Pictures: Hero’s welcome for Special Olympian Stephen

“I was completely shocked, nearly the whole town was there,” Special Olympics gold medalist Stephen O’Leary said of the moment this week he realised his home town of Fermoy was giving him a hero’s welcome.

The town’s cross of Cork Road was thronged with hundreds of people, all hailing the 33-year-old local hero and captain of Ireland’s gold medal winning soccer team.

“I never knew there was a homecoming planned at all, I had no idea till I saw the guards and the fire brigade and then I saw the crowds, it was just brilliant,” Mr O’Leary told The Echo.

He was one of the 73 Team Ireland champions who came home on Monday from the Berlin Special Olympics with an impressive haul of medals, comprising of 24 gold medals, 22 silver and 29 bronze.

The first Ireland soccer team to get to a final in the Special Olympics since 2007, they won six games out of six, going unbeaten for the entire tournament, scoring 31 goals and only conceding two goals.

Of those goals, team captain Mr O’Leary scored six, also getting four assists.

“In the semi-finals and the final, I scored to get us back into those games, so that was pretty amazing, and to chip in with big moments in big games was brilliant,” he said.

“We were the last European team standing, it was between us and Poland, so we’re best in Europe and best in the world, and to be captain has been such an honour.” 

One of 12 Cork athletes who did their county proud, Mr O’Leary has been part of the Special Olympics for 14 years.

“I got started playing soccer, and I never realised how much the Special Olympics would change my life, it’s been a huge part of my life, I really enjoy it, and it’s made me a better player and a better person, and it’s helped me so much through the years,” he said.

His parents, PJ and Máire, said they were filled with pride, and humbled by the show of love from his native town.

“Football is Stephen’s life and his love, and to see him achieve this is the best moment of our lives,” Máire said.

“He worked so hard for this, and training for this achievement has been his life, and we are so, so proud of him.” 

PJ said his son had always loved football, starting to play when he was four or five.

“He went to Scoil Bernadette then in Montenotte and his class were all soccer mad, and the headmaster was all soccer mad, and they won everything, then he got picked for the Irish schools, in a home international, and then he went with the Special Olympics and it’s reaping the rewards now,” he said.

At this week’s homecoming ceremony, Garda Superintendent Michael Corbett, who is in charge of the Fermoy district, presented Mr O’Leary with a silver plate with the garda emblem embedded on it to mark his achievement.

“It’s brilliant to have such a good news story, a young man captaining his national team, not alone did he win a gold medal, but he scored, this is like a fairy tale, to be bringing back an Olympic gold medal,” Supt Corbett said. “It was a truly great night, and it gave the whole town a great boost.” 

Mayor of County Cork, Councillor Frank O’Flynn, said he had been delighted that Stephen’s homecoming had been the very first event had attended in Fermoy as county mayor.

“I was honoured to congratulate Stephen on bringing gold back to Fermoy, Cork, and Ireland, and at this week’s meeting of Cork County Council it was a great honour for me, as a Fermoy person, to propose a vote of congratulations to Stephen, and we would invite him to a civic reception.

“Stephen has done his family, his town, his county and his country very proud, he spoke very passionately from the stage, and I have no doubt – I called him Captain Fantastic – that he is destined for greater things.” Fine Gael councillor Noel McCarthy described Mr O’Leary as an incredible ambassador for Fermoy.

“Not only did he put on a jersey for his country, captain a team for his country, and score a goal for his country, but he brought home a gold medal to Fermoy, and we gave a him a big Cork Road welcome, and he gave us all a mighty lift,” Cllr McCarthy said.

Fianna Fáil councillor William O’Leary, no relation, said that in his four years as a councillor, the homecoming was by far the nicest event he had attended.

“I was in school with Steve in Rathcormac, so I know him a long time, and to achieve Olympic honours once is a great achievement, but to do it twice is incredible, and not many athletes achieve that for their country,” Cllr O’Leary said.

“Stephen as well is one of the nicest, most caring fellas you could meet, and on a human level it was very humbling to see him achieve what he has achieved.” Stephen O’Leary’s dad, PJ, said there will be other events to honour Fermoy’s latest Olympian, among them a party planned for 2 to 5pm on Saturday 8 July in the Wagon Tavern.