Broadcaster Terry Wogan was honoured in his native Limerick last night, where he was awarded the freedom of the city.
He joked that a two-hour flight delay from Heathrow to Shannon was a planned effort by him "to make an entrance".
"It feels great to be here because I spent two hours sitting on the tarmac in Heathrow waiting for the plane to take off. I think somebody in England doesn't want me to have the freedom of Limerick, but I'm going to take it anyway, unworthy as I am," he said.
Reputed to be the most listened to broadcaster in Europe, Sir Terry Wogan joins a list of other high-profile recipients of the Freedom of Limerick title, including former US presidents John F Kennedy and Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II and businessman JP McManus.
"It's a wonderful honour and I'm very unworthy of it in view of the distinguished people who have been made freemen of this great city," he said. He has already received an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick and earlier this year he received a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the Limerick Person of the Year awards.
The Freedom of Limerick was also conferred on one of the country's leading portrait artists, Limerick-born Dr Tom Ryan. Dr Ryan is a former president of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) who has painted taoisigh, presidents, cardinals and university chancellors. He also designed the old £1 coin and the current 50 cent coin.
Meanwhile, in Dublin yesterday Milo O'Shea, the actor who helped immortalise one of Dublin's most famous literary characters, was honoured for his life's work. The 81-year-old who famously played Leopold Bloom in the film adaptation of James Joyce's Ulysses received an honorary degree from University College Dublin on the eve of the city's Bloomsday celebrations.
O'Shea also starred in the 1960s BBC sitcom Me Mammy and featured in many TV shows including the US comedy Frasier.