A flotilla of small boats bedecked with flags was in Dalkey sound to welcome Susan and Peter Gray, and accompany them on the final, short lap of their great adventure.
The welcome home was "fantastic", said a thrilled Ms Gray as the party continued in the Royal St George Yacht Club yesterday evening.
From Killiney, Co Dublin, the Grays set out from the yacht Club in 1995 on their 41ft Bermuda rig Waxwing.
"Peter had retired and we always loved sailing, dinghies and other boats, and cruising," said Ms Gray.
Mr Gray, a former president of the Irish Sailing Association, was the Irish team manager at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada.
Mr Gray said they bought the boat and wanted to sail to Australia to see family.
"We sailed through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal and the Pacific Islands.
"We spent three years in New Zealand, one year in Australia and a year in South Africa.
"We left South Africa in February, and came back though the south Atlantic, north Atlantic and the Azores."
They had one serious incident when they got caught in a "bad storm" in the south Pacific on the way to the French Polynesian Gambia Islands.
They lost most of their valuables and money, but "limped into the islands where we got lots of local help and then we went back to New Zealand".
The two main highlights were New Zealand and the south Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. "We loved New Zealand and Vanuatu, which was so remote, so unspoilt by tourism and very friendly."
While away in total for eight years, the couple flew home for short breaks five times. "We kept up with what was going on at home."
Ms Gray added: "We would very much like to bring the boat back to New Zealand, but whether we will sail it or get someone to sail it or ship it isn't yet planned."
