THERE’S AN ATHLETICS and swimming-shaped void in our lives after a special Irish sporting week from Birmingham to Paris.
Nine European medals won across five days, from Golden Girls Kate O’Connor and Ellen Walshe to Mark English’s elusive and emotional title; comeback queen Rhasidat Adeleke to Mona McSharry’s Bronze Age and silver lining, and Andrew Coscoran’s big moment.
It was a sensational week for Irish athletes in Birmingham and Paris.
Numerous medals, superb performances from all the athletes and a lot of memories. pic.twitter.com/j9pW00JVhY
It all sparked to life on Wednesday, with McSharry opening Ireland’s medal account at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
In the same city two years ago, the Sligo swimming star had won Olympic bronze and flirted with retirement. Now firmly committed to LA 2028, the City of Light provided the perfect platform.
McSharry got off the mark in the same event she medalled in just over 24 months ago, securing silver in the 100m breaststroke. Her smile on the podium said it all.
Minutes later, Walshe struck her first gold of the week, winning the 400m individual medley in a new Irish record. She turned in second and stormed home in a superb final length.
Ellen Walshe INPHO
INPHO
Meanwhile, in Birmingham, English and Adeleke booked their respective final spots to breathe new energy into the Irish challenge at the European Athletics Championships.
With five continental medals in his back pocket, English was targeting his first gold and the 33-year-old sent out a statement of intent with a championship record in his 800m semi-final.
Adeleke reminded herself and everyone else that she is That Girl with a 200m semi-final win on the road to redemption from an injury-ravaged stint.
It had been a slow burn for Team Ireland at Alexander Stadium up to this point. Sharlene Mawdsley’s late withdrawal was a major blow, while Cian McPhillips’ virus – and subsequent 800m heat disappointment – left us wondering if the athletics’ Gods were conspiring against us. Nick Griggs losing his shoe and a frustrating fourth for Sarah Healy in their respective 5,000m finals could very easily have been the start of one of those weeks.
But no.
English and Adeleke lived up to the contender status they had carved out for themselves with a memorable medal rush on Thursday night. Just 19 minutes separated English’s dash for greatness and Adeleke’s dip for her silver lining in back-to-back finals.
There were emotional scenes as they celebrated with tricolours, the stadium much fuller than it had been the previous three days. Irish fans were taking over, and this was only the beginning.
Mark English won his sixth European medal - and first gold. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
With momentum – and two medals apiece – in both cities, 500km apart, McSharry delivered Friday’s hardware. Double the distance, a late surge saw her clinch bronze in the 200m breaststroke final, which also contained Ellie McCartney.
“As Ellen would say, ‘I was fighting demons during that one,’” she said afterwards, with a nod to Walshe. The pair were roommates in Paris, unwinding with tea, chats and reading after their daytime heroics as they combined for all five swimming medals.
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Walshe made it double gold the following day as she halved her distance in the 200m individual medley. Cool, calm and collected, a thumbs-up was the only celebration needed after another stunning swim from lane one.
It was the first of three medals on Super Saturday. Fresh off her Commonwealth Games gold, Kate O’Connor was eyeing the top of another heptathlon podium, with expectation and pressure higher than ever amidst a red-hot run.
Having laid the groundwork on Friday with personal bests in the 100m hurdles and 200m, strong performances in the long jump and javelin moved her into the gold medal position and O’Connor stayed there at the end of the 800m.
Like English two days beforehand, her hands went to her face in disbelief after crossing the line, and the dam burst with emotional celebrations when the final scores were confirmed.
It was another national record, and a remarkable seventh championship medal across the past 18 months. Dreamland.
The huge Irish support had more to cheer about an hour and 20 minutes later as Andrew Coscoran bolted to bronze in the 1500m final. Of all the medals, this was perhaps the most unexpected as the Dubliner came from seventh with 100 metres to go to make his first major podium.
Class, as he repeatedly told David Gillick, with an added, ‘Some craic.’
