I was in Malaga at the villa(!) so missed all the fun. However, the local rag, The Cork Evening Echo had a big spread on the Qantas on the previous evening before the flight and on the morning of the flight one of local radio stations covered the story too with a man on site! As a result everyone who had ever looked at an aeroplane sideways was there and the local roads around the airport were jammed preventing the more regular spotters and photographers from getting good photos!
Great fun all round though! Took on a good bit of fuel too due to fuel strike at Heathrow.