OFFICIAL HOMECOMING FOR TEAM IRELAND ATHLETES
The athletes and staff who represented Team Ireland at Tokyo 2020 this summer were formally congratulated at the Official Team Ireland Homecoming in Dublin Castle last Friday.
A record number of Irish athletes competed at the Summer Olympics in Japan with 116 athletes competing across nineteen sports. The President of Olympic Federation of Ireland, Sarah Keane, and CEO of Sport Ireland, John Treacy were joined by the Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister Catherine Martin, Minister of State Jack Chambers and His Excellency Ambassador of Japan to Ireland, Mitsuru Kitano at the special event to honour the athletes.
Athletes were presented with gifts to recognise their achievements as Olympians at the ceremony, which included music by musician Roisin O. Top class memorable performances and emotional moments captured the nation for two weeks, in a Games that netted two Olympic titles and two bronze medals for Ireland, with a record number of eight athletes stepping on the podium.
Congratulating the athletes and team at the official event Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “I am delighted to honour and pay tribute to the Team Ireland athletes and staff for an Olympic Games that will live long in the memory.
Minister Catherine Martin added, “The path to the Tokyo Olympics was like no other and the resilience shown by the athletes in combatting every challenge that the pandemic put in their way was remarkable and inspiring. They refused to give up on their dreams of becoming Olympians. They have undoubtedly inspired today’s youth to pursue their Olympic dreams in Paris in 2024, LA in 2028 or Brisbane in 2032.”
President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland Sarah Keane said, “The Olympics is not just about the performances but also about the experiences and an important part of that is the opportunity to welcome our Olympians home to Ireland after the Games itself. This is the first proper opportunity we’ve had to do this, and we’re delighted to officially recognise and honour the achievements of our 2020 Olympians, especially on the back of what has been a challenging year for everyone.”
Kieran Mulvey, Chairman of Sport Ireland said, “Today is a fitting celebration to acknowledge all of our athletes for their wonderful performances and commitment in Tokyo. It is also an important occasion for their families, support staff and NGBs. All of our athletes can be extremely proud of their efforts in Tokyo.”
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