Athletes who competed for Team Ireland in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games were welcomed home at Dublin Airport.
Thirty-five athletes competed in nine different sports at the games and finished with six medals - one gold, three silver, and two bronze.
Flight EI525 from Paris touched at Dublin airport shortly before 3pm yesterday.
Family members, friends and supporters waved flags, held banners, cheered and sang "olé olé" as Team Ireland came into the arrivals hall this afternoon.
Team Ireland's returns pic.twitter.com/uwhwSg6ugs
— Dyane Connor (@Dyaneconnor) September 9, 2024
Are Lingus staff formed a guard of honour outside the arrival gates.
Speaking after arriving at Dublin Airport, cyclist Katie George Dunlevy, wearing three medals around her neck, said she "was exhausted but buzzing…it's finally starting to sink in what I've achieved".
Runner Orla Comerford, who won bronze in the 100m T13 100m fina, said: "I feel like I’m on Cloud Nine. It's the stuff of dreams".
"You spend your whole life dreaming of this moment when it finally happens words you can’t find words," she said.
Swimmer Róisín Ní Riain said "it's been a long few weeks" and she is "delighted with her performances".
She added she had "time to look back and reflect and said she is "very happy".
The closing ceremony of the 2024 Paralympics Games took place in Paris last night, where French organisers formally handed over to Los Angeles for the 2028 games.
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin congratulated everyone who has been involved with Team Ireland.
"The Paralympic Games are the culmination of years of hard work and dedication," she said.
"These athletes have inspired the next generation of Paralympians and they are a credit to their families, coaches and communities.
"From the athletes to the coaches, the sporting bodies, Paralympics Ireland and Sport Ireland. And of course the families, friends and supporters of the athletes who make such a vital and telling contribution.
"The Government is investing heavily in sport. It is helping to ensure that our athletes can prepare for these prestigious international sporting competitions in the best possible way.
"We will continue to do so in the coming years, not just in the high performance system but also at grassroots community level."
Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, Thomas Byrne said he had the privilege of being in Paris over the last week "to see at first hand our incredible athletes in action".
"It was fantastic to see the hugely vocal support they received in their competitions and everybody is enormously proud of our 35-strong team," he said.
"They have all represented their country with distinction and have created some truly historic moments this past fortnight that will be remembered for a very long time.
"The Government, for its part, is proud to have supported Team Ireland with record funding to support high performance sport."
'Removing barriers'
Neasa Russell, Chef de Mission for Team Ireland at the Paralympics, has said fundamentally the Games are designed to make the world more inclusive.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said Paris designed the Paralympics into every aspect and that sometimes inclusion can be very conceptual.
"I think what we're trying to do through sport is show that through practices and protocols and processes that actually, you can make things more inclusive and actually credit to Paris what they've done from the very start is design Paralympics in."
She said that it is also "about trying to inspire that next generation with the role models and the representation".
"What we're doing in sport is we're removing barriers and where we're trying to probably role model is into other sectors and industries through and businesses and education in particular that if you adapt and you change the rules, that actually you can include more people into your work and education environments so that we can have more people with disabilities and much better represented because the spirit, the camaraderie, the problem-solving of any person with impairment I've met is well above average.
"They have to day-to-day try and navigate things that are just not set up for them typically. So, absolutely the Games are the platform, they're there to highlight the abilities and it's a a really positive platform.
"And what we hope is that by people watching the telly and getting engaged with that, they start to think a little bit, maybe how might we be more inclusive in our work or education environment. How can we include more people in there".
Ms Russell said more focus and collaboration is needed when it comes to Government assistance.
"It's probably a bit more pointed focus and collaboration and I know that that's there and coming funding certainly is part of it," she said.
"But actually I think again it's a mindset and it's a leadership that needs to come from across the board and not just governments. I'd say within our own sporting sector and also you know that it's not acceptable anymore not to have places and spaces that are not accessible."
She added that equity is also important as many athletes need personal assistance.
"It's a collaboration. I think it's a willingness and it's leadership and we're happy as part of Olympics Ireland starting to play our role in that."
Paris 2024 'a game-changer'
Ms Russell said that she has spoken to ministers and things are moving forward.
"I think Paris has been a real game-changer for us, in terms of the perception of the standards from a sport perspective.
"But also hopefully as well from a wider perspective with the additional coverage that we've got and the profile and the amazing athletes that we have that we get people thinking wider around how can they collaborate and look to be more inclusive in in their environments."
Speaking on the same programme, sport journalist Joanne O'Riordan said: "It's about attitudes. It's about mindset.
"I remember in my primary school, PE time was me being a referee rather than actually being involved or being on the sideline...I wasn't actively engaged in sport as well, and I suppose I'm at the grand old age of 28.
"I've had to go out of my own way to try and get myself involved in different types of activities."
"It's a collaborative approach across all different areas of society. Areas of, Government departments and everything else.
"I suppose in my ideal world, [the] Department of Housing would be in charge of building the facilities and that way they're accessible.
"Department of Health would help out in terms of generating maybe grants or things that they can give into people's pockets literally to go join a gym and then Department of Sport would have the overall focus on that as well as the high performance kind of things."
She said it is cross collaboration that is needed not only amongst Government officials but also people on the ground as well, volunteers, coaches, teachers, whoever it may be.
"And then in that respect, then we're able to get an idea then of what the person actually needs. But I think it's investment needed all around."
She said that often if people with disabilities want to take part in a sport, they are not told no but that it is "tricky".
"That's the last thing you want to hear about your existence is that it's a bit tricky."
In relation to racism that Paralympian Deaton Registe has faced, Ms Russell said it will not be tolerated.
"We very firmly say that we absolutely do not condone any of that and we won't tolerate it either and hopefully what I've seen with Deaton and indeed the rest of the team, the spirit and the camaraderie for me are a real antidote to that kind of ridiculous prejudice.
"Our movement and our team is about inclusion and that's what we celebrate. That's what we focus on and that's what we'll continue to be activists for."
