Captain Kenny lands on his feet at hero’s welcome

KENNY EGAN was boxing clever as always at the Irish Olympic team’s homecoming.

Approaching the waiting crowds, his three choices were — play the cool captain and leader of men, the cheeky chappy ever-ready with a joke, or the boy from the suburbs who dared to dream of conquering the world and got 99% of the way there.

As he braced himself for a barrage of questions, he boldly opted for all three. He spoke of his pride in bringing a medal home and his hopes that it would inspire youngsters to get involved in sport.

“There are too many young lads hanging around street corners. If I can get two more kids to join Neilstown Boxing Club, then that’s my achievement. That’s what it was all about.”

He joked about the pints that would be poured for him, a blackcurrant cordial drinker, in his local pub, and how, apart from a sore finger and a shiner below his right eye, he was physically unscathed after his bouts.

“Everything’s in working order,” he smiled in the direction of his girlfriend Karen, waiting patiently for a few private moments with her man. “And I mean everything.”

He spoke of what might have been. “All I wanted when I was growing up was to win the Dublin leagues but then after that I wanted to win more.

“It was always like a stepping stone. It was everything to me just to qualify but then I wanted to win medals. It still kills me today. I know the gold was just there. It was on my fingertips and I lost it.”

But there was no talk of losing allowed yesterday. From the moment the flight carrying the squad touched down, dignitaries straightened their ties, banners were unfurled and fans strained against cordons in the arrivals hall.

Three fire tenders with lights flashing and sirens blaring led the plane in, an Irish flag billowing from the cockpit while family members waved frantically from behind the glass of a viewing area.

When Ireland’s silver medallist stepped out with fellow medallists, Darren Sutherland and Paddy Barnes, he took the roars, applause and a hundred cameras in his stride.

He assembled his men and choreographed them into good photo shots. All holding medals. All biting medals. All arms around one another. Captain Kenny was in control. Paddy was far more buoyant than when he’d last spoke. “Ach, it’s better than nothing,” said the wee Belfast man of his decision not to refuse his medal after all.

Darren was exuberant. “It’s great to have something to bring home,” he said of his bronze medal. “It shows that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

Behind the triumphant trio came almost all the rest of the 54-strong Olympic squad, minus a handful of early departures and the equestrian team who travelled home from Hong Kong last Friday.

They didn’t have medals to show off but many had personal achievements to cherish. Among them were sprint semi-finalist, Paul Hession; steeplechase finalist, Roisín McGettigan; 5,000m finalist, Alistair Cragg; fourth-placed canoeist, Eoin Rheinisch; Irish record-breaking swimmer, Andrew Bree, and top 10 finishers in the 20km walk events, Olive Loughnane and Robert Heffernan.

The speechmaking ended with Sports Minister Martin Cullen giving a roaring tribute.

“Only you can understand what it’s like to be at the white heat of battle, to start at the starting line, to get on to a bike, to climb into a boat — the mental, physical and emotional strength needed to compete at the highest level. We are hugely proud of everything that you have achieved over the last number of weeks.

“None of this talk of going professional,” the minister said, nodding to Kenny. “We want to see you in London in 2012.”

But for last night at least, all the athletes were being urged not to think too much, just to enjoy.

As the Black Raven Band led the squad into the hall, their playing was drowned out by the voices of ecstatic family, friends and supporters all waiting to shower their loved ones with congratulations.

But none more so than Kenny Egan, who was greeted by a crowd going wild, mad to catch his eye, to pat his back, to touch his medal or just to chant his name.

If there were any thoughts of losing, they appeared to have disappeared. Kenny had found a fourth option for his homecoming bout — he could play the hero without even trying.