Thousands of people have turned out to a homecoming reception for Team Ireland on O’Connell Street in Dublin on Monday afternoon, following their return from the Paris Olympics.
The celebration, organised by Dublin City Council in conjunction with the Olympic Federation of Ireland, is the first civic reception for an Irish team on their return from an Olympic Games.
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Well okay everyone, that is about our lot for today. I’m sure there are celebrations still going on out there - it will be some time before people forget the achievements of Ireland’s record breaking Olympic team in 2024, and there will be more than a few thinking about 2028. And why not? Good night from our live coverage.
Is Kellie Harrington’s gold medal bigger than a digestive biscuit?
“From his plinth in front of them in the middle of O’Connell Street, big Jim Larkin’s arms were raised aloft. Everyone was celebrating when Ireland’s Olympic heroes arrived home.”
For a fitting end-of-celebrations read on today’s festivities, here is Miriam Lord.
Addressing her neighbours and fans at this evening’s reception, Harrington said: “This just means the world to me.
“I just want to say thank you to absolutely every one of you for all the support.
“I just hope that all the kids, teenagers and young adults have seen that hard work and dedication, the highs and the many lows – it gives you the heart and the grit to understand that we can do anything we set our minds to.
“But you have to work for it, and you have to work hard.”
She added: “I love you all – you’re all legends.”
Local woman Phyllis O’Callaghan sat in Killarney Street with members of her family to cheer on Harrington.
Ms O’Callaghan said: “We love Kellie. She’s just such a humble, down to earth person – a lovely, lovely girl.”
Billy McGannon, a young boxer who said he became all-Ireland champion in his category earlier this year, described Harrington as “inspirational”.
He said: “Every boxer in Ireland looks up to Kellie and Katie Taylor.”
He hopes to follow in Harrington’s footsteps by competing in his first Olympics in 2032. – PA
Conor Pope: By 8pm the place was abuzz with questions but then the sounds of the Raglan Rd – as played by the Dublin City Fire Brigade Band – played out, there she was. And then she was gone again.
After a fleeting appearance Kellie hopped into a car only to appear on stage at the other end of the street a good 30 minutes later.
In an emotional and inspiration speech a tearful Harrington thanked her community for their support during the Olympics and expressed the hope that her achievements would show people what can be achieved with hard work and commitment.
I hope that this gives everyone from our beautiful community hope, desire and determination, she said.
“We can do anything [but] things don’t just come on a plate, we have to work and we have to work hard.”
She also sent a message to people “who are in a bad way” and said that “everyone needs help sometimes to get to where we want to go”.
And she finished with a suddenly traditional “Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt and Goodnight Irene”.
Ireland’s double Olympic champion Kellie Harrington has cried tears of joy as she returned home to Dublin after her success in Paris.
At her homecoming event in Dublin’s north inner city, Harrington was greeted with cheers and requests for selfies as she proudly strolled through her home neighbourhood.
Wearing her two gold medals, she wiped away tears of joy as she waved to the gathered crowd.
Children wrapped themselves in Irish tricolours as they roared the name of their Olympic champion who grew up in nearby Portland Row.
Accompanied by Dublin Fire Brigade’s pipe band, she travelled down Sean McDermott Street from Diamond Park towards the Five Lamps landmark.
The two-time Olympic champion greeted fans as she took the stage at Killarney Street where the Dubliner danced on stage with singer Gemma Dunleavy as hundreds of people packed into a residential street to catch a glimpse of their hero. – PA
She arrives...
Things are building now, reports Conor Pope: The parade has reached Killarney St and the crowd is going wild - asking “where is she?” to the strains of Raglan Rd as played by the Dublin Fire Brigade Band.
Conor Pope: Thousands of people have gathered in the north inner city and are waiting for local hero Kellie Harrington to make her way down Sean MacDermott St from Diamond Park to a stage that has been set up on Killarney St. Spirits are high and the sun is shining as the crowd waits for their queen of Dublin City to arrive. Many of those in the crowd have remarked on how great it is to see so many tricolours flying for only the most positive reasons with one person waiting for the boxer to arrive remarking that it was as if the good people of Ireland had “reclaimed the streets”.
