Hero's Welcome for Ex-Rugby Player Who Rowed From New York to Ireland

Irish adventurer Damian Browne made history as the first person to row from New York City to Galway, Ireland, receiving a hero’s welcome in the port city on Tuesday, October 4, Irish media reported.

Browne, a former professional rugby player who, according to The Irish Times, cannot swim, left Chelsea Piers in Manhattan on June 14 and finally finished traveling the more than 3,000 miles to Ireland by the early hours of Tuesday.

Footage by Craggy Rugby Podcast shows people cheering him on as he arrived in Galway.

Browne undertook the voyage as part of a fundraising effort called Project Empower. He previously rowed across the Atlantic in the opposite direction, crossing from San Sebastian in Spain to Antigua in 2018. Credit: Craggy Rugby Podcast via Storyful