Day eight, medal number eight, and the prospect of more. The Ireland Paralympics team in Rio is motivated by a variety of goals. For some the high watermark is trying to extend personal boundaries in terms of previous achievement. There is considerable merit in achieving personal bests or making finals.

For others the baubles of achievement, medals, represent the sole arbiter of success. Orla Barry and Patrick O'Leary, two of Cork's finest, epitomised those two ends of the spectrum.

The 26-year-old Barry won a silver medal in the F57 Discus final, while O’Leary not only made Irish Paralympic history but in finishing sixth in the KL3 canoe sprint final once again defied convention as dictated purely by qualifying times.

Barry shouldered her remit with typical grit, improving upon her performance in London 2012 where she won a Paralympics bronze medal. She had previously won silver at the World Championships in Doha (2015) and gold at the European Championships in Italy earlier this year.

Sporting pedigree is all well and good but useless unless underpinned by performing on the day. Barry’s moment came in the third round, propelling the discus a tad over 30m. Coincidentally, the gold medallist, Algeria’s Nassima Saifi, chose that moment to define the outcome of the final; she had three metres to spare.

There is nothing tiresome about success, so even though Barry has enjoyed plenty she has not become blasé about winning. “It feels fantastic, it really does, but I don’t think it has sunk in. ”

Best throws

The top eight throwers after three rounds go forward, to complete the same number again. The Cork woman sets a simply remit from the outset. “It’s very hard to get in a second time and raise it again.

“I go in with a plan of telling myself ‘you must get your best throws into the first round’ because by the time the second comes around you’re tired, you’re hot and you’ve been out there for a long time.

“The adrenaline isn’t as high as it is in the first round, so you really have to be at your peak in the first round and then it’s almost like the second round is a bonus. I went into the second round all guns blazing, but I knew I wasn’t as fresh.”

That assessment was certainly borne out by the distances.”

Barry prefers the “straight six rounds” favoured at other tournaments, pointing out that she tends not to improve on the resumption. So what about the burgeoning medal haul?

“Maybe I can complete the collection. To know that you’re progressing, that your hard work isn’t going to waste and for everyone at home supporting you and my coaches; it’s for all of them.”

There was nothing modest about O’Leary’s ambition. The 43-year-old Cork-born, Galway-based canoeist appreciates that there was a little bit of clear water between him and the three medal winners at the Lagoa stadium on a balmy morning on Thursday. It’s not to denigrate his effort.

Increments

He’s improved in increments all season, and in the Paralympics final continued on that upward arc. “You obviously go in hoping against hope but looking at the performance of the three guys that medalled it would have taken an awful lot [to beat them]. Anyone who finished ahead of me, I know how hard I worked so they must have worked bloody hard to get there. I am proud of what I did. If what I have is sixth in the world, how bad?”

O’Leary spoke about the technical requirements, breaking down the race into segments and then smiled up when describing the “pure pain” of the last 50m. Posture is key; the bag of bones look will not suffice.

“You have to be a bit of a sadist to do this in some senses. It’s a spectacular sport. I went for my warm down on this course, it was literally the nicest paddle I have ever had, on my own on the lake, looking up at Christ the Redeemer [statue]. You have to pay the ferryman on the day in the last 50 [metres].”

At 43years old, O'Leary was asked about Tokyo (2020). A smile creased his face as he told the story about celebrating the 21st birthday of a German rival at the test event in Brazil last year. He added: "As long as I can produce performances like I did today then I'll be happy.

“If the wheels come off the wagon then I’ll throw in the paddle and just go back to social paddling, that’s fine. My family are up in the stands; there’s 10 of them over, including my wife, Jude, and my two boys, Sean and Joe. They’ve been absolutely the best support ever along with Neil my coach. Without all of those I just wouldn’t be here.

Updates

“I came off the water yesterday, we have a Whatsapp group ‘Updates on Pat’ and there were 248 updates on it. I didn’t get through them all but I will. Pictures of candles lit in Courtmacsherry for me, pictures who couldn’t light a candle but drew one and put it next to their computer screen. Every support is welcome and it seemed to have helped.”

No messages from Skibberreen, but you can’t have everything.

In the Handcycling Declan Slevin finished a very creditable ninth in the Men’s road race while Ciara Staunton, in her first Paralympic Games, was 14th.

In Dressage Helen Kearney was placed 12th in the Grade 1A individual test, while the Irish Keelboat of Austin O’Carroll, Ian Costelloe and John Twomey suffered a disappointing day in the sailing, finishing 12th and 14th and drop to 11th overall with two races to go before the medal race.

Ellen Keane finished eighth in the SB9 100 metres Butterfly final perhaps a little tired after her exploits in winning a bronze medal on Wednesday night in the 100 metres Breaststroke.

Nicole Turner finished seventh in the SB6 100 metres final . The 14-year-old Laois girl was swimming in her fifth final from as many events.