THE ROUTE OF the Olympic torch relay in Dublin next month has been revealed.
The flame will cross south of the border early on Wednesday, 6 June and be carried through the capital by 41 torch bearers, the Olympic Council of Ireland have said today.
“The Olympic torch relay will bring the spirit of the London Games to Dublin and starts the countdown for the Irish team’s challenge at the world’s biggest sporting event,” OCI president, Pat Hickey explained this afternoon.
“It has taken many, many months of lobbying at the highest international levels to get the permission required to bring the relay south. All along, we have had the full support of Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of LOCOG, the London Games organising committee for this move,” he added.
The flame will be in the country for just six hours after it’s received at the border by Olympic boxing heroes Wayne McCullough and Michael Carruth.
Following stops at the OCI offices in Howth — where President Michael D Higgins will be in attendance – and Croke Park’s Skyline, it will then be carried by well-known athletes like Shane Horgan and Paul McGrath as well as celebrities and members of the public.
The relay runs around the city, taking in the Garden of Remembrance, O’Connell St, Eden Quay, Custom House, IFSC, Sheriff St, Beckett Bridge, Holles St, Fitzwilliam Sq, Leeson St Bridge, Grand Parade and bridges on the Grand Canal before crossing Harold’s Cross Bridge, into Clanbrassil St, Patrick St, Christchurch, Dame St, Trinity College, Nassau St, Clare St, Upper Merrion St, Ely Place, Hume St, St Stephen’s Green — finishing at the Bandstand at around 11.50am.
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, will greet the runners at Government Buildings at 11.30am. The convoy will later speed back north where the relay re-commences its tour. The flame will be lit in Olympia tomorrow before it heads for Britain.
“I just hope I can keep it alight for my small leg of the relay,” former rugby international, Shane Horgan told RTÉ News last night. “But I’m really privileged and delighted to be a small part of it.”
Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Andrew Montague, meanwhile has called on residents to ‘come out on the streets’ for the event.
“The Olympic torch relay in Dublin offers us in Dublin a wonderful opportunity to share in the London 2012 experience. On 6 June, Dublin will become the only city outside of Greece and the UK to host the Olympic Flame. This is a huge honour and I call on all Dubliners to come out on the streets and cheer our torch bearers in what will be a great day for Dublin,” he added.
I think its a great sign of affection that our closest neighbors have decided to share this honour with us. We have a shared history & share an awful lot socially, in business & in sport. Its great to be part of & has obviously come about due to our close ties and a very uplifting year in terms of our relations and honesty with each other.
I concur.
Still don’t understand why it is coming to Ireland?
I agree Christopher a bit strange and pointless
Why not? We have a very long history together, we are finally putting the bad times behind us and moving on. This is good for relations between our countries. It also puts Dublin in the spotlight, the torch relaying around our beautiful city, will be good for tourism and business.
It’s supposed to highlight our good relations with the Uk which is fine by me but It will cost the tax payer millions
It’s a metal torch and it’s here for 6 hours… Where are you getting million from…?
This is great news. After all our bad times Britain is now a neighbor and friend to Ireland, one we have far more in common with then the rest of Europe and this is fantastic highlight of that growing relationship.
I thought there were some athletes from
Ireland competing, that’s why I thought it was coming through.
We should appreciate something as special as this and it will cost us nothing. For you doom and gloomers it will draw attention to dublin from the millions watching worldwide and if it gets thousands of people out on the streets i’m sure it will be a great day for small businesses in the city. Hope i get to see it! Enjoy everyone!
Well said!
I’m looking forward to it! And maybe it’ll cheer up some of the miserable doom sayers a bit!
Well I think it’s class news. There’s no harm. People just like to complain.
It’s great that it’s coming to Ireland and hopefully it will generate income got the surrounding areas.
I think some folks have more pressing matters to worry about-ie living day by day,without an Olympic torch to contend with!..
The torch relay is an international platform and requires weeks of specialist security and anti-terrorism measures, it don’t come cheap.
Bah humbug Shane! Why shouldn’t we benefit from it? It’s not a huge deal, but at least it’s something positive, a good news story. Great to see past Irish athletes being recognised, particularly Paul McGrath. Well done to the IOC.
I’d love to go but I’ll be doing English paper 1 when it’s here :/
I think it ridiculous that the torch is coming here. What’s it got to do with us? It’s not going to any of their other neighbours. It took many months of negotiations to get it here: basically we begged n whined I reckon.
Jesus who pissed on your cornflakes this morning, Mr Grump!
Vote Yes or we’ll put the torch out – words Enda Kenny may or may not have said…
To be perfectly honest, Dublin is a kip compared to many other European capitals.
Tourism locations in Dublin, eh, can think of any.
Typical culchie comment. Stay in your Bog. I bet your glass is always half empty. The tourists that visit our country come here because of Dublin. What village do you live in?? LOL
You obviously don’t visit Dublin very often, apart from a few dodgy areas, as found in every city, it’s a super city! The towns along the coast are magnificent and steeped in history. Anything positive for Ireland is good. It’s time we hold our heads up and get out of this doom and gloom!
I hope a crazy Greek doesn’t torch Leinster house