The world athletics silver medallist, Gillian O'Sullivan, was being feted in Kerry last night in her home townland of Minish near Killarney.
Kerry might have lost to Tyrone in the football, but Gillian's victory softened the defeat.
The Killarney walker is a regular sight as she trains on the roads by Minish and past Darby O'Gills bar and hotel at Lissivigeen. Customers and the proprietor, Mr Pat Gill, were planning a big homecoming, as they have done in the past.
All the family, including her father, Pat, who is the local postman, her mother, Alice, and her two brothers and sister were in Paris to see her championship race.
"The last time she came back from Australia there was a big celebration here, and she was presented with a plaque by the local community," Mr Gill said.
Gillian was active locally in promoting sports events and regularly performed the honours for local clubs, he said.
Many people had become confused and thought she was from Farranfore in mid-Kerry, but this was because she walked with that club, he added.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, congratulated Ms O'Sullivan on her performance. "All of Kerry and Ireland can indeed be proud of Gillian's achievement in Paris," he said.
"Gillian's commitment and training over the past year have paid off with rich dividends. She now stands proud with Eamon Coughlan and Sonia O'Sullivan, being only the third Irish athlete to win a medal at these prestigious championships," he added.
Mr O'Donoghue said that Ms O'Sullivan was a living embodiment of the success of the Irish Sports Council's international carding scheme. A total of €2 million had been allocated to athletes this year from the council's annual budget of some €28 million, he added.
Meanwhile, contestants in the 45th Rose of Tralee Festival donned football jerseys yesterday in honour of the semi-final football clash of their host county, Kerry, with Tyrone.
For New Orleans Rose Ms Katherine Duckworth (21), an integrated communications student at Spring Hill College in Alabama, there was little doubt which side to take.
Her relatives are from Kerry, Tipperary and Clare, and she was backing the Munster team whole-
heartedly.
However, Ms Sheena Trainor (21) from Philadelphia was showing her true colours in support of Tyrone.
The music and education student has grandparents from Tyrone, Donegal and Monaghan.
The 26 Roses were going through rehearsals for their TV programmes before donning formal dress and, accompanied by their escorts, paying a visit to the LE Eithne, the naval ship docked in Fenit harbour in honour of the Roses.
Among the escorts is Lieut Tom Hobbins of the Naval Service, who is the only Kerry escort this year.
He is escorting the Luxembourg Rose, Ms Deborah Maher (25), a business analyst whose parents come from Dublin.
The festival, which has received Failte Ireland funding of some €225,000 in the past two years is expected to generate around 160,000 bednights for the town and attract a quarter of a million visitors.