Coscoran takes 1500m bronze. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Their medal ceremonies were pushed back to Sunday, but it was worth the wait. A tearful O’Connor sang Amhrán na bhFiann amidst a sea of green, while the smile couldn’t be wiped off Coscoran’s face.
Outstanding all week, the RTÉ coverage bounced between Birmingham and Paris, from ceremony to medal, as McSharry bagged another bronze in the 50m breaststroke.
A “bit of a wildcard,” in her own words, the Sligo woman made it three out of three with an Irish record in her splash and dash, leaving Ireland to finish the week 11th in the overall medal table.
At the athletics, Ireland finished ninth overall after equalling the record of four medals set in Rome two years ago, and there were other near misses and close challengers: Sarah Healy twice, Nicola Tuthill was fifth in the hammer final as her star continues to rise, David Kenny finished sixth in the half-marathon racewalk, relays across both sports reached finals, and Walshe and Daniel Wiffen were swimming’s fourth-placed finishers.
But last week will be remembered for medals and memories, and perhaps above all else, brilliant athletes across both teams inspiring the next generation.
Both on and off the track. In and out of the pool.
McSharry in full flow. Giorgio Scala / INPHO
Giorgio Scala / INPHO / INPHO
So often out of the limelight and in the shadow of GAA, football and rugby, Irish athletics and swimming seized their moment.
Almost 1.7 million viewers watched live on RTÉ, with over 800,000 streams to date on the national broadcaster’s player. The European Championships dominated day-to-day conversations. Participation levels should continue to rise, along with interest.
As with after any major championships, the bigger picture now swings into focus. Across the 56 years from 1958 to 2014, Ireland claimed 13 European outdoor athletics medals; in the 10 years from 2016 to 2026, Irish athletes have now won 12, with Mark English and Kate O’Connor joining Sonia O’Sullivan and Ciara Mageean as the country’s only outdoor European champions.
Is this a golden generation on the track and in the pool, or evidence of the trajectory we are on as a nation? The widely held view is that Ireland routinely punches above its weight, but perhaps there is potential for more.
Ultimately, time will tell. On the evidence of the last week, the road to LA 2028 will prove interesting.
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Last week was a special one for Irish sport - can this upward curve continue?
THERE’S AN ATHLETICS and swimming-shaped void in our lives after a special Irish sporting week from Birmingham to Paris.
Nine European medals won across five days, from Golden Girls Kate O’Connor and Ellen Walshe to Mark English’s elusive and emotional title; comeback queen Rhasidat Adeleke to Mona McSharry’s Bronze Age and silver lining, and Andrew Coscoran’s big moment.
It all sparked to life on Wednesday, with McSharry opening Ireland’s medal account at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.
In the same city two years ago, the Sligo swimming star had won Olympic bronze and flirted with retirement. Now firmly committed to LA 2028, the City of Light provided the perfect platform.
McSharry got off the mark in the same event she medalled in just over 24 months ago, securing silver in the 100m breaststroke. Her smile on the podium said it all.
Minutes later, Walshe struck her first gold of the week, winning the 400m individual medley in a new Irish record. She turned in second and stormed home in a superb final length.
Meanwhile, in Birmingham, English and Adeleke booked their respective final spots to breathe new energy into the Irish challenge at the European Athletics Championships.
With five continental medals in his back pocket, English was targeting his first gold and the 33-year-old sent out a statement of intent with a championship record in his 800m semi-final.
Adeleke reminded herself and everyone else that she is That Girl with a 200m semi-final win on the road to redemption from an injury-ravaged stint.
It had been a slow burn for Team Ireland at Alexander Stadium up to this point. Sharlene Mawdsley’s late withdrawal was a major blow, while Cian McPhillips’ virus – and subsequent 800m heat disappointment – left us wondering if the athletics’ Gods were conspiring against us. Nick Griggs losing his shoe and a frustrating fourth for Sarah Healy in their respective 5,000m finals could very easily have been the start of one of those weeks.
But no.
