Gold medalist Rob Heffernan arrives home to a heroes welcome

Marian, Meghan (8), Cathal (10) and Rob Heffernan in Dublin...Athletics Ireland

Hundreds of people were on hand at Dublin Airport yesterday to welcome home Ireland's Rob Heffernan after he won the 50 km walk in the World Championships in Moscow. This is only the third time that an Irish athlete has won a Gold medal at the World Athletic Championships with Eamonn Coughlan winning the 5,000m in 1983 and Sonia O'Sullivan winning the 5,000m in 1995. After an 18 year gap, Rob has now won the third Gold. In an interview at the airport, he said......."The response has been overwhelming, it means so much. I can’t thank Marian and all my support team enough for all their hard work. We are heading on to Cork tonight and I cannot wait to see all my family and friends."

Rob also mentioned his plans to set up a race walking school in Cork........."I’ve a dream of creating a walking school in Cork. I went off and I trained with [Robert] Korzeniowski [multiple Olympic champion] and I trained in Spain and I trained all over the world. And I put my own system together over the last four or five years. I feel I have so much to give back to the sport. I really believe after being away with all the other nations that we definitely have the talent in this country to compete on the global stage. I want to give that back. Even the lads I’m training, Brendan Boyce (25th in Moscow) and Luke Hickey did really well in the juniors. The recipe for success is there.” 

Open top bus in Cork....Doug Minihane

Later in the evening, Rob and his family arrived back on home soil in the Cork. Thousands turned out to welcome Rob home as he paraded through the streets of the southern capital in an open top bus.

Doug Minihane has some photos HERE