Ballyshannon Marlins Swimming Club will host a very special homecoming for Olympic Games Bronze Medallist Mona McSharry this evening in Ballyshannon Town Centre.
“Ballyshannon Welcomes Mona McSharry – Olympic Games Bronze Medallist” will see the return of Mona and her Club coach Grace Meade to the town for what promises to be an historic evening.
Mona McSharry made history on 29th July 2024 at the Olympic Games in Paris when she dramatically claimed a Bronze medal in the Women’s 100 metres breaststroke final beating the USA’s Lily King and Italy’s Benedetta Pinato by just one-hundredth of a second. Mona won Ireland’s first Olympic swimming medal since 1996 and claimed the first of 7 medals for Team Ireland at the Paris Games. Mona’s family, her Marlins Club Coach Grace Meade and members of the Marlins Swimming Club were among the huge Irish contingent at La Defense Arena in Paris as Mona competed and claimed the historic bronze medal.
It will be a momentous evening in Ballyshannon Wednesday 28th October 2024 with Mona McSharry set to lead a parade on entering the town along the Bundoran Road crossing Allingham Bridge on to Main Street through the Gables and back towards the Market Yard where an event stage and giant screen will await. Local musicians from the Phil Rooney Branch CCE will perform with many other local artists and Irish Dancing at the Market Yard (Festival site) from 6pm. Special guests notably from Ulster Swimming, Swim Ireland, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council and members of the Marlins Swimming Club will be interviewed and Mona’s journey with Ballyshannon’s Marlins Club will be relayed on the giant screen as well as the special medal winning swim and medal ceremony from the Paris Olympic Games.
Spokesperson for Ballyshannon Marlins Swimming Club Karen Summerville said “we are very excited for Mona’s return after her wonderful achievements in Paris. We have watched Mona through all the stages of her swimming career progress with distinction, its been an absolute privilege for our Club. Mona medalling at her second Olympic Games has just been fantastic. Mona and her Marlins Club Coach Grace Meade have put in years of dedication and training, so having Mona with Grace bring an Olympic Games medal back is just dreamland territory”.
Mona McSharry has been a member of Ballyshannon Marlins Club from a young age and has competed at all age levels in Ulster and National Competitions. Her Marlins Club Coach Grace Meade has had a massive influence on Mona’s career with years of dedicated coaching in the Ballyshannon Leisure Centre being the basis for the Grange athlete’s swimming success. Mona is the holder of multiple national senior records. Mona won her first international medals when she was placed second in the 100m breaststroke and third in the 50m breaststroke at the 2016 European Junior Championships.
Mona was World Junior Champion in the 100m Breaststroke and European Junior Champion at 50m &100m breaststroke in 2017, and won a senior European short-course bronze (50m breaststroke) in 2019. In 2021 she won a World Short Course bronze and became only the second Irish woman to make an Olympic final in Tokyo, finishing eighth in 100m breaststroke and 20th in 200m. In 2023, Mona qualified for three finals at the World Long Course Championships in Japan before winning a golden hat-trick at the European U-23 Championships. Earlier this year, Mona’s form was evident with superb times in the 100m & 200m breaststroke finals at World Long Course Championships in Doha. Undoubtedly the pinnacle has been the Olympic Games Bronze medal in the 100m Breaststroke in Paris.
Mona received her second level education at Colaiste Colmcille, Ballyshannon and recently qualified from the University of Tennessee in May with a degree in Kinesiology.
