Click on the below links to view photos of the Ireland players and coaches arriving home with the Six Nations trophy in tow:
RBS 6 Nations Champions Depart Paris - Gallery 1
RBS 6 Nations Champions Arrive In Dublin - Gallery 2
Speaking after touching down with the Championship silverware, victorious captain Paul O'Connell said: "It's great to be back with the trophy. There was about five or 10 minutes there towards the end of the game where I didn't think we'd be coming back with it.
"I didn't think we'd have waited as long after 2009 (when we won the Grand Slam). I thought we would have kicked on. It's a great feeling and an incredible reception here from the supporters today as well."
Asked about Brian O'Driscoll ending his career with a second Six Nations success, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt admitted: "Fairytales do happen. Sometimes fairytales happen because you get a bit lucky but I think the harder he (O'Driscoll) worked the luckier he got.
"After the game I just said 'thanks mate' - that's as special as it gets probably."
Schmidt also modestly played down his role in guiding Ireland to the Championship crown in his first season at the helm, stating: "The team drives themselves and that makes my job easier."
Meanwhile, O'Connell confirmed that Gordon D'Arcy's famous beard is no more - as revealed on some of the players' Twitter pages over the weekend.
"I was there beside it (the beard-shaving) but I didn't get involved. I let them at it. I think he's going to grow it back. I think he was happy enough with it," added the Munster lock.