IT HAD the virtue in yesterday's weather of being indoors, but Olympic athletes were a bit thin on the ground at the homecoming lunch in the headquarters of AIB.
Having survived the watery receptions at Dublin Airport and the GPO, the third leg of the individual medley proved too much for Michelle Smith who had been and gone before many of the guests arrived.
The other members of the Smith family wandered around, picking up plaudits and presentations. In Michelle's absence, Francie Barrett donned the mantle of star of the show. The 19 year old boxer, who carried the national flag and a bit of national history with him to Atlanta, was in great demand signing autographs, giving interviews and receiving advice from his elders.
One of those who spoke to him was the Irish gold medalist at Barcelona, Michael Carruth. "I told him not to turn pro," said Carruth later. "He's too young. There's plenty of time for him to compete in another Olympics and then go professional if he wants to. I didn't do it till after my second Olympics, when I was 26. A boxer's only coming into his prime then."
Indeed, Carruth hopes none of Ireland's Atlanta boxing team will be lost to the professional ranks before Sydney. "I know it's easy for me to say that, but I think they've all got time on their side."
The man himself was in buoyant mood and looking forward to his second homecoming last night in Galway. He didn't mind yesterday's weather "the crowed were brilliant". He didn't mind carrying the flag for hours in the Atlanta heat, that was an amazing experience.
And, after the initial disappointment, he didn't even mind losing his second round fight to a man who went on to win a medal, given his lack of experience.
It was too early to talk about his future, he added. "I'll have a chat about it with Chick (Gill an his trainer) and hear what he has to say. He'll always put me right."
Hurdler, T.J. Kearns, had wisely had a change of clothes before the lunch. With yet another national record under his belt, he was looking forward to a fourth Olympics in Sydney, when he will be 34. As for Atlanta "I'd have liked to qualify for the semi finals as well as getting the record, but half a loaf is better than none."
He's getting on, he concedes, but having lowered his personal bests in nine of the last 10 years he's not finished yet. "My time of 13.55 puts me in the top 40 in the world, I suppose, and the top 15 in Europe," he said. But I know I can go faster and I think I can get it down to the 13.40s.
Not surprisingly, those survived to appear at yesterday lunch included the sailors. Dan O'Grady and Garret Connolly described their form in the Olympic soling class as "started like dynamite, finished like lead", while David Burrows had the opposite experience in the star class, with much the same overall result.
All admitted the weather on their return was "pretty grim" but they were impressed by the goodwill shown, not just to Michelle Smith, but to the whole team. The Atlanta experience had taught them that there was no substitute for experience, but such was the extent of the commitment required by the sport that none of them was automatically declaring their interest in Sydney.
In the midst of all the athletes, Opel's Arnold O'Byrne wandered around being mistaken for Ronnie Delaney. "It happens to me everywhere I go. We both went to the same school and I turned out on O'Connell Street to watch his homecoming in 1956, but apart from that we've nothing in common."
Opel is better known for its involvement in another Irish team, though Arnold was quick to point out that it sponsored the Olympic team, too. But on the smouldering question of the day the provision of a 50 metre swimming pool Arnold was a hard bitten realist. It'll never happen. What do you think?"
