Olympic hero's lap of honour ends in the Aras

Cian O'Connor's marathon lap of honour reached the Phoenix Park last night, when Ireland's first citizen hosted Ireland's first Olympic show-jumping champion at a reception in Áras an Uachtaráin.

In fact, the event was designed to honour the whole Olympic team. But there were no prizes for guessing who was the "man of the moment", as the President herself called him.

It was maybe just as well the show-jumper attracted so much attention.

The road to Athens was a very long one, as Mrs McAleese said in her speech, but the road back must be fairly long too. Of the 49 athletes sent to Greece, little more than a dozen made it to the Áras, although officials, coaches, and other back-up staff boosted the numbers.

Those performers who did make it were rewarded with a eulogy from the President assuring them that, regardless of what they might have read or heard from home over the past few weeks, they were all heroes. On behalf of Ireland's non-athletic community, she told them: "We are deeply envious. You are Olympians! How many people would love to be able to say that?"

There was no Sonia, but next to the MOTM, she got the most honourable mention from Mrs McAleese for her "depths of personal courage" (cries of "Hear, hear!" from the audience).

The President and the Cobh athlete share at least one thing in common, in that currently we're not sure when and if either of them will run again in a major event. And there were no hints from Mrs McAleese last night about her immediate intentions.

She did reveal - tantalisingly - that her slight career as a sportswoman included "a failed assault on a referee" during a 1970s football match involving her husband. Luckily for the referee, she was interrupted. "But not by a priest in a kilt," she added, neatly acknowledging the other notable Irish performer at the recent games.

On the manner of O'Connor's victory, Mrs McAleese said it had "brought out the worst in us". By way of explanation, she admitted joining the rest of the nation in wishing Britain's Nick Skelton (or "other people", as she diplomatically called him) bad luck during his last round. It was reassuring to know that not even the President is above this.

On the steps of the Áras, she posed with the full group of athletes, which included boxer Andy Lee, marksman Derek Burnett, and mountain biker Jenny McCauley.

Then, inevitably, the photographers asked all but one of the athletes to step aside. And used to this by now they shuffled off with good grace, leaving the stage to the President, and the man with the miraculous medal.