyrone finished second in a group containing Roscommon and Cork.
Most notably however, in 2018 the sides met in the All-Ireland final as Jim Gavin’s men lifted Sam Maguire for the fourth year in a row.
Tyrone hearts were sank as they lost by six points to the team they had already faced and lost to in their Super 8’s group stage that year.
The final being a repeat of the 1995 All-Ireland final where the Dubs scraped passed the Red Hands by just a point.
Tyrone would have their special day three years later however, beating Mayo – the team that knocked Dublin out in the semi-final – in the 2021 All-Ireland final.
A Pattaya man’s side hustle went up in smoke after police swooped in and seized a stash of illegal vapes in a sting that sent a clear warning to would-be e-cigarette dealers. Pattaya City Police, led by Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyoo, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, launched a targeted crackdown aimed at shutting down …
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A giant king cobra caused panic in Trang province when it entered a home in search of prey, attacking a sizable cobra. Residents were alarmed by the incident and took note of the house number for lottery luck. Yesterday, June 27, Khajornkiat Kongkaew, known as “Nong Mew Bongla Trang” from the Bung Ya Bongla King …
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Holidaymakers were left rattled as police scoured Phuket’s beaches to unearth a series of hidden explosive devices planted by suspects intent on chaos. Police confirmed yesterday evening, June 27, that the last two devices connected to the suspects’ shocking confession have been safely recovered and neutralised. The first discovery was made at Patong Beach around …
The story Patong Beach bomb scare: Hidden explosives uncovered in sand as seen on Thaiger News.
DOE Eyes Big-time Oil Price Rollback on Tuesday (July 1, 2025) FUEL PRICE UPDATE – The Department of Energy expects a big-time oil price rollback next week after two weeks of increases. Drivers may finally get some relief at the pumps next week, as fuel prices are expected to go down after two straight ... Read more
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