For eight years Peter Sherrard has led the Olympic movement here through a transformation that has played out quietly since the dismal days in Rio when Ireland’s administrators made more headlines than its athletes. Tokyo 2021 brought chinks of light and the glitter of gold. But last summer’s sometimes triumphant and often joyful Paris Olympics saw the Irish team perform strongly and captivate the country through the exploits of swimmers, sprinters, rowers and more – in a way that the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza had increasingly failed to do.