Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington is expected to return to Ireland on Tuesday, but there can be no formal civic reception for the athlete this year due to Covid-19, Dublin City Council has said.
Harrington, who is from Dublin’s north inner city, will come back to Ireland with a gold medal following her Olympic final win against Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira.
She is the second Irish woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing and the ninth person to win a gold for Ireland since 1924.
In a statement to The Irish Times, Dublin City Council said it was “currently reviewing all contingencies in consultation with other relevant parties to ensure that Kellie, her family and the local community can be supported to celebrate her achievement in a Covid-safe manner”.
The council congratulated Harrington on her “wonderful achievement in winning the gold medal at the Olympics”.
Harrington’s friends, neighbours and the local community in the north inner city were “understandably keen for the city to mark her homecoming”, the statement said.
Any celebration would have to have “due regard to public health guidelines” and there could be no formal civic reception on this occasion.
The council “will make a further announcement in the coming days” regarding its plans for Harrington’s return.
