Emotional Britton is welcomed home

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• Watch RTÉ's Eamon Horan's report from Dublin Airport as Fionnuala Britton returned home after her historic goal medal win

Ireland’s newly crowned SPAR European Cross Country champion Fionnuala Britton returned home to hero’s welcome in Dublin Airport.

Britton was greeted by well-wishers and the media in Terminal 1 after her stunning success on Sunday in Velenje.

The 27-year-old Wicklow native, a member of Kilcoole AC, was fourth in last year’s event but put that disappointment behind her to win gold.

She ran a determined race to take a wide margin win over Dulce Felix of Portugal, with Gemma Steel of Britain back in third.

The victory was Ireland's second gold medal in the race after Catherina McKiernan's success at the inaugural championships back in 1994.

Britton told RTÉ's Eamon Horan: "You don’t realise that you know so many people and that it means so much to them until you read all the messages.

"I’m so grateful to everyone that helped me get here and it is nice to be able to celebrate with them.

"(During the race) I could hear the British support so I knew that Gemma Steele was getting back at me. I could hear (my sister) Una shouting at me 'you want it more than the rest of them' and that was what kept me going for the first half of the last lap and after that I think I was safe."