Rob Heffernan keeps fire burning in quest for a fifth Olympics

European senior silver medallist by 17, retired by 22. 

Gráinne Murphy, who decided this week “to hang up my hat and oggles at international level”, certainly isn’t the first swimmer to peak so young and bow out so soon, but there was an inevitable sense of what more could have been had the New Ross woman’s career not been haunted by injury and illness after her breakthrough years.

She first came to national prominence in July of 2009 when winning three gold medals and one bronze at the Podoli swimming complex in Prague at the European Junior Swimming Championships.