Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth athletes honoured with homecoming event

By Rebecca Black, Press Association

Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth Games athletes have been honoured with a homecoming reception at Stormont.

It comes after the region’s athletes scooped Northern Ireland’s second-highest ever haul of medals at the Games in Glasgow.

Gold medallists Gary Kelly and Adam McKeown (bowls) and boxer Jon McConnell were among those personally congratulated by Communities Minister Gordon Lyons at the event on Wednesday evening.

In total, Northern Ireland athletes won 16 medals – three gold, including Kate O’Connor (heptathlon), four silver and nine bronze.

It is the most medals won since the 2022 Games in Birmingham (18).

Mr Lyons said he wanted to reflect the pride felt across Northern Ireland for the achievements of athletes across so many sports.

“Qualifying in and of itself is an incredible achievement, and so many of our athletes achieved personal bests, got further than they thought that they would, and some were medallists as well, so that was an absolutely fantastic Games and a real buzz across Northern Ireland and a real willingness to get behind our athletes,” he told the Press Association at the start of the event.

“That’s why I am hosting this event tonight so that we can recognise their success and celebrate it.”