Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina this afternoon welcomed the Irish Paralympic Team to Áras an Uachtaráin.
The President invited the team that represented Ireland with such distinction at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to the Áras in order to officially acknowledge the achievements of the Team in Paris over the summer.
Those in attendance today included, among others, Orla Comerford, who won a bronze medal in the Women’s 100m sprint, Katie-George Dunlevy who won gold in the Women’s individual time trial and silver medals in the Women’s road race and Women’s individual pursuit and her Pilot Linda Kelly, and Róisín Ní Riain, who won bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Also present was swimmer Ellen Keane, who came fourth in the 100m breaststroke. Ellen previously won a gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 games and a bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
In total, over 70 members of the team and support staff that travelled to Paris for the Games were in attendance at the event as part of the delegation led by Paralympics Ireland president, Eimear Breathnach.
Team Ireland competed between August 28th and September 8th throughout the Paris games with Irish athletes featuring in 55 events in total, delivering six personal bests, five national records, one European record and six medals including one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Speaking at the reception for Team Ireland President Higgins said:
“The six medals our Paralympic athletes won at this year’s Paralympic Games are such significant achievements for which we can all be proud. Each of the record-setting medallists has brought enormous joy to all those watching across our island and beyond and has been a source of pride and encouragement. Indeed all those who achieved so much by qualifying and competing to such a high standard have made Irish people everywhere so immensely proud.
The Olympics and Paralympics represent the culmination of four years, indeed a lifetime, of hard work and dedicated training by our athletes, and I extend my admiration and deep appreciation to all those who have competed and given their all across so many sporting disciplines. In every aspect there has been real achievement.
The Paralympic games demonstrate how, with imagination and the necessary resources, real inclusion can be fostered across society through concerted efforts to promote an inclusive participation from all citizens regardless of circumstance. Watching the games, it was impossible not to be inspired by the spectacle of athletes focusing on what was possible, with great courage and unwavering determination.”
Eimear Breathnach, president of Paralympics Ireland, said:
“We are so proud that the team have received this honour from President Higgins and Mrs. Higgins. We know that they kept a close eye on the achievements of the team throughout the Summer. It means so much to the members of Team Ireland that they were invited to this iconic location to be acknowledged by the President. On behalf of our team I would like to thank the President and Mrs. Higgins for their hospitality.”