Another well known local face. Gerry Hutch, aka the Monk, waiting to celebrate Kellie Harrington’s homecoming at Killarney Street Dublin. Photograph: Collins
Still no sign of Kellie on Killarney St, reports Conor Pope, but spirits are high. Every house is festooned with tricolour bunting and everyone looks and sounds delighted apart from the two lads selling commemorative car reg plaques and “gold” medals who aren’t finding many takers.
It’s a bit of history repeating itself in the north inner city. Here is some of our coverage from Kellie’s first glory return - who would have thought it would be playing out again? Well, maybe plenty of people.
Things are beginning to take shape for the second of tonight’s crowd pulling Olympic celebrations. Conor Pope reports: It is shortly before 7pm and hundreds of people have gathered on Killarney St where they are cheering as a screen plays footage of Harrington’s first glorious home coming three years ago.
Hi, this is Mark Hilliard here, taking over from Sarah for our coverage of this evening’s Olympic homecoming. Things have finished up in the city centre but attention is quickly moving to nearby Portland Row where a reception has been planned for two time gold medalist Kellie Harrington. Hers will be a special welcome home given the piece of history she has made over two separate games. The crowds are beginning to gather in the street with the local hero due around 7pm. Our correspondent Conor Pope will be bringing live updates.
While the homecoming for Team Ireland on O’Connell Street finished up earlier, two-time boxing gold medal winner Kellie Harrington can look forward to another round of celebrations.
A special event for Harrington will take place on Portland Row later in the evening.
Starting at 7pm, Harrington will make her way down Sean McDermott St from Diamond Park, towards The Five Lamps accompanied by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band.
She will then take the stage at Killarney Street to meet fans who will also be treated to a performance from Sheriff Street vocalist Gemma Dunleavy before hearing from Harrington herself.
From Conor Pope on O’Connell Street:
Once his turn on stage was done Daniel Wiffen jumped down and made his way to the barriers where he posed for a series of selfies with the public before returning to the stage, and leading the crowd in a short, but spirited chorus of ole ole oles.
Olympic champion AND crowd pleaser! After that billows of green smoke curled around the spire to a soundtrack of Grace and the first part of the Great Homecoming was over.
Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan says what makes gymnastics so exciting is that one tiny error can end up in you landing on your head. He says he is always very focused and when it came to competing in an arena with thousands of people, it was about treating it as “just another training session” and “tricking your mind”.
The gold medallist says he was inspired by Kellie Harrington at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and has now followed in her footsteps.
Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen says he has fully recovered from the lurgy that stopped him carrying the flag at the closing ceremony yesterday but says he is done with the longest distance swim.
When asked about his gold medal swim in the 800m freestyle he says that he knew it was won in the last 50m. “You have all this emotion,” he said. “And I thought I am never going to lose this.”
Victory was hard won though and he said he trained 26-30 hours a week “but it is worth it when you come home with a medal.”
Almost all of our medal winners are now on the stage.
Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy says he trained really hard over recent months and that it was “a hard year for me sickness wise”.
Also hints that he and Paul O’Donovan may link up with some of Team Ireland’s other rowing medallists for the quadruple sculls in four years’ time in LA.
Swimmer Mona McSharry says to go to the Olympics and win a bronze medal was “a dream come true” and that she couldn’t stop crying afterwards, and was overwhelmed with emotion.
From Conor Pope on O’Connell Street: The heat has seen several people taken out of the crowd and treated by medical staff with one ambulance called after a member of the public who was close to the stage collapsed.
Coverage interrupted as a member of the audience requires medical attention. Fingers crossed they’re ok.
Boxer Kellie Harrington says she has never been as happy boxing as she was in the most recent Olympic Games.
However, she says this is because she knew “this is it now, this is the last leg of the journey. After this, I’m finished, I’m done.”
Her coach Zauri Antia tells the crowd he believes Harrington “can do it for a third time”.
From Conor Pope on O’Connell Street:
The athletes are being interviewed in groups and first up were the most of the women’s relay team. They looked delighted and somewhat shocked to see the crowd in front of them.
Kellie Harrington led out the second group to the most raucous cheers and chants of her name.
“It hasn’t sank in yet but it is the stuff of dreams,” she said.
