By Liam Gorman

Copyright independent

Murtagh’s win was one of the biggest shocks of the Championships. The Galway woman beat hot favourite Lauren Henry of Britain. The Briton, who was an Olympic gold medallist in the quad at Paris 2024, won every race this season in the single, dominating races twice in the World Cup series and adding a European gold.

Murtagh took bronze in the Ireland four at Tokyo 2020, but only switched from pairs and fours this season. But she showed guts and belief on the day. She led virtually all the way and won narrowly – Henry closed to just three hundredths of a second at the finish.

“I’m lost for words,” Murtagh told World Rowing. “I knew it was going to be a really difficult race, and I knew I had to put as much [between Henry and herself] in the middle of the race as I could, because she’s a phenomenal athlete and she’s got a really good sprint. Then I hit the red buoys [250 metres to go] and I caught a bit of a wobble and I was like ‘oh no, have I lost it?’

“But I dug deep and crossed the line and we were right beside each other, I really didn’t know who’d won it until I looked at the screen and saw my name. I’ve never won a major regatta. This is huge and I’m in shock.”

The win in the double was more business as usual for Fintan McCarthy. The man who won a bronze medal in the men’s double with Phil Doyle on Friday, teamed up with another former lightweight, Mags Cremen, who took the stroke seat.

McCarthy and Cremen won their heat in this novel event and in the final swept away from the field in the middle stages and held off a push by the big Netherlands crew to take it by 0.69 of a second.

“It was a great race, so much fun,” McCarthy said. “We always train against each other, the girls in the double and I’m in the single, in some capacity, and they’re always kicking my ass, so it was nice to have my ass kicked in the same boat today.”