Homecomings: Public receptions for medal winners

The Olympic team will arrive back into Dublin Airport Terminal 2 at 1.25pm today for a private reception.
It will be followed by a press conference. Members of the public will be unable to cheer the athletes through arrivals as they will leave by a separate exit.
The athletes will then go their separate ways, though public receptions will be held for gold medallist Katie Taylor in Bray, Co Wicklow, and silver medallist John Joe Nevin in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, later.
A public celebration for fellow boxing medallists Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan will be held in Belfast tomorrow.
BRAY
Bray is to welcome home Taylor and fellow Olympian Garda Adam Nolan with an open-top bus parade and concert on the seafront.
Bray Town Council has urged fans to “get out and shout” one more time as it announced its programme of events to welcome the Olympians home.
An open-top bus will make its way from 4pm to the bandstand on the seafront. Live music will entertain fans, followed by a fireworks display at 9.30pm.
Bray Town Council have advised that anyone planning on attending this event should take public transport where possible.
There will be traffic restrictions on Strand Road and this road will be closed to traffic from 1pm along with Meath Road, with local access only. Ahead of this event, there will be limited parking available in Bray at Florence Road, Herbert Road, Carlisle Grounds (Quinsboro Road) and St Thomas’s School (Novara Avenue).
MULLINGAR
Thousands are expected to attend a welcoming ceremony for Westmeath’s two Olympians in Mullingar this evening.
An open-top bus will carry Olympic silver medal-winning boxer John Joe Nevin and Olympic showjumper Joseph Murphy through the streets of Mullingar from 6.30pm.
The parade will be led from Patrick Street to Cusack Park, arriving at 7.30pm for a formal ceremony.
Large screens will display footage of both Olympians’ performances at Cusack Park where entertainment will be laid on for the public from 6.30pm.
BELFAST
Olympic boxing heroes Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan return to Belfast today, where they will be welcomed at a special reception at the Titanic Belfast visitors centre, starting at 5.30pm.
Members of the public will get a chance to show their appreciation for the Olympic bronze medal-winners on Tuesday afternoon, when an open-top bus will take the two boxers and their immediate families on a tour around Belfast city centre. The tour is expected to begin at 1pm at Writer’s Square, proceeding down Royal Avenue and finishing with a triumphant circuit of City Hall.
On Wednesday afternoon, a homecoming celebration is planned in Coleraine, for the Co Derry town’s three rowers for Great Britain, Peter Chambers, Richard Chambers and Alan Campbell. The Chambers brothers won silver in the lightweight men’s four final, while Campbell won a bronze medal in the men’s single sculls. All three men are members of the town’s Bann Rowing Club.

 RONAN McGREEVY, EOGHAN MacCONNELL and FIONOLA MEREDITH

Irish Times