English and Adeleke lived up to the contender status they had carved out for themselves with a memorable medal rush on Thursday night. Just 19 minutes separated English’s dash for greatness and Adeleke’s dip for her silver lining in back-to-back finals.
There were emotional scenes as they celebrated with tricolours, the stadium much fuller than it had been the previous three days. Irish fans were taking over, and this was only the beginning.
With momentum – and two medals apiece – in both cities, 500km apart, McSharry delivered Friday’s hardware. Double the distance, a late surge saw her clinch bronze in the 200m breaststroke final, which also contained Ellie McCartney.
“As Ellen would say, ‘I was fighting demons during that one,’” she said afterwards, with a nod to Walshe. The pair were roommates in Paris, unwinding with tea, chats and reading after their daytime heroics as they combined for all five swimming medals.
Walshe made it double gold the following day as she halved her distance in the 200m individual medley. Cool, calm and collected, a thumbs-up was the only celebration needed after another stunning swim from lane one.
It was the first of three medals on Super Saturday. Fresh off her Commonwealth Games gold, Kate O’Connor was eyeing the top of another heptathlon podium, with expectation and pressure higher than ever amidst a red-hot run.
Having laid the groundwork on Friday with personal bests in the 100m hurdles and 200m, strong performances in the long jump and javelin moved her into the gold medal position and O’Connor stayed there at the end of the 800m.
Like English two days beforehand, her hands went to her face in disbelief after crossing the line, and the dam burst with emotional celebrations when the final scores were confirmed.
It was another national record, and a remarkable seventh championship medal across the past 18 months. Dreamland.
The huge Irish support had more to cheer about an hour and 20 minutes later as Andrew Coscoran bolted to bronze in the 1500m final. Of all the medals, this was perhaps the most unexpected as the Dubliner came from seventh with 100 metres to go to make his first major podium.
Class, as he repeatedly told David Gillick, with an added, ‘Some craic.’
Their medal ceremonies were pushed back to Sunday, but it was worth the wait. A tearful O’Connor sang Amhrán na bhFiann amidst a sea of green, while the smile couldn’t be wiped off Coscoran’s face.
Outstanding all week, the RTÉ coverage bounced between Birmingham and Paris, from ceremony to medal, as McSharry bagged another bronze in the 50m breaststroke.
A “bit of a wildcard,” in her own words, the Sligo woman made it three out of three with an Irish record in her splash and dash, leaving Ireland to finish the week 11th in the overall medal table.
At the athletics, Ireland finished ninth overall after equalling the record of four medals set in Rome two years ago, and there were other near misses and close challengers: Sarah Healy twice, Nicola Tuthill was fifth in the hammer final as her star continues to rise, David Kenny finished sixth in the half-marathon racewalk, relays across both sports reached finals, and Walshe and Daniel Wiffen were swimming’s fourth-placed finishers.
But last week will be remembered for medals and memories, and perhaps above all else, brilliant athletes across both teams inspiring the next generation.
Both on and off the track. In and out of the pool.
So often out of the limelight and in the shadow of GAA, football and rugby, Irish athletics and swimming seized their moment.
Almost 1.7 million viewers watched live on RTÉ, with over 800,000 streams to date on the national broadcaster’s player. The European Championships dominated day-to-day conversations. Participation levels should continue to rise, along with interest.
As with after any major championships, the bigger picture now swings into focus. Across the 56 years from 1958 to 2014, Ireland claimed 13 European outdoor athletics medals; in the 10 years from 2016 to 2026, Irish athletes have now won 12, with Mark English and Kate O’Connor joining Sonia O’Sullivan and Ciara Mageean as the country’s only outdoor European champions.
Is this a golden generation on the track and in the pool, or evidence of the trajectory we are on as a nation? The widely held view is that Ireland routinely punches above its weight, but perhaps there is potential for more.
Ultimately, time will tell. On the evidence of the last week, the road to LA 2028 will prove interesting.
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Athletics Medal Rush Swimming