It was a ticketless event.
Everyone welcome.
Ireland’s Olympic team arrived home from Rio de Janeiro yesterday to a loving but low-key welcome – a far cry from the five-ring circus still playing out both here and in Brazil.
At teatime in Dublin Airport, a small crowd gathered in the basement area to await their heroes. Mostly family and friends of the returning athletes, they could barely suppress their excitement and pride.
Although at one stage, it looked like journalists and photographers would outnumber them. But as touchdown time neared, more people appeared with flags and balloons and homegrown stories of their favourite Olympians.
The media presence was not just to record the homecoming of 45 of our athletes who had performed with such distinction over the last fortnight. There was also a burning interest in how many members of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) would turn up to greet the sportsmen and women who keep them in blazers.
And would Shane Ross, the Minister for Sport, make it to the airport in time for the occasion? This seemed unlikely, as he was on Olympic-related duty late in the afternoon, announcing the terms of reference of the Government's inquiry into the alleged touting of tickets which came from Ireland's allocation for the Games.
In the normal scheme of things, Pat Hickey, the long-serving OCI president, would have been glad-handing the young sports stars and their proud-as-punch parents at the airport reception. Instead, he remains in Rio's Bangu Prison following his high-profile arrest last week as part of a police investigation into the alleged touting.
John Treacy of the Irish Sports Council arrived to pay tribute to the athletes, but all he wanted to talk about was their great performances for their country in Brazil. Which was the right thing to do, chiming perfectly with the sentiments of the supporters who couldn't wait to dispense the welcoming hugs and kisses.
While the medal haul may not have been huge, the number of personal bests and national records achieved was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the returning Olympians.
In a strange way, the squalid happenings away from the field of endeavour have focused attention on the competitors and their families and the sacrifices they must make in order to represent their country at the highest level.
In all the talk of gold, silver and bronze, that is sometimes overlooked. While allegations swirl around between Dublin and Rio, news that some parents were unable to source tickets to see their child compete on sport’s biggest stage appalled decent people back home.
But the competitors just want to compete.
Sporting jamboree
Looking at them and listening to them as they came in from their flight yesterday, it was clear that the machinations of those highly political administrators who oversee the corporate sporting jamboree that is the Olympic Game matters not one whit to them.
Ross could organise any number of inquiries and they wouldn’t care, so long as it didn’t interfere with their training schedules.
As for Hickey, he has not neither been charged, tried nor convicted of anything. Judging by all that has been said and written about him over the past couple of weeks, if unpopularity were a crime, he would be doing hard labour already. But it isn’t a crime.
The flight was delayed, but the Minister for Sport didn’t make the homecoming.
However, the parents and family of Thomas Barr did. They were overjoyed to see him home again after his great exploits on the track. The Limerick University student from Waterford missed out on a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles by a whisker.
“I can’t wait to see him” said his granny, Breda French, before hastily adding that all her four grandchildren are wonderful.
The Maguire family were waiting for the twins, Leona and Lisa, golfing prodigies when growing up in Cavan and now poised to turn professional. Leona was top finishing amateur in Rio, with Lisa working bag for her. Parents Declan and Breda couldn’t make it to Rio as Leona’s place wasn’t confirmed until July, while their brother Odhrán (14) had a major golf competition at home.
The crowd bunched up at the barrier in front of the stairs leading from arrivals. A big cheer greeted the first glimpse of a green and white tracksuit. The athletes piled in, looking unsure of themselves. The crowd kept up the noise. There was a special cheer for Katie Taylor and another for her fellow boxer, Michael Conlan.
A chorus of “Óle Óle Óle” started up.
Navy suit
Then a man in a navy suit arrived. Nobody would have known his name a week ago. The reporters nudged each other.
“Willie O’Brien. That’s Willie O’Brien!”
The man in the navy suit worked the lines of athletes with some speed, shaking hands at a ferocious rate. Once done, he turned on his heels and hurried away.
Reporters ran after him, but Willie steamed through the crowd with Olympian resolve. “Have you spoken to Pat yet?”
He said nothing and was up that escalator faster than Mo Farah after a fall. Katie Taylor quietly slipped away in the crowd. She had a tough Olympics.
Her boxing teammate, Michael Conlan, stood square to the microphones and didn’t give an inch. He’s going to turn pro so doesn’t care whose bunions he steps on in the amateur boxing governing body.
He lost a fight which he should have won and everyone knows it. With his 17 month old baby Lúsine in his arms, he reiterated his belief that boxing is “corrupt.” He has no intention of retracting any of the angry words he spoke in the turbulent aftermath of the judges’ decision which lost him a medal.
Lúsine, meanwhile, listened happily during interview after interview, eating raisins and amusing herself by trying to feed them to daddy too.
Kevin Thomas from Baldoyle brought his five-year-old son Joel along to see the boxers. Joel loves Conlan and Paddy Barnes. His dad brought along a pair of boxing gloves and hoped the team would sign them.
Joel looked at his heroes and threw a few shapes. Then he stood back and punched his father in the solar plexis.
“I’m a fan, but I don’t actually box” groaned Kevin, doubled up.
Silver medal sailor Annalise Murphy showed up to welcome her sailing colleagues. “I’ve had about 12 hours sleep since I came home. I was so tired I didn’t even dream last night. These guys must be exhausted.”
That’s team spirit.
And nobody noticed the dearth of suits.
