The Dubliner made history over the weekend.
In lieu of a large homecoming celebration, Olympic gold medalist – and pride of Ireland – Kellie Harrington will travel through Dublin’s inner city on an open top bus tomorrow afternoon.
The 31 year-old entered Irish sporting history yesterday by becoming the country’s ninth gold medalist after defeating Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira in the women’s lightweight boxing finals.
Her victory made this year’s summer Olympics Team Ireland’s most successful since 1996.
The Portland Row hero will return from Tokyo tomorrow afternoon, and after touching down in Dublin airport, she’ll hop on an open top bus set to travel through the north inner city.
The exact route and schedule are yet to be confirmed, but due to Covid-19 health measures, Dublin City Council is asking only for local people to line the streets to welcome her home.
Niall Ring, an Independent Councillor said: “We are encouraging only local people to come along tomorrow.
“We’d love to share Kellie. We’ve no problem with sharing but unfortunately with the Covid restrictions and Kellie being a frontline worker herself, I think people will appreciate that maybe it’s not possible to share her at this stage.”
The open top bus tour comes amid larger calls to honour Kellie Harrington.
Cllr. Ring has also proposed that the Olympic champion and frontline hero should receive Dublin’s Freedom of the City award.
He said it would be a “fitting recognition of her achievements”.
If the proposal to give Harrington the Freedom of the City is accepted, she would make history as the first boxer to receive the award.
Shortly after her victory yesterday, Kellie spoke about how it feels to have the whole country behind her.
She said: “It’s just fantastic. I can’t wait to get back home. I’m absolutely exhausted to be honest. What a journey, it’s just fantastic.
“There have been times in my career when people say the whole country is behind you. This time I really, really feel the whole country is behind me.”
