Celebrations in Donegal Town as Kelly McGrory returns home to a hero's welcome

Donegal Olympian Kelly McGrory returned home to a hero's welcome in Donegal Town after experiencing what she has described as a dream summer at the Olympic Games in Paris. 

A crowd from the local area turned out to congratulate the Donegal sport star, who was surrounded by her friends, family, members of the Tír Chonaill Athletics Club, and faculty of the Abbey Vocational School on Friday evening.   

“It’s amazing, I think emotional is the word I would use to describe this day, it’s just surreal,” McGrory said on her return to the Abbey Vocational School in Donegal Town. 

McGrory played a crucial role as part of the Irish women’s 4x400m relay team that made the Olympic final and eventually finished fourth, with the Donegal Olympian playing a huge role in guiding the Irish team to the final after running in the early heats. 

On return to Donegal, the Laghy woman was also joined by fellow Irish Olympian Thomas Barr, with former athlete and fellow Donegal Olympian Danny McDaid present to welcome McGrory home. 

“When I was standing at the side of the stage before they welcomed me up, I had this flashback of me sitting at the school awards years ago and everybody being called up to get their awards, and then today, for me to be standing at the side of the stage and being called an Olympian 10 years later . . . it’s a special feeling, it’s hard to comprehend,” she said. 

Reflecting on her amazing summer, she acknowledges how far she’s progressed and the setbacks she’s overcome since the start of the year to get to where she is. 

“I never would’ve thought that something like this would happen to me. Never mind going back to my school days but even at the start of this year, I had my eyes set on going to the World Relays and the Indoors too,” she admitted.  

“But then I picked up a big injury in January which put me out for two months, and at that point I was thinking this wasn’t going well and I don’t have much time to get back fit for the summer. Even when I came back, I picked up another injury and missed the European Championship. 

So, this year had a lot of ups and downs for me, but it came at the perfect time for me. I got my opportunity, I got my chance, and I’m just so happy I can call myself an Olympian. 

“The journey is never smooth, I think it’s been like that for me since I was a juvenile at the club, but even this year alone it’s been a mad journey and I’m just so glad that I kept persevering.” 

For now, McGrory is set to enjoy her time off and allow the occasion to set in, before returning to training in four weeks. 

“I think it’s hard to reflect when you’re in the middle of the celebrations, and to be fair we’re still riding the wave at the moment even though we’re now home,” she said. “It’s been a week since I ran in Paris but it’s like we’re reliving the whole scene again now with our family and friends back home.  

“I think in the next few weeks or months it’ll properly set in. I’ll go back into training and do my end-of-year review and look at everything we achieved and I’ll probably be better at reflecting on it then.”