Confirming the decision, Dermot Henihan, Chef de Mission of the 51-strong Olympic team, said that Ciara was the most decorated Irish female sailor, winning three World championships events in her sporting career to date.
“She is a worthy successor to recent Irish Olympic flag-bearers such as Sonia O’Sullivan in Sydney and Niall Griffin in Athens,” he said.
Ciara will lead the Irish team into the Birds Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing wearing a specially designed John Rocha creation – a dress made of hand-painted traditional silk featuring Celtic motifs.
James O’Callaghan, manager of the Irish sailing team, said: “This is a fantastic honour for Ciara and for the sport of sailing. It couldn’t have happened to a better person and will give Ciara a big boost in confidence going to the Games”
Ciara is a member of Howth Yacht Club and was very excited at being given the honour of leading the Irish team at an Opening Ceremony that will have a television audience of over three billion people. “The Olympic Games are an inspiration in themselves and this honour will help to motivate me to do my best for my team and my country at the Games”, she said.
Ciara will sail in the Women’s Laser Radial class at the Olympic sailing venue in Qingdao, on China’s eastern coast. She will fly to Beijing for the Opening Ceremony. She is a first-time Olympian and is the only female on the Irish sailing team.
