Twice in just a few hours Dublin opened its arms, its heart and its roaring lungs to two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington, but unlike at the civic reception held in front of the GPO in the afternoon, the boxing great had the stage – set firmly in her home place – all to herself as night fell slowly over the city.
Not since Italia ‘90 has the capital come alive with such gleeful sporting enthusiasm, and while it remains a legal requirement for any Irish crowd to sing Olé, Olé, Olé on request, a tune about a pre-execution wedding has suddenly joined it in the nation’s celebratory song book, unlikely as that may once have sounded.
Harrington’s emotional rendition of Grace in Roland Garros after winning gold last week is unlikely to ever be replicated, unless she performs the mother of all U-turns and defends her Olympic crown in Los Angeles in four years time – something she repeatedly ruled out on her big day out in Dublin.
However, the song was still sung with considerable gusto repeatedly by her fans over an emotional evening that will linger long in the memories of everyone lucky enough to be there.
The support for local hero Kellie from the north inner city streets around Portland Row has been fierce for years, but it reached fever pitch as she boxed her way to Olympic glory for the second time in Paris.
For each of her bouts, her neighbours and friends gathered in Diamond Park to cheer her on her glittering journey to gold, and the public displays of affection prompted Dublin City Council to do the right thing and organise a separate homecoming to the one she enjoyed alongside the other Team Ireland Olympians in the city centre hours before.
Earlier in the day, she was first among equals, taking to the stage before the other medallists to give a predictably humble interview in which she thanked her coaching team, the people of Ireland and her local community, before she was followed by Ireland’s other Olympic medallists.
Daniel Wiffen was there with the gold medal he won in the men’s 800m and the bronze he picked up in the men’s 1,500m. Rhys McClenaghan was also weighted down by the gold he picked up on the pommel horse, and there was a popular appearance from Fintan McCarthy who, along with Paul O’Donovan, rowed to golden glory in the men’s lightweight double sculls. They were joined by Mona McSharry, from Co Sligo, who won a bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke and rowers Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch, who also took home a bronze.
But by the evening it was all about Kellie.
By 7pm, hundreds of people had gathered on Killarney St, where they cheered as a screen played footage of Harrington’s first glorious homecoming three years ago. A frazzled man in need of sun cream walked through the rows of people trying to sell Kellie car reg plates – two for a fiver.
Gerry Stafford from East Wall wasn’t buying. “Sure what would you be doing with those?” he asked, before turning his attention back to Harrington.
“She is just an inspiration to everyone here, especially the kids,” he said. “This is a rundown and neglected part of town and she has done so much to build it up. When would we ever have thought that a girl from the north inner city would have two Olympic gold medals?”
Not far away stood a girl with dreams of one day having a medal of her own. Isabella Hughes lives in Rathmines but boxes in Harrington’s St Mary’s Boxing Club out in Tallaght. Like Harrington, she is a lightweight, and she has even been in the ring with her hero but only in training. “We have worked together in the gym but I’ve never boxed her, not yet. I do know she is just brilliant, she has so much time for everyone. She is an inspiration to us all.”
Ciara Ellington and her sister Jackie’s were looking a little lost as they gazed down in the direction of the Five Lamps and wondered where they should go next.
Ciara had travelled into the city from Meath to go to the first round of the homecoming in the city centre, and after “a pit stop in the Ferryman” the pair were sufficiently refreshed to go again.
“Isn’t it just amazing to have so many medals?” Ciara said. “And to see the Irish flag being flown by so many people and for the right reasons. It is just so lovely.”
Jackie nodded enthusiastically. “It’s like we’re reclaiming the streets,” she said.
By 7.30pm there was no sign of Kellie on Killarney Street but spirits were still high with every house festooned with Tricolour bunting and everyone looking and sounding delighted apart – from the two lads selling commemorative “gold” medals who weren’t finding many takers.
When The Irish Times asked how much they were, the hawker looked us up and down and said “a fiver”.
For one?
“Yeah for one, what do you expect? They’re gold medals.”
Okay so.
Where is she? When is she getting here?
By 8pm the place was abuzz with questions, but then the sounds of the Raglan Road, as played by the Dublin City Fire Brigade Band, played out and there she was. And then she was gone again.
After a fleeting appearance, she 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 inspiring 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”.
