Irish jockey Christy McGrath, who was serving a prison sentence for murder in Britain, was repatriated yesterday to Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.
His family in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, had been seeking his return to Ireland for several years and they are now hoping that he will be moved to Portlaoise Prison within the next fortnight.
The 29-year-old national hunt jockey was convicted in 2001 of the murder of Gary Walton in Coundon, Durham, in July the previous year.
He has always maintained his innocence. His sister Caroline said the family was "absolutely thrilled" at his return to Ireland.
"He is in great old form. He rang home earlier today and said he felt so human because he was not being called by his prison number, he was called by his name."
She said some of the prisoners knew about his case and the prison officers had been very good to him.
The family will see him on Saturday and she said visiting would be so easy, compared with a 24-hour trek to and from Gartree Prison in Leicestershire.
"My mother has been crying all day, she's so excited that he's home," she said.
"The phone is hopping. It's amazing how fast the word has spread."
The repatriation was approved last July and the family were disappointed when he still had not been returned home by Christmas.
McGrath has suffered ill-health since his imprisonment, mainly due to a heart condition.
She said the family would be even happier when he was moved to Portlaoise, an hour away.
The visits lasted longer there and relatives were not separated from prisoners by a glass screen. "We'll be able to reach out and give him a hug," she said.
The campaign to clear McGrath's name has been backed by 160 TDs and senators as well as British MPs.
The human rights solicitor Gareth Peirce is now working on the case and hopes to find enough new evidence to return the case to the British courts.
