In Diamond Park, all they wanted was gold.
And Kellie Harrington delivered, because she’s an absolute gem.
From this little green oasis off Seán McDermott Street, the inner-city crowd roared on their local hero with a passion to match Irish intensity in the soaring stands of Roland Garros in Paris.
“Go Kellie, Go! From the kids of Portland Row” read the message on the T-shirts of the littlest ones up the front staring up at the huge screen, screaming for Kellie and swooning for the photographers.
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This was very much a community experience: a neighbourhood coming together once more to savour another stunning success by one of their own on the world sporting stage. Their Kellie, doing it for Ireland and doing it for them.
And, yes, everyone went doolally for the Olympic champion the first time around. They were bursting with pride then too for Kellie and her family.
But that famous victory in Tokyo happened an hour after dawn in Portland Row, in a country still in the shadow of Covid.
Three years later, success came an hour after sunset for a wide-awake and restriction-free populace. And this time, in Dublin’s north inner city, everyone could join in.
From little babies who will have the perfect answer in years to come when people ask “where were you when Kellie won gold number two?” to senior citizens advised to steer clear in the pandemic days to the large cohort in the middle who can’t handle crack-of-dawn starts, Tuesday night’s nine-minute bout fell perfectly for them.
They will remember the glorious end of Day 11 of the 33rd Olympiad, when their Kellie Harrington boxed her way into the history books as the first Irish woman to win back-to-back gold medals for Ireland.
Around a thousand people gathered in the small park to watch her fight old foe Wenlu Yang from China.
Dublin City Council, in conjunction with the North East Inner City Initiative, organised a live public screening on a massive eight-by-three-metre screen. It may not have been Roland Garros, but there was sense that something magical was about to happen and after Paris, Diamond Park was the next best place to be.
St Patrick, aka Liam Mooney, was one of the early arrivals. His green, white and orange vestments and green beard looked in very good nick.
“They’re 35 years old if they’re a day. I even wore them once on a Christmas Day in Australia.”
As for Kellie, she’s a saint too.
“She’s a credit – not only to the north inner city but to the whole country. And her feet are still on the ground.”
Cllr Christy Burke said we should name the August bank holiday in her honour.
“She’s done more to bring this community together than all the governments have in over 30 years.”
He introduced us to a man in an Ireland jersey with a green beret and a large Tricolour, veteran community worker Joe Dowling.
“Fair enough,” said Joe. “I’m on the Cliff Richard tablets.”
It was a very fetching beret. Where did he get it?
“Lourdes.”
Joe had made sure there was a seat kept for Angie Broderick from East Wall at one of the tables. She has been in very poor health for the last couple of years with serious respiratory problems.
“I had to be here to see this because myself and my sister Marie had the bunting up and posters in the windows when Kellie was in Tokyo. It’s been a difficult few years since then and I lost Marie to cancer last year.
“I still have her phone and I keep it in service. Now all her memories from three years ago are coming up on it – the good times we had supporting Kellie. That’s why I had to be here no matter what.”
Singer Eddie Sherlock of The Rattling Coins did a barnstorming solo reprise of his Queen of the City tribute song to Kellie, first performed three years ago at her triumphant homecoming. Eddie said he’ll tweak the lyrics before the next one.
Kaylynn Purtill from nearby St Mary’s Mansions brought along her three-year-old daughter Autumn Byrne, who brought along her favourite doll.
“This is my little baby. Her name is Aggie. Kellie is going to win,” she declared with great certainty.
As the minutes slowly moved on, it was the younger ones doing most of the singing and chanting. The adults were more subdued as the fight drew closer, but not close enough.
Paris was running behind schedule.
Anxiety levels rose.
When the opening bell finally sounded, Dublin was watching from behind its fingers.
The crowd erupted when Kellie appeared. But it was a nervous ovation, heads and eyes tilted upwards towards the big screen in nervous hope and expectation.
Nine excruciating minutes.
The judges handed the Dubliner a big lead after the first two rounds. Now she just had to box clever and hold on until the final bell.
But one never knows with boxing.
We held our breath.
Kellie Harrington, in the blue.
Blue, St Patrick’s blue, the colour of Ireland. And now, the colour of Dublin’s double Olympic champion.
She danced for joy around the ring.
They danced for joy around Diamond Park.
Sure we never doubted her.
Chloe Keegan (26), from Coolock, thought she was going to pass out from the suspense. “I came straight from training at Emmet Brennan’s gym off Gaelic Street in the North Strand. I could hardly watch Kellie. My nerves are gone.”
She started boxing when she was younger because she was being bullied and was encouraged to take up the sport to build her confidence.
Chloe fought her first fight in 12 years just two weeks ago. Kellie’s success encouraged her to go again. “I just think it’s amazing to see so many women getting out there and doing it.”
History was on many minds.
Patty Doyle (86) lives off the Clonliffe Road. “I wanted to come down because it’s history in the making,” she said. “I watched her at the last Olympics and I’m only delighted to be able to give her the support.”
She was with her daughter Mary Michie and two grandchildren, Hannah and Emma. They are over on holidays from Aberdeen and Patty wanted them to witness this special moment too.
It was 11pm when a radiant Kellie bounced back into the ring to receive her gold medal.
When she stood on the winners’ podium, hand on heart, crying tears of joy as the Irish national anthem rang out over Roland Garros, her north inner city neighbours cried with her in Diamond Park.
They can’t wait to get her home when they will shed tears of pride and joy together.
Down the road in bunting-festooned Portland Row, Kellie’s parents Yvonne and Christy stood outside their front door and quietly enjoyed this wonderful moment with neighbours and friends.
Immediately after her win, the freshly minted legend said she is “98 per cent sure” she is going to retire from boxing.
“That’s the last hurrah, I’m done.”
Done boxing, maybe.
Last hurrah?
Definitely not.
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