UCC student and alumni to represent Ireland at Paris 2024

26 Jul 2024

University College Cork student Mags Cremen and a further seven UCC alumni have been selected to represent Ireland in the 2024 Olympic Games, which officially gets underway in Paris this week.

Furthermore, UCC Graduate Mary Fitzgerald will represent Ireland in the shot put in the Paralympics when they are held next month.

Most of UCC’s interests at Paris 2024 lie in rowing.

The Women’s Lightweight Double Scull pairing of Aoife Casey (Medical and Health Sciences, Class of 2022) and Mags Cremen (Sports Studies and Physical Education with Irish, final year) made their Olympic debuts together in Tokyo, where they finished eighth. They were bronze medallists at the 2022 Worlds and seventh at last year’s edition, which qualified them for Paris.

Emily Hegarty (Physiology, 2023) made history in Tokyo by securing  Bronze in the Women's Four - winning Irish rowing's first women's Olympic Medal.

Injury curtailed her activity in 2023, but she was part of the Four in the final Olympic qualifier in May, coming first and securing a place in Paris.

Zoë Hyde (MAcc Accounting) will take to the water in the Women’s Double Scull in Paris. She won a World Cup silver with Sanita Puspure in 2022 and secured her place in Paris along with Alison Bergin when they finished fourth at the 2023 Worlds.

Aifric Keogh (MSc Food Microbiology, 2016) was another member of that historic Women’s Four team in Tokyo, but has since paired with Fiona Murtagh. The Women’s Pair team came fourth at 2023 World Championships which earned the boat a place in Paris.

The Men’s Lightweight Double Scull of Fintan McCarthy (Physiology, 2019) and Paul O’Donovan (Medicine, 2023) are the defending Olympic champions, having taken Gold in Tokyo at the last Games – Ireland’s first Olympic Gold medal in rowing.

Together they have won three World (2019, 2022 & 2023) and two European titles (2021 & 2022).

Away from the water, Phil Healy (Health Studies, 2016) secured a memorable Silver Medal alongside Rhasidat Adeleke, Sophie Becker, and Sharlene Mawdsley in the women's 4x400m relay at the European Championships in Rome this summer. Phil was part of the mixed 4x400m who made history by making an Olympic final in Tokyo. She will compete in the Women’s and Mixed 4x400m relays in Paris.

Mary Fitzgerald (Occupational Therapy, 2022) has taken part in the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai and Paris, and returns to the French capital this summer having finished seventh in shot put at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Congratulating the athletes on their qualification for Paris 2024, UCC President Prof. John O’Halloran said;

“On behalf of all of us here at UCC I want to wish our athletes the very best of luck in Paris. We are immensely proud of your achievements whether it be on the water, the track, or on our campus. Our representatives on Team Ireland are fantastic role models, not just for how they pursue sporting excellence, but in the manner in which they applied themselves to all aspects of student life here at UCC.”

UCC Head of Sport and Physical Activity Morgan Buckley said:

“UCC Sport is proud to have played its part in supporting these incredible athletes on their journey to Paris. With state-of-the-art facilities and supports through UCC Sport and Quercus Talented Students Programme Scholarships, we are committed to ensuring that UCC is a place where athletes thrive while securing their futures beyond their sporting endeavours.”

• UCC’s full representation in Paris this summer is:
• Aoife Casey – Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Scull
• Margaret Cremen – Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Scull
• Phil Healy - Women’s 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m
• Emily Hegarty – Rowing, Women’s Four
• Zoë Hyde - Rowing, Women’s Double Scull
• Aifric Keogh – Rowing, Women’s Pair
• Fintan McCarthy – Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Scull
• Paul O’Donovan – Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Scull
• Mary Fitzgerald – Paralympics Shot Put