‘Paris is next’: Medal-winning Irish runners get heroes’ welcome at Dublin Airport

“It was a long road, she worked very hard at it and nothing came easy for her. She had a lot of heartbreaks along the way,” says Philip Becker, father of European Championships medalist Sophie Becker.

He was watching the arrivals board of Dublin Airport’s second terminal, rarely taking his eyes off the board as he spoke.

“We’re so proud of the whole team, the four girls just ran so magnificent, so wonderful, it was just unbelievable,” he says, alongside dozens of fans, many of them children excitedly waving Irish flags.

“It’s amazing to see the interest,” he says adding that at home in New Ross, Co Wexford, and more generally, people “latched on” and got behind the athletes.

“The whole atmosphere and the excitement was unbelievable. We’re only starting to come around now, it was an awful nerve-racking day,” he says, his eyes now darting between the arrivals board and the doors beneath it from where his daughter would soon emerge.

“Sophie really put everything into it, and we’re so proud of our daughter,” he says.

The homecoming was the ultimate pay-off for Becker, who was “such a runner” from a young age, which would lead to years of training.

Although their flight was delayed from Rome, the number of fans waiting at the arrivals lounge only grew.

Emily McElarney, an athletics fan and member of Lusk Athletic Club, described the last week as incredible and inspiring.

“We always watch the athletics but to win something was amazing,” she said.

[ European Athletics Championships: How Ireland’s historic week in Rome unfolded ]

Claire O’Reilly, meanwhile, has watched each race from Rome at least five or six times since, and still jumps and cheers each time.

“We’ve had Sonia O’Sullivan as a role model for so long and we’re so used to replaying the footage of her winning her gold and crying.

“Now, we’ve had numerous things to watch this week and replay and scream even though you know the results,” she said.

She darted to Dublin Airport after seeing Sharlene’s post on social media of her travelling home, intent on showing her support on their arrival.

O’Reilly said the athletes have provided “really good role models for our daughters”, saying she is proud to see Irish women on television performing so well.

When the time finally came, and Becker and Mawdsley emerged through the doors, fans, family members and coaches erupted in cheers.

“To actually come home now and share it with all of our loved ones and the ones that were there through all the thick and thin, all the tough times, just makes the whole thing real,” Sophie Becker told reporters.

“It means everything,” she said.

Mawdsley said the support along the way as well as coming home with silver was “second to none”.

“Just being able to put a smile on someone’s face means everything to us, and if it gets more people into sport, it’s great,” she said.

Although having just returned home, “the hard work doesn’t stop” for the two athletes.

“Paris will be the next one, I missed out on the last Olympics so this one will mean absolutely everything,” said Mawdsley.

Martina McCarthy, head of performance support at the Sport Ireland Institute which supports coaches and works closely with athletes in a wide range of areas said the team has been “inspiring”.

“It’s so rare in sport that you actually get the rewards for the work you’ve put in, but this team has really shown how to deliver on the world stage and I think they’ve created hope for any young athlete in Ireland,” she said.