Thousands gathered along Dublin’s main thoroughfare to celebrate the homecoming by Irish Olympians

Irish gold medallists Fintan McCarthy, Rhys McClenaghan and Daniel Wiffen have taken to the stage at a homecoming event in Dublin.

They were joined by bronze medallists Mona McSharry, Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle.

McCarthy said his Olympic journey was “surreal”, adding: “I just trained really hard and managed to get two of these (gold medals).”

He teased that he and his gold medal partner Paul O’Donovan could join Lynch and Doyle for a four-man rowing event at the 2028 Olympics.

Wiffen, the 800m freestyle swimming champion who also won a bronze medal in the 1500m race, said: “I definitely felt the whole country backing me going into it.”

He predicted that he and his twin brother Nathan would win gold and silver in the same event at the 2028 games in Los Angeles.

McSharry described her participation as a “dream come true”, adding: “All the hard work paid off and I got to experience something so magical.”

Boxer Kellie Harrington’s parents were among the families who gathered outside the GPO on O’Connell Street draped in tricolour flags.

Children held signs celebrating Harrington’s second gold medal and one girl was seen holding an “I heart Mona” banner to celebrate swimmer Mona McSharry’s bronze medal.

Others sat in windowsills and looked out from above rooftops to catch a glimpse at the celebration.

More than 100 Irish competitors, including all Olympic medallists, are to attend the event.

The entire country has been cheering on Irish Olympians, Ireland’s premier has said.

Simon Harris told a homecoming event in Dublin that “very little work” had been done in the country during the Paris Games as people went “hoarse” from cheering on Irish athletes.

Speaking on the stage, the Taoiseach said that the Irish team inspired children around Ireland.

“I’m so delighted about today that the athletes and their families who’ve been away in Paris are getting to see what it’s like because up until now, they’ve been somewhat in the Olympic bubble.

“But they’re back here today realising that this whole country – 5.6 million of us – have been cheering them on.

“We’ve been hoarse from cheering them on, and today we got a chance to say one amazing thing to them: ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.'”

Kellie Harrington said to win gold at the Paris Olympics after gold in Tokyo was the “stuff of dreams”.

“It hasn’t actually sunk in yet, but it’s the stuff of dreams to be honest with you,” she said.

“I think it’ll only be in a few weeks when I actually sit down and have time on my own to think back over the last 20 years … I’m just looking forward to having that time to myself … to see how far we’ve come.”

She added: “I never underestimate anybody, and I always expect the worst when you’re stepping in there and and I tried to take the pressure off myself by expecting the worst.

“I wasn’t worried. I wasn’t fearful. Sometimes the fear of losing can be greater than the joy of winning and I didn’t let that happen. I just went out there to enjoy myself, and all I wanted was to be happy. That is genuinely all I wanted, was to just be happy and I’ve never been as happy boxing as I have been out there when I’ve been boxing and I think that’s because I knew this is it now, like this is the last leg of the journey, and after this, I’m finished. I’m done. I’m dusted. So lets just enjoy it.”

Responding to a shout of one more year and speculation she could take another Olympic gold, Harrington said: “I’m done”.