Irish citizens on the Government's first chartered flight from the Middle East have expressed their relief at having arrived back in Ireland.
The aircraft touched down at Dublin Airport from Oman just before 5am with 194 passengers on board, of which 180 were Irish citizens.
The plane was delayed on the runway in Cairo, Egypt during a stopover for a number of hours due to technical issues.
It was also delayed in Oman over what was described as a challenging and volatile situation on the ground there.
"It's been a journey," and it feels "incredible to be home", said Sinéad Mullally from Co Meath.
Watch: 'It's been a journey’: Irish citizens return from Middle East on Govt-charter flight
She said the trip was long and there were a "few hiccups".
Ms Mullally added the passengers on the flight were "well looked after" by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Irish embassies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
She said she and her family were in Dubai on holiday and were originally due home last Tuesday.
The flight prioritised bringing home older people, children and people with medical issues amid escalating hostilities between Iran, Israel and the United States.
Passengers who travelled on the plane paid €800 for the cost of the flight.
Children under the age of 16 travelled for free.
Some passengers travelled for up to 52 hours.
Rachel Harper was visiting two friends in Dubai and said they "were safe" in the city.
"I felt safe the whole time, I am pregnant, the UAE did a fantastic job taking care of everybody," Ms Harper said.
Jonathan and Sinéad Ryan were on holiday with their young son in Dubai when the war broke out.
"We will never forget this holiday," said Ms Ryan.
"It is a big deal when we are over there, lying down in bed and listening to bangs … it's crazy, you would feel the windows shaking," said Mr Ryan.
He added it was a surreal experience.
Mr Ryan said he did not mind paying the €800 cost for the flight and added "it was more important to just get home safe and sound".
Amanda Mark was also in the region on holiday and said the journey back to Ireland "was rough" but she is "relieved" to be home.
"We did 15 hours from Dubai to Oman … we had to get off at the border and that was six hours," she said.
Ms Mark said the flight was delayed in Cairo because there was an issue with one of the wheels.
Jacinta Ross from Athlone praised the Irish ambassadors in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"The treatment we got in the UAE was second to none.
"Alison Milton, the ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Gerry Cunningham, the ambassador to Saudi [Arabia], met us in Muscat last night. They rolled out everything for us," she said.
She said everyone involved in bringing them home was "unbelievable".
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the citizens' return will be "an enormous relief for themselves and for their families and friends".
In a statement, Ms McEntee said: "It was a challenging journey, in particular for those who travelled over land to Muscat, but I am glad that we have been able to directly facilitate the return of nearly 200 people, including a number of children and infants."
"The last week has been incredibly distressing for our citizens in the Gulf.
"The situation remains volatile, with further attacks on the UAE and other Gulf countries today, and on Iran," she added.
Around 18,000 Irish citizens across the Gulf region have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs since last weekend.
The department said an intensive consular support operation is under way for those across the region who have been impacted by the conflict.
This week, five commercial Emirates flights have taken hundreds of Irish citizens from Dubai to Dublin.
The daa says flights to and from the Middle East continue to be disrupted due to airspace restrictions.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for more information.
