Paralympians take centre stage at Farmleigh

It’s official — even our leaders can only dream of the adulation now being afforded to Ireland’s Paralympic athletes.

As Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other cabinet members welcomed the successful Paralympians to a sun-dappled Farmleigh House yesterday for a special celebration of their 16 medals at the London Games, hundreds of students from nearby Mount Sackville formed first a guard of honour and then a cheering chorus of approval for the team.

As the politicians posed for pictures with the likes of double gold medallists Michael McKillop, Mark Rohan and Jason Smyth, one pupil was overheard asking: “Who’s the guy in the Labour Party again?”