The Special Olympics Ireland team returned home from Austria on Saturday with a medal haul of two gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

The coverage they have gained over the past seven days has been extensive and it is a credit to the organisers that the stories they have shared have had such an impact.

Journalists including Henry McKean from Newstalk and Ian Dempsey on Today FM have been to the fore in bringing the stories of the athlete’s achievement to the widest possible audience. and that has been amplified through the commercial partnerships struck with eir, Aer Lingus and Gala, all of whom have also played a part.

“This was a very special group of athletes who went out and gave everything on the slopes and in the floorball competition,” said Karen Coventry, Head of Delegation on her return back to Dublin with the team.

“They were backed up by 90 volunteers who travelled out and countless more who raised funds and created the clubs from which these athletes and so many more have engaged with sport and emerged with such enthusiasm and joy to compete for Ireland on the biggest of world stages.”

The Focus now turns to regional and Ireland games ahead of the next World Games which will take place in the Middle East in 2019.