Olympic homecoming controversy or storm in a bandwagon tea cup

Avatarr

By our standards this has been a very good olympics. 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze. As a nation, we owe a lot to our olympians who have given us some great memories over the last number of weeks.

However a storm started brewing Saturday evening relating to a homecoming reception for Athletes. We were told by media in print, radio and television, there would not be a homecoming as the Athletes wanted to go home to there families. Taoisigh Enda Kenny and TD Michael Ring indicated we need to respect the athletes wishes. Dublin city council and the IOC echoed these sentimamce. Everybody seemed very understanding of the athletes, but there was a sense of ungratefulness in their comments towards the athletes.

This homecoming was a last minute cobbled affair and the IOC, DCC and politicians were throwing the athletes under the proverbial open top bus to save face.

The real story (or no story as the case may be) is the arhletes had agreed before the Olympics started that they would have a press conference in Dublin airport on arrival home and then they would go their separate ways. Homecoming ceremonies had already been organised in Wexford, Bray, Mullingar and Belfast to name a few (incidentally most were organised well ahead of medal hall, unlike "official" function).

It would have been impossible to have cancel all these homecomings and all the personal arrangements the athletes made in advance in short notice to accommodate the IOC and DCC.

Even Pete Taylor was dragged into the story, he supposedly stopped the open top bus tour of the capital. This was strongly denied by Pete, Mick Dowling and Billy Walsh.

Our athletes and mentors deserved a lot better than this.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/olympics-2012/irish-news/fury-of-katie-taylors-dad-at-irish-homecoming-shambles-3197397.html

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/olympics-2012/irish-news/its-a-disgrace-public-denied-the-chance-to-salute-heroes-3197080.html

gerardduff

Peter Taylor did not say he was against a homecoming celebration (aka public event) following the record breaking performance of the Irish Olympic Team. He (Peter Taylor) was so upset about being misquoted about this he had to go to see the team doctor who prescribed punching Pat Hickey of the OCI about the head 3 times a day for the next week, preferably after meals and without a helmet.

Pat Hickey said relations between Peter Taylor and the OCI were in an excellent condition and would be auctioned later in the week to raise much needed money for Rio Fredinand who is still in a rage following his exclusion from the European Soccer Championship which was held in most of mainland Europe earlier this year. He (Pat Hickey) said Rory McIlroy's three wood would be playing for Ireland in the next hole-ympics, but he could not say whether McIlroy himself would be available for selection. However either way Hickey will be watching from the sideline as he plans to step down from his position as head firefighter and candlestick maker in the OCI.


So says the RTE slow news day team, who are in denial about the ending of the Olympics while Rory McIlroy was beating all around him with a stick on a North Carolina island.

fryup

you know it kinda makes me chuckle...hearing some people suggesting that Dublin could hold the Olympics in the future when we can't even organise a homecoming:rolleyes:

Clareman

I really don't get our fascination with homecomings, yes the boxers had a great showing, don't get be wrong I thought they were brilliant, but they are individuals, let them off to their hometowns for something there if you must. I find it cringworthey at some of the home comings, I remember the farce of Joe Duffy interviewing a bewildered Damian Duff in the Phoenix Park.

Silvio.Dante

Team GB are having theirs' in September. No fuss, no Joe Duffy stirring it...

fishy fishy

its all a bit of overkill now. Sick of hearing about it every time the TV or radio comes on, as I would say the actual winners are too.

Leave them along for heaven sake - its like beating a dead horse at this stage.

martingriff

They are real geniuses really 1st they try to save place by putting the ressponsibilities on other people why there was no homecoming and then when they were was comment from those people they try to hastily create a homecoming on a time where the only people who can realistically get to it are people in the centre of Dublin (working) or those who are working that day. Smart real smart

gerardduff

Following the announcement of a homecoming Cian O'Connor was seen jumping for joy over broom sticks laid around the front lawn of Sir Tony O'Reilly's house. As the Dublin Horse Show is set to begin Pat Hickey said that Ireland's Equestrian participation in the next Olympics was safe and that "Come hell or high horses" the team would be going to Rio in 4 years time with his blessing. He said he couldn't give "Two media tycoons" what the Irish bloodstock industry thought about that. But apparently they are pretty happy anyway.

average_runner

While we got 5 medals which is great, our track and field was well below par, so on that front it wasnt a very acceptable olympics.

I think home partys for their own town is a better idea for the atheletes that did perform

threein99

This home coming is cringing, Des Cahill ordering them to wave up and down the streets

Our man in Havana

It's a very poor show altogether. No one wants to be there.

threein99

Our man in Havana wrote: »

It's a very poor show altogether. No one wants to be there.

The boxers deserve it alright, but this is about 3rd home coming this week

baalthor

Silvio.Dante wrote: »

Team GB are having theirs' in September. No fuss, no Joe Duffy stirring it...

They are having a joint event for the Olympics and Paralympics - which is actually a great idea.

calex71

Watching it on RTé at the minute ...... god awful cringe of the highest order :eek:

threein99

calex71 wrote: »

Watching it on RTé at the minute ...... god awful cringe of the highest order :eek:

Des Cahill asking Katie Taylor how she did in her leaving cert

calex71

threein99 wrote: »

Des Cahill asking Katie Taylor how she did in her leaving cert

I had a bucket here which is now full when I heard that

Tombo2001

Have to laugh at the Indo

On Sunday it was....

http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/olympics-2012/irish-news/its-a-disgrace-public-denied-the-chance-to-salute-heroes-3197080.html

Its a disgrace I tell ya!!!


Today, when the thing happens, they dont even report on it......

www.independent.ie


I genuinely wonder if the Sunday Indo hadnt printed that as a front page headline on sunday, resulting in some politican somewhere choking into his cheerios, if the event would have been cobbled together.....

martingriff

Our man in Havana wrote: »

It's a very poor show altogether. No one wants to be there.

Plus giving it was at one of a Wednesday people are working

Clareman

I only say highlights on the news this evening, was it just me or did no-one want to be there? 5,000 people on a Wednesday in Dublin is a farce, blame the weather as much as you want but there was always going to have been more in Bray the other day than in Dublin today, hopefully the athletes now have finally been told they can have a few weeks without having to wear the tracksuit, by the way, am I the only 1 that thought the athletes should have had some formal wear rather than just the same tracksuit.

The athletes were happy with home coming in their home towns and just wanted a break, they didn't want to be in Dublin, I also feel sorry for the 2 Belfast lads having to come up and down to Belfast, I also think that a ceremony at a sporting venue rather than outside the Mansion house, personally I hope that other sporting organisations invite the medal winners to be guests of honour at some of their big events.

fryup

it was awful, absolutely awful....didn't see the point in it really