Rio heroes’ homecoming: Samba time in Skibbereen as thousands celebrate O’Donovan brothers’ return

Well, you don’t get to welcome home Olympic medalists every day of the week.

Gary and Paul O’Donovan received a hero’s welcome back in West Cork last night as thousands of people lined the streets to watch an open top bus parade, with Skibbereen in full Italia ’90 mode by the time it pulled into the Fairfield.

There was a carnival atmosphere in the town for a number of hours before the parade got under way, summed up by the sign in one shop window explaining early closure due to “mardi gras”.