Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy are widely renowned for the athletic accomplishments but it is easy to see why their respective characters sometimes takes precedent.
O'Donovan - who has a fair claim to call himself the greatest ever athlete in Ireland - and McCarthy were utterly dominant as they added more Olympic gold medals to their collection in the men's lightweight doubles last week.
The Skibbereen duo have been the premier pair in the sport for years, also winning three World Championship golds together as well as claiming European gold in tandem with one another on two occasions.
Paris 2024: Gold glory for Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy as the Irish rowers defend the lightweight double sculls title they won in Tokyo.#RTESport #Paris2024
📺 Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7
📱Updates https://t.co/18WgncFAEe pic.twitter.com/nVEBkutkPg— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 2, 2024
Sometimes their personalities have taken the headlines with O'Donovan's humble wit coming to the fore back at the 2016 Olympics en route to silver alongside brother Gary O'Donovan in Brazil.
Paul and teammate McCarthy have endeared themselves to the Irish public through their athletic endeavours as well as their brilliant interviews too and this year's event has been no different.
However, their latest act will only further add to their ever growing popularity on these shores.
Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy make unique way home after Olympics
The back-to-back Olympic gold medallists made their way home to Ireland as the track and field sports take over at the Olympics in Paris.
The pair arrived in Dublin Airport on Tuesday as they plotted their way home and how they got there was typically humble.
There was no private jet. No limousine. Instead, O'Donovan and McCarthy found their way back in a way so typical of their nature.
As per footage posted to Twitter by Dublin Airport, the champions headed home with a fellow Cork man named Ciarán, who they met on their flight home.
Having originally intended to get the bus back to Cork from the capital, they were offered a lift by their fellow Cork native.
They duly took up the offer, bringing their coveted prized home in the company of their new colleague in an act of brilliant spontanaety.
Private jet? Limo? How would you travel home if you’d just won Olympic gold?!
Rowing champs Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy landed @DublinAirport today & planned to get the bus to Cork.
Then the guy they’d sat next to on the plane offered them - & their gold medals - a lift.. pic.twitter.com/5ue1BShOJZ— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) August 6, 2024
Excellent stuff and the type of behaviour that embodies why they are adored up and down the country.
