The team is expected to touch down on home soil at Dublin airport just before 7pm on Monday (September 10).

Upon arrival, Michael Ring the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will officially welcome the team back.

The Paralympians will then make their way to the arrivals hall where a crowd of family, friends and supporters will greet them.

This traditional homecoming will provide an intimate atmosphere and environment for well wishers to congratulate and salute their Paralympic heroes.

The Irish Government and City Council had offered Paralympics Ireland an event similar to that held for the country's homecoming Olympic team, but they instead opted for a more low key occasion at the airport.

The Irish team during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics 

Irish team Chef de Mission Liam Harbison explained the reason for this choice: "By the time the team return they will have been away from home...for a full month, so whilst they are grateful for the offer of a homecoming event they would prefer to meet the public who have supported them at the airport on Monday evening."

However, the Irish team and their families will enjoy celebrations at a Government reception hosted by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar later in the week.

They will also be honoured in October at another reception at the Official Residence of Ireland's President Michael Higgins, who will host the event.

Ireland have competed in every Paralympic Games, winning 199 medals in total.

The most medals they have won at one Games is 66, including 20 golds, at the 1984 New York Games.

Jason Smyth celebrates as he wins gold in the London 2012 men's 200m T13 final

At these Paralympics, the Irish team have massed 16 medals, eight golds, three silvers and five bronzes, placing them 18th in the overall medals table. 

This vastly improves on the team's performance in Beijing four years ago, when just five medals were brought home.

Most of this summer's London golds have come in athletics with Jason Smyth bagging golds in the men's T13 100 and 200 metres and 22-year-old Michael McKillop (pictured top) doing the same in the T37 800 and 1500m.

Both also set new world records.

Smyth, 25, did this in both of his events – 10.46sec in the 100m and 21.05 in the 200m – while Mckillop broke the existing 800m world record with a time of 1 min 57.22sec.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]