Whether you’re planning on heading to the O’Connell Street homecoming or wondering if you should avoid the city centre and have a ‘WFH’ day– here’s everything you need to know
They come home as Ireland’s most successful ever Olympic team, with four gold medals across four different sports, and three bronze.
It will be the first time Team Ireland have received a civic reception on their return home from the Olympics, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of Ireland’s participation in the Games.
Here’s everything you need to know…
Remind me of our medallists?
Swimmer Daniel Wiffen took home the gold medal in the 800m freestyle, setting an Olympic record and returning to take his bronze medal just days later in the 1500m freestyle.
Mona McSharry also won bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Both swimmers were selected as the flagbearers for the closing ceremony in Paris.
Rowers Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle took bronze in the double sculls, while Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, the rowing duo from Skibbereen, Co Cork, raced to gold in the lightweight double sculls.
A homecoming will be held at Cork County Hall at a later date to celebrate the Skibbereen rowers and the success of Bandon athlete Phil Healy in the 4x400m relay.
Rhys McCleneghan became the first Irish gymnast to win gold in the Olympics, earning first place in the pommel horse while Kellie Harrington became Ireland’s only two-time Olympic gold medallist in the boxing ring.
And the other achievements at Paris 2024?
Team Ireland saw history made and Olympic finals reached by athletes like Tallaght AC sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke, who became the first Irish woman to ever reach an Olympic sprint final and just narrowly missed out on a medal when she placed fourth.
The women’s 4x400m relay saw Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy, Sophie Becker and Sharlene Mawdsley set a new national record as they placed just two-hundreds of a second from third in their Olympic final.
The sheer size of Team Ireland broke records to become the largest number of Irish athletes to compete in an Olympic Games ever, with a 133-strong contingent.
When does the homecoming party take place?
The homecoming event for the Irish Olympians will take place on O’Connell Street in front of the GPO from 12.30pm, with Block Rockin’ Beats DJ Dec Pierce set to warm-up the crowd before the athletes take to the stage.
“We’ve all enjoyed watching the Irish Athletes do us proud in Paris,” said the Lord Mayor of Dublin James Geoghegan.
“Now is our chance to tell them in person just how proud we are of them. I have no doubt their efforts will have inspired lots of girls and boys all over the city and country to try and be like them some day.”
Team Ireland Chef de Mission Gavin Noble said Irish athletes performed “outstandingly” and “have inspired the nation with their endeavours at the Olympic Games”.
“We are really proud of each and every one of them, and we would like to thank Dublin City Council for hosting such a special event to honour them.”
What other parties are planned in the capital?
A special message lit up the Samuel Beckett Bridge this weekend to celebrate their achievements in Paris, while Kellie Harrington will receive her own local homecoming event on Monday evening.
The boxing champion will receive a special homecoming on Monday between 7pm and 9pm, when she will walk from the corner of Dublin’s Gardiner St, up Séan McDermott Street and onto Killarney Street, where a stage will be erected for the event.
The Olympic boxer will be accompanied by the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band and vocalist Gemma Dunleavy.
It will take place just around the corner from her family home on Portland Row, where large crowds gathered in Diamond Park during her Olympic bouts to watch her historic journey to gold.
Some lamp posts around her north inner city home have already been painted gold to honour her success in the ring.
In order to accommodate the special homecoming event held for Kellie Harrington, Killarney Street in Dublin 1 will be closed to traffic and there will be no parking on Séan McDermott Street from 10am – 10pm.
What are the transport diversions?
There will be a number of transport diversions and suspensions in place in Dublin city centre today to accommodate the homecoming of the Irish Olympians, with all bus stops on O’Connell Street diverted from 10am.
Some city centre Luas services on the Green and Red line will be suspended from 9.30am until 10pm.
Services on the Green line between Dominic and St Stephen’s Green will be suspended from 9.30am until 10pm to facilitate the event, while services on the Red line between Smithfield and the Point will also be suspended between 9.30am until 10pm. Valid tickets will be accepted on Dublin Bus for the duration.
O’Connell Street will be closed to traffic from 10am until 10pm and those planning on attending the event are asked to enter the street from the O’Connell Bridge end and follow the event signage and stewards’ instructions.
Gardaí released the following details:
The following traffic and travel plans will be in place from 10.30am on Monday morning.
• A road closure on O’Connell Street from 10:30am to 17:30pm will be in operation today.
• A single lane will remain open on O’Connell Street from 5:00am to 10:30am and from 17:30pm to 22:30pm.
• The LUAS Green line will be closed on O’Connell Street from 10:30am today.
• The LUAS Red line will be closed from Abbey Street to Jervis Street from 10:30am today.
The following traffic diversions will be in place in Dublin City centre today:
• Northbound Traffic: Diverted onto Eden Quay – Gardiner Street Lower – Parnell Street
• Southbound Traffic: Diverted off O’Connell Street onto Cathal Brugha Street. Option to turn onto Marlborough Street or Gardiner Street Lower and onto Eden Quay.
• Access to the Arnott’s car park is limited during today’s event.
