Galway rejoices as Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh deliver county's first Olympic medal

Aifric Keogh hails from Furbo on the coast road between Barna and Spiddal, while Fiona Murtagh is from 10 kilometres away in Moycullen near the banks of Lough Corrib

Ireland rowers, from left, Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh, and Emily Hegarty celebrate after finishing third in the Women's Four final at the Sea Forest Waterway during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

The Tokyo success of Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh — the first Galwegians to win Olympic medals for Ireland — is set to give rowing a huge boost in Galway and the west of Ireland.

Their success along with Eimear Lambe from Cabra in Dublin and Emily Hegarty from Skibbereen in capturing Ireland’s first women’s Olympic medal when they won bronze in the coxless fours, has sparked great celebrations in Galway.