There was no ‘National’ bus top tour for Ireland’s returning Olympians but Dun Laoghaire and the Irish Sailing Association did put on a show for silver medallist Annalise Murphy last night that attracted a large crowd and celebrated her achievement with a new scholarship in her name.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Mayor Cormac Devlin announced that there would be a new bursary in Murphy’s name worth €5,000 that would be given to a young sailor from the County to study while developing their talents in the sport.
Dave McHugh and Joanne Cantwell were on stage to interview Murphy alongside fellow Olympians Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern, Saikia Tidey and Andrea Brewster.
They were joined as well by local members of the Irish Hockey team and by Badminton star Scott Evans who kept his shirt on throughout the party in the People’s Park.
Murphy had sailed into the harbour at the front of a flotilla of small vessels and there was a ‘Try Sailing’ experience to capture the hearts of the many children that were there in the sunshine and who may themselves go on to similar acclaim in years to come.
It is good to recognise and celebrate the achievement and it is in building on the success of the past that we can lay the foundations for the future.
