Good morning, a homecoming reception for Team Ireland following the Paris Olympics will take place today in front of the GPO, beginning at 12.30pm.
The celebration, organised by Dublin City Council in conjunction with the Olympic Federation of Ireland, is the first civic reception for an Irish team on their return from an Olympic Games.
The event will be free and ticketless with the public invited to “come along with family and friends and help give our wonderful team the homecoming they deserve”.
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The latest from our reporter Conor Pope, who is among thousands of people currently on O’Connell Street waiting for Team Ireland:
Hello, from the steps of the GPO, where the stage has been set for the mother of all homecoming party for Ireland’s Olympic heroes. There’s already a real buzz about the place, despite the fact that there is likely to be no appearance of the athletes for at least 90 minutes. Right now thousands of people have lined the city centre streets leading up from the river and dozens of media folk are already angling for the best spot to witness a piece of history unfold. I have just heard a council worker ask “where the media wrangler is”? I mean we’re an unruly lot for sure but so we really need wrangling?
A closer look at the travel restrictions in place across the city today:
Malachy Clerkin writes: Ireland’s Olympics were emotional. Deeply, achingly, beautifully so. The athletes who wore green over the past 18 days gave so much of themselves to the endeavour that you couldn’t but be moved by it. And nothing felt more real or more raw than Saturday night in the Stade de France.
The women’s 4x400m relay squad have become an incredibly rare thing in Irish sport – a team that has sucked in the Irish public wholesale without there being a ball involved. They have done it by continually upsetting predictions and outrunning expectations. But more than that, they have done it by laying themselves bare, on the track and off it.
In the mixed zone on Saturday night, the four of them came and opened their veins for us, putting no sort of brave face on the pain they were feeling.
The full piece can be read here.
Team Ireland touched down at Dublin Airport earlier this morning
Today’s celebrations will represent the first time an Irish Olympic team have received a civic reception on their return home. Entertainment is to be provided in the afternoon by DJ Dec Pierce before the Irish team takes to the stage.
Two-time boxing gold medal winner Kelly Harrington can look forward to two rounds of celebration – the GPO reception welcoming Team Ireland home scheduled for lunchtime – and a second party taking place not far away on Portland Row for later in the evening.
The bell for the start of the event will ring at 7pm with Harrington making her way down Sean McDermott St from Diamond Park, towards The Five Lamps accompanied by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band.
She will then take the stage at Killarney Street to meet fans who will also be treated to a performance from Sheriff Street vocalist Gemma Dunleavy before hearing from Harrington herself and reliving the magic of Paris 2024.
“It’s set to be an amazing event and one that’s extremely well attended so guests are advised to get there early to avoid disappointment,” Dublin city council said.
Significant traffic disruption is expected in Dublin today as the capital prepares to welcome home Ireland’s Olympic athletes, writes Tim O’Brien.
The homecoming celebrations for Team Ireland will take place outside the GPO on O’Connell Street from 12.30pm. Later in the evening, the community in the north inner city will hold a celebration for local hero Kellie Harrington, who won a second successive Olympic gold in the boxing ring.
To facilitate the celebrations, O’Connell Street will close to all vehicular traffic including busses and trams from 10.30am Monday morning until 5.30pm.
The Red and Green Luas lines will also be affected by closures.
The Green line will be closed between Dominick Street and St Stephen’s Green from 9am until 10pm. Trams will run between Bride’s Glenn and St Stephen’s Green and between Dominick Street and Broombridge only.
There will be no Red Line trams between Smithfield and Connolly/The Point until 10pm.
The following traffic diversions will be in place in Dublin city centre today:
• Northbound Traffic: Diverted on to Eden Quay – Gardiner Street Lower – Parnell Street
• Southbound Traffic: Diverted off O’Connell Street on to Cathal Brugha Street. Option to turn on to Marlborough Street or Gardiner Street Lower and on to Eden Quay.
• Access to the Arnotts car park is limited during today’s event.
Transport For Ireland said all buses with stops on O’Connell street will be diverted from 10am until at least 10pm.
Killarney Street in Dublin 1 will also be closed to traffic and there will be no parking on Sean McDermott Street for 12 hours from 10am on Monday.
Ireland has moved up 45 places in the Olympics medal table since Sydney 2000, write Nora-Ide McAuliffe and Paul Scott.
The Paris Olympics has been Ireland’s best medal performance, moving from 64th position 24 years ago when Sonia O’Sullivan won a silver medal in the Women’s 5000m, to 19th after Team Ireland took home four gold medals and three bronze from the Paris Games.
The full piece (with graphics) can be read here.
Olympic gold medallist Daniel Wiffin has said he was rushed to hospital over the weekend and as a result couldn’t take part in the closing ceremony on Sunday.
In a statement this morning, President Michael D Higgins said he wished to extend his 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,” he said.
“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.”
