Ireland’s Paralympic team arrived back into Dublin Airport on Tuesday night to a tumultuous return.
Family members and supporters waited in Terminal 2 for the team and hung out green, white and orange balloons around the railings in the arrivals area.
The team won four golds, two silvers and a bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics which ended on Sunday night. They arrived back on an Aer Lingus plane at 10.30pm last night.
Among those arriving were double Paralympic champions, tandem cyclists Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal. The pair also won a silver medal.
Partially sighted Dunleavy said there will be other celebrations in Dublin, the UK and her father’s home county of Donegal.
Ms McCrystal, who is a Garda based in Ballybay, Co Monaghan, said she was looking forward to seeing her two daughters again.
The parents of Dubliner Ellen Keane (26), who won gold in the 100m breaststroke were present to greet their daughter.
She told RTÉ that after five years of preparation, which included the delayed Rio games last year, that she is looking forward to some rest.
“I just want to take some time, chill out, be a normal person for a few weeks and then get back into the pool,” she said.
Para swimmer Nicole Turner (19) who secured a silver medal victory in the 50-metre butterfly, told The Irish Times it was an “amazing” feeling to be reunited with her family.
Her mother Bernie described her as an inspiration to all young children who have a disability.
Paralympic sprinter Jason Smyth, the most successful Irish Paralympian in history with six gold medals, arrived back to Belfast separately last week.
