Offaly's Special Olympians party the week away

It's been a week of celebrating for Offaly's three Special Olympic medallists, with homecoming parties dominating their time since their return last Tuesday from the World Special Olympic Summer Games in Athens with six medals between them. Cloghan's John Michael Gannon won two gold and two silver medals in gymnastics, Clara's Gary McCabe picked up a bronze medal with the basketball team and Croghan's Patrick Moore got gold with his football team. Gymnast John Michael Gannon from Cloghan turned 18 on the day of his homecoming and was welcomed home with a lavish party thrown by his neighbours in Hill View Estate in Cloghan. "The day he went we started planning for him coming home," John Michael's neighbour Bridie Reams said. "It couldn't have worked out better to be honest, even the weather was good to us." John Michael's parents Christy and Patricia travelled out to support their son in Athens, and were back in Dublin airport last Tuesday to welcome Team Ireland home. After visiting John Michael's 86-year-old grandmother in Tullamore hospital, they arrived back in Cloghan at 6.30pm. A covered trailer was set up for bands to play and John Michael even joined in singing 'Celebration'. Crowds ate their way through 288 burgers and 190 sausages, while surplus crisps and minerals were brought to John Michael's second homecoming party the next evening in Athlone thrown by his school St Hilda's. Manager of the local Spar Patrick Farrell presented John Michael with a €100 voucher to use for himself in the store across the road from his house. Meanwhile in Clara Gary McCabe's father Dermot was surprised to arrive home and find flags flying for his son in the town they've lived in for just over two years. "I was shocked really because I wouldn't know them all very well," he said. Knowing Gary just two years didn't stop neighbours following his efforts in Athens however, and Dermot said there was "a lovely welcome" waiting for him. In Croghan footballer Patrick Moore was welcomed home with a party in Croghan on Wednesday night, and another in Tullamore last night (Thursday). Trainer Leslie Francis, who was in Athens along with 16 of Patrick's family, said a few hundred people showed up to a party that went on until the early hours of the morning. "Everyone met at the crossroads and Patrick went up in a tractor and trailer to the local community centre with everyone marching behind him." Patrick, Gary and John Michael were part of a 126 strong Team Ireland, the tenth largest delegation at the games that saw 7,500 athletes from 185 nations compete in 23 different sports.