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05 Apr 2026

Limerick teenager Róisín Ní Riain's 'great feeling' to win Ireland's first medal at Paralympics

Drombanna teenager Ní Riain claimed silver in Women’s S13 100m Backstroke

Limerick's Róisín Ní Riain's 'great feeling' to win Ireland's first medal at Paralympics

Limerick's Róisín Ní Riain celebrates with her family, from left, Saibh, mother Marian, father Seosamh O'Riain, Sorcha, Maedbh, after her silver medal success in the pool at the Paralympics in Paris

Reporter:

Colm Kinsella, Sports Editor

31 Aug 2024 10:32 AM

Email:

ckinsella@limerickleader.ie

LIMERICK teenager Róisín Ní Riain said it was a 'great feeling' to win Ireland's first medal of the 2024 Paralympics in Paris on Friday evening.

Ní Riain scored a stunning Paralympic silver medal success in the final of the women’s S13 100m Backstroke at the La Défense Arena.
In doing so, the Limerick native becomes the first medallist for Team Ireland at these Games.  
The 19-year-old UL student stormed to second place in a time of 1:07.27 to win her maiden Paralympic medal, in what is already an impressive career, which includes a World Championship gold in the same event.  
Team USA’s Gia Pergolini won gold in 1:04.93, with Italian Carlotta Gilli taking bronze in 1:08.08. 
"I’m delighted with that swim and it makes it extra nice with my friends and family here to watch as well. My whole training group that I train with back at home (in Limerick), a lot of them are here so it’s really nice to do it with them here tonight," Róisín Ní Riain said.
"It's great for my family to be here, to be able to see it. I have three sisters and they all swim so it’s definitely nice to do it with them around.” 
“That was a really nice feeling to hear (the huge roar when she emerged on the pool deck ahead of the final). To have everyone here to support me definitely spurs me on as well. I’ll have to go back and look (at the race) but I was happy with it overall.
"We’ll sit down and analyse it like every other race. Everyone says to me how much I love racing and I really genuinely do. It’s what I love to do.” 
“I was coming in tonight like ‘Oh God, I missed not swimming this morning.’ I definitely love racing and I think why I love it so much is that every single time you go out to race you can learn something new.” 
“It's a great feeling to win Ireland’s first medal but there’s so much more to come. It’s definitely only the start for Ireland.” 

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