‘Sharon’s return brings joy to great Irish family’

SMILING alongside Ireland’s most powerful office holders, a grateful but nervous Sharon Commins was praised for her courage and endurance after her 107-day ordeal in Sudan.

President Mary McAleese hosted a reception at Áras an Uachtaráin to mark the safe return from Darfur of the kidnapped GOAL worker.

“Your safe return home has brought huge joy obviously to your parents, your siblings, your friends, your colleagues but believe me as you can see from what you’ve experienced everywhere you’ve gone since you came home, it’s brought huge joy to that other great family you are part of and that’s the family of the Gael, the great Irish family that rallied around you,” said the President.