She thanked the supporters who were with the athletes win lose or draw and insisted on the coaching staff coming on stage too.
“We’re a small nation but we are a mighty nation and we will fight and we will keep on fighting. That is why we are who we are.
Double Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington is up next on stage - she says “it hasn’t actually sank in yet, it’s the stuff of dreams”.
Harrington says she’s looking forward to having time to herself, to look back over the last few years. She says the support has been fantastic and the number of people who have turned out today is amazing.
Harrington says to have the support of the nation “means the world” to Irish athletes. She adds Ireland is a small but “a mighty nation”.
Irish athlete Thomas Barr said he has been to three Olympic Games but the Paris Games “by far, we have seen the most amount of support”.
He said his Olympic journey was coming to an end but that it was a very special Games for him personally. Moments earlier, athlete Sarah Lavin said it was a surreal and emotional experience and said Irish supporters were the best in the world.
Team Ireland are finally on stage!
More from Conor Pope on O’Connell Street: Marty Morrissey welcomed Dublin’s Lord Mayor James Geoghegan to the stage. But he wasn’t ready so there was time for more Oles before he came up and said ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, are you ready to see team Ireland.
Taoiseach Simon Harris added: “I don’t remember a time like this it has given us hope and lifted our spirits at a really dark time for the world.”
The latest from Conor Pope on O’Connell Street:
Shortly after 1pm the athletes arrived on O’Connell St to no fanfare at all. Instead they huddled behind the stage doing a handful of pre-arranged interviews and shaking hands with delighted looking dignitaries including the Taoiseach Simon Harris while the crowd were whipped into a frenzy of Oles by the excited DJ.
Athletes due on stage shortly.
RTÉ reporting that around 20,000 people have turned out to O’Connell Street.
The athletes have arrived to O’Connell Street but are currently backstage, according to our man on the ground Conor Pope.
Live TV coverage of the homecoming is just about to start on RTÉ1 and the RTÉ News Now channel for those who couldn’t make it into O’Connell Street.
The latest from Conor Pope on O’Connell Street:
There are many thousands of people now gathered O’Connell St, people of all ages and all races and virtually everyone is smiling and not so mush as a hint of boredom has seeped in.
You’d have to hope that everyone has invested as much in sunblock as they have in flags mind you as if they hadn’t it won’t be long before we have 40 shades of red on display.
There are some dancers giving socks on stage now…. No idea who they are but they’d rival an Aussie break dancer in the enthusiasm stakes.
More from Conor Pope on O’Connell Street, who is always keen for a bargain:
“Anyone now for the hats and flags,” the man at a stall at the top of Abbey St has been roaring all day. And it has worked for him. He told me he was flat out - and with the flags starting at only €2 they’re practically a steal.
Team Ireland are officially on their way to O’Connell Street!
The latest from our reporter Conor Pope, who is among thousands of people currently on O’Connell Street waiting for Team Ireland:
Hello, from the steps of the GPO, where the stage has been set for the mother of all homecoming party for Ireland’s Olympic heroes. There’s already a real buzz about the place, despite the fact that there is likely to be no appearance of the athletes for at least 90 minutes. Right now thousands of people have lined the city centre streets leading up from the river and dozens of media folk are already angling for the best spot to witness a piece of history unfold. I have just heard a council worker ask “where the media wrangler is”? I mean we’re an unruly lot for sure but so we really need wrangling?
A closer look at the travel restrictions in place across the city today:
Malachy Clerkin writes: Ireland’s Olympics were emotional. Deeply, achingly, beautifully so. The athletes who wore green over the past 18 days gave so much of themselves to the endeavour that you couldn’t but be moved by it. And nothing felt more real or more raw than Saturday night in the Stade de France.
The women’s 4x400m relay squad have become an incredibly rare thing in Irish sport – a team that has sucked in the Irish public wholesale without there being a ball involved. They have done it by continually upsetting predictions and outrunning expectations. But more than that, they have done it by laying themselves bare, on the track and off it.
In the mixed zone on Saturday night, the four of them came and opened their veins for us, putting no sort of brave face on the pain they were feeling.
The full piece can be read here.
