Crowds greet Team Ireland Olympians in Dublin
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- Image source, Getty Images
Image caption, The Ireland Olympic team arrived back at Dublin Airport on Monday morning ahead of a homecoming reception in the city centre.
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Crowds have gathered in Dublin to welcome athletes from Team Ireland as they return home from the Paris Olympics.
It is the first time the Irish Olympic Team have received a civic reception on their return home.
They won seven medals at Paris 2024 - four gold and three bronze - with four of those medals taken by athletes from Northern Ireland.
Three athletes from Northern Ireland won medals as part of Team GB, who arrived back in London on Monday afternoon, will have a homecoming event on Saturday.
Gold medal winning swimmer Daniel Wiffen takes a selfie in front of the crowd in Dublin
Rhys McClenaghan, Daire Lynch, Philip Doyle, Mona McSharry, Daniel Wiffen and Fintan McCarthy hold up their medals
It is Ireland’s most successful Olympics team - 100 years after it first took part in the Olympics.
The team flew into Dublin Airport and travelled to the centre of Dublin for a free public event on O'Connell Street.
Swimmer Daniel Wiffen, who won a gold and a bronze in Paris, told Irish broadcaster RTÉ it felt good to be back home to celebrate.
"It's been amazing, what a journey," he said.
"Thank you to everyone for showing us support over the past couple of weeks.
"You're really what is making us win these medals."
Wiffen made history in Paris, becoming the first Northern Ireland athlete to win an individual gold medal since 1972.
The 23-year-old, from Magheralin in County Down, won gold in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1500m freestyle.
Rhys McClenaghan said his Olympics was a "fairytale story"
Gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, who won pommel horse gold, said the support was incredible.
"We only got a taster of it over social media while we were out there but to see it in person, this is incredible," he said.
"It was a fairytale story for me and it continues."
McClenaghan said he and his fellow Irish athletes were a "big family".
"We've all been a part of making this a historic result for Team Ireland," he said.
"I think all of us here will forever be a close knit group of friends, a family."
McClenaghan completed the gymnastics' 'Grand Slam' after winning gold.
The victory mean the 25-year-old gymnast from Newtownards in County Down had won the top prize in the World, European, Commonwealth and Olympic tournaments.
With no more competitions until next year, McClenaghan said he would take some time to relax and enjoy his success.
Cora-Jane and Riley were among those ready to welcome the athletes
Aine and Niamh also gathered outside the General Post Office
On O'Connell Street, two young fans, Cora-Jane and Riley, said they were most excited to see 400m runner Rhasidat Adeleke.
Riley told BBC News NI he thought the Olympics were "really good".
Cora-Jane added that it was very important to see Irish women competing in the games.
The Ireland team arriving at Monday's reception with a bus load of medals
Rower Philip Doyle waves to the spectators at the homecoming event
Rower Philip Doyle from Banbridge won bronze alongside Daire Lynch in the men's double sculls.
The 31-year-old dedicated his medal to his late father, Eamonn, who passed away in 2015 from cancer.
He acknowledged the huge success athletes from Northern Ireland achieved during the 2024 Olympics.
"To see so many Northern Irish athletes doing so great over the past few days has been amazing. It's really spurred me on," he said.
Boxer Kellie Harrington defended her Olympic title, while Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan picked up Ireland's other gold medal with victory in the lightweight men's double sculls.
Mona McSharry rounded off the medals with a bronze in the women's 100m breaststroke.
Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said an extra €400m (£342m) would be announced for sport in the coming weeks.
This would also include funding for a new national velodrome and badminton centre.
What other events are happening?
Team GB returned from Paris by Eurostar
The National Lottery is due to host a homecoming event for Team GB at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday.
The event will be hosted by Emma Willis and Vernon Kay, and broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer.
Individual homecomings have also been announced for Olympians across Northern Ireland.
Daniel Wiffen is to be welcomed back to his hometown of Magheralin on Tuesday, with the event starting at 19:00 BST at St Patrick’s Church Hall.
Hannah Scott is due to attend a Coleraine Town Hall reception 16:00 on Wednesday, while Rhys McClenaghan will be honoured with a parade from his local gym to Conway Square in Newtownards on Friday at 16:00.