Read Alex Walz's Interview with Murtagh in The Ram
 
Bronx, N.Y. – Former Fordham University rower Fiona Murtagh arrived at Fordham with a plethora of international rowing experience. But later this month she will take her international experience to another level as she competes with the Irish National team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
 
Murtagh joins former baseball Ram Nick Martinez, who will pitch for the U.S. National Team, at the Olympic Games.
 
Murtagh qualified with the Irish women's four team by winning the Women's Four Final in Lucerne, Switzerland, on May 16 and taking one of the two available Olympic slots.
 
A native of Galway, Murtagh started rowing in 2009. She attended National University of Ireland in Galway for one year before transferring to Fordham. She commenced her junior rowing career with a stellar performance when she stroked the women's novice eight to a gold medal at the 2011 Irish National Championships. That same year, she also represented Ireland at the Home International Regatta against England, Scotland, and Wales as the stroke seat of the gold medal winning coxed four.
 
In her second year, Murtagh continued her success with another gold medal winning performance in the stroke seat of the Women's Junior 8 at the 2012 Irish National Championships and went on to represent Ireland again at Home Internationals stroking the eight and four, finishing second in the eight and third in the four. In addition to stroking the quad at the Junior World Championships in 2013, she retained her title in the Junior Women's 8 at the Irish National Championships from the 7 seat and finished second in the Club Eight event at Women's Henley in England.
 
Murtagh arrived at Fordham in 2013 and made her mark on the rowing program, highlighted by the Fordham club 4 winning the Head of Charles two years in a row. The first win was at the 2013 regatta where the Rams won gold, becoming the first Fordham women's crew to win an event at the prestigious regatta. She earned first team All-Atlantic 10 honors in 2016 when Murtagh helped the Rams to a third place team finish, matching Fordham's best finish at the championship. Murtagh also earned second team all-conference accolades in 2014.
 
Following graduation, Murtagh returned to international competition, winning bronze at the 2020 European Rowing Championships in the Women's Four and silver at the 2021 European Rowing Championships in Varese.