Team Ireland touched down at Dublin Airport earlier this morning
Today’s celebrations will represent the first time an Irish Olympic team have received a civic reception on their return home. Entertainment is to be provided in the afternoon by DJ Dec Pierce before the Irish team takes to the stage.
Two-time boxing gold medal winner Kellie Harrington can look forward to two rounds of celebration – the GPO reception welcoming Team Ireland home scheduled for lunchtime – and a second party taking place not far away on Portland Row for later in the evening.
The bell for the start of the event will ring at 7pm with Harrington making her way down Sean McDermott St from Diamond Park, towards The Five Lamps accompanied by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band.
She will then take the stage at Killarney Street to meet fans who will also be treated to a performance from Sheriff Street vocalist Gemma Dunleavy before hearing from Harrington herself and reliving the magic of Paris 2024.
“It’s set to be an amazing event and one that’s extremely well attended so guests are advised to get there early to avoid disappointment,” Dublin city council said.
Significant traffic disruption is expected in Dublin today as the capital prepares to welcome home Ireland’s Olympic athletes, writes Tim O’Brien.
The homecoming celebrations for Team Ireland will take place outside the GPO on O’Connell Street from 12.30pm. Later in the evening, the community in the north inner city will hold a celebration for local hero Kellie Harrington, who won a second successive Olympic gold in the boxing ring.
To facilitate the celebrations, O’Connell Street will close to all vehicular traffic including busses and trams from 10.30am Monday morning until 5.30pm.
The Red and Green Luas lines will also be affected by closures.
The Green line will be closed between Dominick Street and St Stephen’s Green from 9am until 10pm. Trams will run between Bride’s Glenn and St Stephen’s Green and between Dominick Street and Broombridge only.
There will be no Red Line trams between Smithfield and Connolly/The Point until 10pm.
The following traffic diversions will be in place in Dublin city centre today:
• Northbound Traffic: Diverted on to Eden Quay – Gardiner Street Lower – Parnell Street
• Southbound Traffic: Diverted off O’Connell Street on to Cathal Brugha Street. Option to turn on to Marlborough Street or Gardiner Street Lower and on to Eden Quay.
• Access to the Arnotts car park is limited during today’s event.
Transport For Ireland said all buses with stops on O’Connell street will be diverted from 10am until at least 10pm.
Killarney Street in Dublin 1 will also be closed to traffic and there will be no parking on Sean McDermott Street for 12 hours from 10am on Monday.
Ireland has moved up 45 places in the Olympics medal table since Sydney 2000, write Nora-Ide McAuliffe and Paul Scott.
The Paris Olympics has been Ireland’s best medal performance, moving from 64th position 24 years ago when Sonia O’Sullivan won a silver medal in the Women’s 5000m, to 19th after Team Ireland took home four gold medals and three bronze from the Paris Games.
The full piece (with graphics) can be read here.
Olympic gold medallist Daniel Wiffin has said he was rushed to hospital over the weekend and as a result couldn’t take part in the closing ceremony on Sunday.
In a statement this morning, President Michael D Higgins said he wished to extend his congratulations and appreciation to “all those Olympians who have represented our country with such distinction over the last two and a half weeks”.
“Each of our record-setting medallists has brought enormous joy to all those watching across our island and beyond and has been a source of encouragement,” he said.
“All those who achieved so much by qualifying and competing to such a high standard have made Irish people everywhere so immensely proud.
“The Olympics has been the culmination of four years, indeed a lifetime, of hard work and dedicated training by our athletes and I extend my admiration and appreciation to all those who have competed and given their all across so many sporting disciplines, including personal bests, national records and an Olympic record. In every aspect there has been real achievement.
“Our Olympians’ efforts are a credit to their coaches, their families and supporters, so many of whom travelled to Paris to cheer them on, and to all those who have helped them on their individual and collective journeys.
“The Irish people’s love of sport has been moved on to a whole new level by these Games. As we look to the future, the additional funding which has been promised provides hope that these fantastic results can be built upon in the years ahead.
“May I again send my best wishes to each of our Olympians as they return to their families and communities and the warm reception which they have so well earned.
“I look forward to welcoming them to an event at Áras an Uachtaráin in the near future where I will have an opportunity to personally recognise all that they have achieved.”
