Watch: Heroes welcome - and a free lift home to Cork - for Olympians O'Donovan and McCarthy

They may be on top of the world, but Skibbereen duo are nothing if not grounded

Paul O'Donovan, left, and Fintan McCarthy of Team Ireland celebrate with their gold medals after winning the men's lightweight double sculls A final at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Irish Olympic heroes Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy received a welcome fit for heroes after touching down in Dublin on Tuesday, before - in the most Irish of circumstances - taking a fellow passenger up on an offer of a free lift back to Cork.

O’Donovan and McCarthy’s impressive win in the men's lightweight double sculls final last Friday made them the first Irish athletes to defend an Olympic title since Pat O'Callaghan back in 1932.

And the win also saw O'Donovan become Ireland's most decorated Olympian, the only Irish athlete to medal in three games: Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

The pair walked out through the doors of Dublin Airport's Terminal 1 to applause and cheers from fans and onlookers gathered there on Tuesday evening.

They may be on top of the world, but the Skibbereen duo are nothing if not grounded. Asked how they were planning on getting back down to Cork, they said they were headed to catch an Aircoach back to Leeside.

But fellow passenger, Ciarán, who got chatting to them on the plane, would hear none of it. He promptly offered the gold medalists a lift all the way home to Cork, which they accepted.

Private jet? Limo? How would you travel home if you’d just won Olympic gold?!

Rowing champs Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy landed @DublinAirport today & planned to get the bus to Cork.

Then the guy they’d sat next to on the plane offered them - & their gold medals - a lift.. pic.twitter.com/5ue1BShOJZ

— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) August 6, 2024