MIDNIGHT IN DUBLIN’S north inner city, and the dust is settling on Kellie Harrington’s golden moment. A little under an hour-and-a-half earlier, Diamond Park erupted as the local hero became Ireland’s first female back-to-back Olympic champion. on Gardiner Street — a stone’s throw from Harrington’s home on Portland Row — but as the clock hit 12am, all that remained was a handful of workers.
The stage had been taken down, the park cleaned, and the finishing touches were being put on restoring normality to the complex, as two stewards chatted away. “There were a lot more there tonight,” one man remarked, referencing Saturday’s semi-final success. “Packed out.
” “Some noise at the barrier,” his colleague beamed, before reenacting The Moment. “In blue..
. YEEEAAHHHHH!!!” ( ) *** That chant echoed around Dublin 1 all night. You could hear it long before spotting a group of excited kids on Champions Avenue, wearing green from head to toe, preparing to head to Diamond Park.
Harrington wouldn’t take to the ring until well after 10pm, but entry to the screening — hosted by The North East Inner City Initiative and Dublin City Council — was from 9pm. arrived around ten past: you’d suspect it opened slightly earlier than advertised, and the park filled up with each passing minute on a fine summer’s evening. The big screen showed shots of Harrington in front of the Irish flag and with her gold medal at Tokyo 2020, the message loud and clear: Best of luck, Kellie.
Parents chatted and kids milled around; some draped in tricolours and Ireland football jerseys, others holding handmade signs, with their faces painted or ribbons in their hair. Some older lads had security on alert incase their play fighting got out of hand. They needn’t have worried: this was a brilliant evening, which showcased the very best of Dublin.
Singer Eddie Sherlock and the Arkins Dance Academy provided some entertainment as the atmosphere built and day turned to night. Nearly go-time. The Final Countdown played.
Confirmation of a 14-minute delay was met by nervous groans, but nothing could really puncture the mood. The noise levels rose once more when RTÉ showed the live scenes from Diamond Park. Inception.
“Gold all the way,” one of Harrington’s cousins told Marie Crowe. “She’s going to do it!” The roars got louder every time Harrington flashed up on the screen, and it all reached fever pitch as she entered the ring at Roland-Garros. She was clapped, cheered and whistled; a baby even thrown in the air.
Her opponent, Yang Wenlu of China, was expectedly booed. One last, ‘Go on Kellie,’ and we were off. The tension was palpable through cagey opening exchanges.
Once that Kellie chant was heard from Paris, it was echoed in her locality. People watched nervously from balconies and rooftops, others stayed in their apartments and you could see the blue and red on TV screens dotted around the vicinity. All eyes back to the big screen for the first-round result.
4-1. Phew. Harrington turned on the style in the second stanza, Diamond Park throwing each and every punch with her.
From ‘s viewpoint at a tight angle just left of the screen, she and Yang almost turned flat and sideways, akin to the TV kid, Mike Teavee, on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 3-2. Boom.
Barring disaster in the final round, Harrington would retain her gold medal. A young boy on his father’s shoulders repeatedly blessed himself. Others couldn’t watch.
The nerves, the pride, the joy. A whirlwind of emotions. Finally! “Kellie Harrington from Dublin, double Olympic champion,” RTÉ commentator Hugh Cahill exclaimed.
We would await the judge’s scorecards, and The Moment. “In blue..
. YEEEAAHHHHH!!!” Countless arms lifted along with Harrington’s through an unmerciful roar. There were fists in the air, Irish flags waving, people jumping, others embracing, and tears flowing.
Cars, busses and fire brigades beeped as they passed, and “Olé, olé, olé” was sung repeatedly as the park cleared out. “Good night, Irene,” as Harrington said, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career. Over on Portland Row, her emotional parents, Yvonne and Christy, sang Grace outside their home.
Their daughter did so shortly afterwards, almost 1,500km away, ringside in Paris with the coveted gold medal around her neck. Beautiful scenes as the dust began to settle. *** Midnight in Dublin’s north inner city, and all is quiet now.
The lights are off in most houses, but the green, white and orange bunting shines bright. Through muffled sounds, it appears someone is already re-watching the fight. They’ll do so over and over and over.
At Harrington’s home house, one good luck card sits in the window. It’s the only real distinction from the others nearby. The Pride of Portland Row will return to a hero’s welcome next week.
As heads for home after an unforgettable day, Harrington’s words before the final come to mind. “Whether I win or lose I am going to go home to a great family and an absolutely brilliant community. I know my community is super proud of me.
“Whether I win or lose, they’re part of me and I’m part of them and I honestly can’t wait to get home and celebrate with them.” Golden..
