An event to honour Northern Ireland's Olympic and Paralympic competitors will be held at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed.

Mr Lyons told MLAs that it was right that the achievements of local athletes should be marked.

Northern Ireland enjoyed its most successful ever Olympics at Paris with six athletes bringing home seven medals.

Prior to Paris, there had not been an Olympic gold medal winner from Northern Ireland for 36 years since Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood were members of the Great Britain hockey team in Seoul and no individual gold medal winner since Mary Peters won the pentathlon in 1972.

placeholder image — From left, Michael Robson, Jack McMillan, Rhys McClenaghan and Rachel McCann during a homecoming celebration in Newtownards following the Olympic Games. An event has been confirmed for Belfast's SSE Arena to celebrate every athlete from Northern Ireland selected by Team Ireland or Team GB for Paris across the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. (Photo by Mark Marlow/PA Wire)

However, Paris saw gold for Rhys McClenaghan (gymnastics), Jack McMillan and Daniel Wiffen (swimming) and Hannah Scott (rowing). Rebecca Shorten (rowing) won silver, with Philip Doyle (rowing) and Wiffen collecting bronze within the 30-plus selection from home across Team Ireland and Team GB.

Northern Ireland had nine on show at the Paralympic Games within Team Ireland and Team GB squads in Claire Taggart, Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Deaten Registe, Chloe MacCombe (Catherine Sands, guide), Judith MacCombe (Eimear Nicholls, guide), Katie Morrow, Jessica McKenna and David Ross.

At Stormont, DUP Strangford MLA Harry Harvey asked Mr Lyons: "What plans do you have to ensure that we adequately celebrate and recognise the phenomenal achievements by all our Northern Ireland athletes at both the Olympics and the Paralympics?"

The minister responded: "I know that he has an interest in this with a gold medal winner coming from his own constituency and I was delighted to be able to celebrate with Rhys, Jack and others.

"I am pleased to be able to say there will be a celebration event for all of our athletes, not just those who were medal winners. It is absolutely right that we celebrate their achievements and that event will be in the SSE Arena. I may even invite all members here as well so we can all celebrate together."

Mr Lyons also said it was important that the Olympics and Paralympics leaves a legacy for sport in Northern Ireland.