Limerick man says it was ‘a privilege’ to give Irish Olympic champs lift home

What a story.

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy won gold in the men's double sculls event last week, their second Olympic gold of their career.

Landing in Dublin airport on Tuesday, the Skibbereen duo reportedly planned to get the Aircoach back to Cork, but a well-placed fan offered them a better route home.

Kieran Duggan, who resides in Mallow, Co Cork, ended up sitting near the Olympic champs on his flight back from Paris and was 'dumbfounded' after hearing they were planning to get the bus home from Dublin and decided to offer them a lift.

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

Limerick man says it was 'a privilege' to give Irish Olympic champs lift home

Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, Mr Duggan said: "One of the guys said 'Kieran has room in the car' and I said 'yeah, I can fit three or four of you in if you want to jump in'.

Mr Duggan said that he couldn't see the Olympians after arriving in baggage claim, but decided to stay back as McCarthy agreed to take him up on his offer.

After finally catching up with the lads and fellow rower Natalie Long, Mr. Duggan proceeded to help pack their large amounts of luggage into the car and start the long journey home.

"We were at the boot of the car trying to figure out how to get all this luggage into the car but we eventually did… it was definitely a pinch yourself moment when I was leaving the car park," he said.

"It was just a privilege, to be honest, to have that length of time by myself with the three of them," he added.

Incredible stuff, what a journey that must have been for Kieran.

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