Team Ireland double Paralympic medal haul in five beautifully bronze minutes

But then Tuesday evening happened. 7:09pm to 7:14pm happened. Five beautifully bronze minutes. The medal count doubled. Two bronze to go with last week’s two silver.

At their respective 2023 World Championships, Comerford and Ní Riain finished fourth in the two events they got down into their blocks for on Tuesday evening.

Ní Riain occupied that same fourth spot through the butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke legs of her SM13 200m individual medley. She already had one Paralympic fourth to her name from last week, she absolutely didn’t need another.

Turning for home one place off the podium, she had succeeded during a superb breaststroke leg in taking half a second off the Uzbekistan swimmer ahead of her. The Limerick teenager still needed to find another three tenths of a second on the final freestyle stroke. She found them. She touched eight hundredths of a second before Shokhsanamkhon Toshpulatova.

A second medal for Ní Riain, a third for Ireland. A significant lifetime best too. Her 2:27.47 shaved over a second and a half off her old PB.

Across town at the Stade de France, Comerford was being announced to the crowd. Comerford was an 18-year-old finalist at the 2016 Games. Persistent hamstring woe meant the global announcement she should have made in the interim never materialised. She didn’t even make it out of her heat in Tokyo.

On Tuesday evening, she broke the 12-second barrier for only the second time in her career to finally elevate herself to a place she long knew she belonged. She even admitted to being initially disappointed at the bottom podium step.

That disappointment quickly subsided. Delight surfaced. Shared delighted. Shared bronze.

“I've been coming 4th in this event for so long,” said the visually impaired Ní Riain.

“I've been on the wrong side of IM touches for the last three years, so to be able to come out and finally get on the right side of a touch, I couldn't be happier. I'm delighted to have finally secured 3rd.

“Oh, that's absolutely wonderful, both at the same time,” she added when informed of Comerford’s result. “I couldn't be happier to hear. Great night for Team Ireland. And hopefully there may be some more to come.”

“Bronze sisters” is what Comerford called herself and Roísín. No fear of that one not sticking.

“Oh my God, wow,” was the reaction of the Raheny Shamrock sprinter upon hearing the result from the La Défense Arena.

“It has been such a joy to get to know people, and celebrate and commiserate together. That has been really special. I can't wait to get to congratulate Roísín now as well.

“There has just been a great atmosphere, and that was something lacking in Tokyo, everything was just so separate.” Tokyo was tough for much more than Covid.

Comerford’s coach, Brian Corcoran, passed away on the lead into the Games. Brian’s wife, Connie, and his son travelled to Paris and were present to see Orla climb the rostrum.

Brian would have been proud.

“I think he would be. Connie and his son are here so I hope they are proud,” her voice trailing off and tears emerging.

“I would have taken your hand off for this medal a couple of years ago, so I have to take in the moment, enjoy it, and let it fuel me for the next four years.

“My initial feelings when I crossed the line were of disappointment and then when I was turned around and sent to my family, I was like, ‘I can’t be disappointed with that’.

“I reckoned at the start of the year that it was going to take a world record to win it, that’s what I had my eyes on. I know that was ambitious, but I think that is well within my wheelhouse, so I’m excited for the next cycle to push on towards that and faster.”

The winning world record of 11.76 came from Tokyo silver medalist Lamiya Valiyeva of Azerbaijan.

Brazil’s Rayane Soares Da Silva was right beside her in 11.78, with Comerford, who has Stargardt’s disease, a degenerative condition that affects her central vision, clocking 11.94.

Her blonde hair was held up by two blue ribbons. There was meaning to them. A lost friend forever with her. Another lost friend who would have been immensely proud.

“When we were in school, Elaine [Moran] passed away very suddenly. We were 16. She was a big Dubs fan, so she wore blue ribbons. At her funeral we all wore blue ribbons in our hair.

“Her parents set up a foundation with Heart Children Ireland called the Blue Ribbon Fund, so every time I step out on the track for the big moments, I always have her in my hair.

“We had her 10-year anniversary last year, which feels incredibly surreal. I like to have her with me.”

Before the busload of bronze, Dearbhaile Brady and Nicole Turner finished fifth and sixth respectively in the S6 50m butterfly final, with Barry McClements eighth in the S9 100m backstroke final.