This is the golden age — Ireland has never had a World Championships like this

What the 28-strong team did at the Japan National Stadium was simply exceptional

Ireland's Kate O'Connor with her women's heptathlon silver medal at the World Athletics Championships at Kabukicho in Tokyo, Japan. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Ireland had never had a World Championships quite like this. Not even close. 

Granted, they had won gold on this stage before — via Sonia O’Sullivan, Eamonn Coghlan, Rob Heffernan and Olive Loughnane — but track their overall impact at those respective editions and you quickly realise something about Irish athletics: The golden age is now.