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Athletics:Cheers, flags, flowers and applause greeted European silver-medallist Derval O'Rourke when she arrived at Dublin Airport this afternoon.
The airport's arrivals area was thronged with well wishers including Minister for Sport Mary Hanafin, all intent on giving the Cork athlete the welcome home she deserved.
O'Rourke finally gave Ireland something to cheer about at this year's European Championships when she put in a storming performance to secure the silver medal in the women's 100m hurdles final on Saturday.
Her time of 12.65 also set a new Irish record in a performance that makes up for an otherwise disappointing campaign from the Irish squad. She secured Ireland's 11th medal in the history of the Championships.
The first inkling that O'Rourke was in the building was an announcement over the airport's public address system congratulating her on her win. Then airport police at the glass-doored entrance to arrivals stood back to allow the athlete through.
A cheer went up from sports fans, friends and family and the cameras snapped as she smiled and held up her medal.
She shook hands with the minister and was presented with flowers by sisters Sarah and Grainne Hanley, aged nine and "nearly five", who hailed from Skryne, Co Meath, close to the home of her trainer, Terry Cahill.
They two girls made the presentation on behalf of Athletics Ireland.
O'Rourke said she was very tired, but excited to be home.
"I am dying to get into my leaba," said O’Rourke, who was presented with her silver medal at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona yesterday.
She said she was very happy with her medal win.
"I love getting national records because you want the national record to be as quick as possible and now it's getting so the Irish national record is quicker than a lot of the other European ones, so it is quite exciting and hopefully it will stand for a couple of years after I retire.
"When I look back on my career whenever it ends, the only thing that will count is medals because they go into the history books and can't be taken away,” added the former world indoor champion after the final. She also won silver at the 2006 European Athletics Championship in Gothenburg.