The most successful Irish team to ever compete at an Olympic games will return home to a warm welcome today.
Carlow native Lara Gillespie was the last out for the side in Paris, placing tenth in the cycling omnium.
“I was hoping for more of course but I gave everything I could. I believe I can get a medal one day” – 23-year-old Lara Gillespie finished 10th in the track cycling omnium, winning the tempo race, at her first Olympics
📱 Updates https://t.co/esPY6j4Tgs#Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/qFXL5huuij— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 11, 2024
Team Ireland – and their haul of seven medals – are due at Dublin airport this morning, and will be whisked into the city centre for a civic reception on O’Connell St.
The free public event starts at the GPO at 12.30, however traffic restrictions will be in place around town from 9.30 am.
Buses will be diverted from O’Connell Street from 10 am, Luas Green line suspended between Dominic St and St. Stephens Green until 10 tonight.
Luas Red Line will also be suspended between Smithfield and The Point from half 9 this morning until 10 tonight.
Kevin Keane Marketing Manager with the Olympic Federation of Ireland says the team will be happy to get home.
Statement from President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins;
“As President of Ireland, may I extend my 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.
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.”
