'I’m lucky, I have two towns that I call home, Grange and Ballyshannon' - McSharry

Olympic bronze medallist in the 100m breaststroke Mona McSharry was given a rapturous homecoming in one of her ‘home towns’, Ballyshannon on Wednesday evening after her exploits in the pool in Paris.

McSharry became the first Irish swimmer since 1996 to win a medal at the Olympics and on Wednesday evening her homecoming to Ballyshannon took place in the Market Yard, just across the road from the Ballyshannon Swimming Pool where most of the work that brought her Olympic success began.

Fittingly, the weather relented and a huge crowd of all ages turned out to welcome her as she was paraded along the Allingham Road by the St Catherine’s Band from Killybegs, themselves recent All-Ireland winners at Fleadh na hEireann.

The parade took Mona on a circuit through The Gables and back to the Market Yard where a magnificent stage and huge screen were in place to give everyone the perfect view of proceedings.

Mona pictured with her school friends Roisin Maguire and Ruby Hurst reunited in Ballyshannon at the homecoming

RTÉ sports producer and Ballyshannon native, Barry O’Neill acted as preliminary MC before introducing his fellow RTÉ colleague Marty Morrissey to conduct proceedings. There were interviews with Donegal Co Council chairperson Cllr Niamh Kennedy and Director of Services, Liam Ward as well as representatives from Swim Ireland and Swim Ulster.

A special welcome was given to former Olympic swimmer and now RTÉ swim analyst at the Olympics and two-time Olympian Andrew Bree, who looked as excited about the achievement of Mona McSharry as a teenager.

There were also interviews with the Principal of Coláiste Cholmcille and representatives of Ballyshannon Swimming Club and Marlin’s Swim Club before the waiting crowd got what they came for, the sight of Mona McSharry on the stage with her bronze medal. She was accompanied  by her coach Grace Meade and parents Viola and Aidan as they danced for the crowd.

“I’m so lucky, I have two towns that I can call home,” said McSharry, as she thanked all present for the huge turnout.

“It’s great to be back  and to get such a great warm welcome, it’s just unbelievable,” said McSharry, who added she would have practised a little more on her dance routine if she had known that was happening.

“Your mum can move fairly fast,” quipped Marty  Morrissey, who said he would nominate her for Dancing With The Stars next year “and she would win”.

Asked about her ambition going to Paris at the end of July, McSharry said: “I was really excited and a little bit nervous, of course. Excited to get over there for something that I had been basically preparing for my whole career. Just getting excited to put all the hard work to show.”

Once the competition started, the main object was to get to the final of her favoured event. And McSharry felt that once that was achieved, a lot of pressure was lifted.

“I think it was a little bit of relief too. Heats are nerve wrecking because you don’t know where you really are and then semi-final are special, because you have to be in the top eight in the world, which is no mean feat.

“Then once you get to the final and you get to race against the people in the other lanes to see who comes out on top; it’s such a strong, competitive group of ladies, you never know how it will turn out, it’s so exciting,” said McSharry, who described the final 25 yards as special.

“I said to myself, you’ve got to go now. This is what you have been working on. I just pushed right to the end and I touched the wall and could see that the lady beside me got second. So I was really scared but kept watching and then saw the three red dots and I said ‘What’. I have done it.”

She said that there was a feeling of joy and it was overwhelming and she couldn’t stop crying afterwards.

There were interviews also with her long-time coach,  Grace Meade as well as her parents Viola and Aidan.

Mona McSharry at her homecoming parade in Ballyshannon Picture: Thomas Gallagher

Asked by Marty Morrissey at the end of the evening what her plans were regarding the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, McSharry was put on the spot and said ‘Maybe’.

Could we have another Olympic homecoming in Ballyshannon in four years’ time?