Ready to celebrate the ‘wearing of the green’ this weekend will be some of Ireland’s top Olympians. With the London Olympics the focus of attention everywhere, it is appropriate that Irish athletes and Team Ireland be the centre of attention at two of the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades this holiday weekend.
Special guest at the massive Dublin parade on March 17th will be Ireland’s sensational young gymnast Kieran Behan, who recently hit world headlines when he qualified for the Olympic Games having overcome a series of life threatening illnesses to gain his London Games spot. Kieran will be joined on the viewing platform at the GPO by OCI executive member Bobby Begley.
Central London will be the location of a huge St. Patrick’s Day parade and gathering on Sunday March 18th. With the upcoming Olympics being one of the major themes of this huge event, four of Ireland’s best known athletes will head the parade and help to paint the city green. Sonia O’Sullivan, Ireland’s chef de mission for Team Ireland at the London Games will be joined by boxing silver medallist Kenneth Egan, high jumper Deirdre Ryan and also gymnast Kieran Behan. Joining the athletes will be OCI executive members William O’Brien, Dermot Sherlock, Peadar Casey and Dermot Henihan.
