Irish athletes who attended the Olympic Games opening ceremony were thrilled with the organisation and excitement generated by the occassion. They looked fantastic in their Asics parade wear , less formal and more comfortable and designed by the athlete commission.
The opening ceremony contained a cultural past and added humour for a live audience which included Queen Elizabeth and James Bond, and offered a vision of a more green and pleasant land.
It contained a Red Arrows flyover salute watched by an estimated audience of one billion.
Daniel Craig’s James Bond and HRM Queen Elizabeth, as herself, a dreamy version of Chariots of Fire conducted by Simon Rattle. The Rowan Atkinson cameo stole the show. The 1960s and 1970s were rushed through in what was a kind of grandiose version of Top of the Tops. The Artic Monkeys did their thing and eventually, the parade of the athletes began.
Up stepped Sir Paul to conclude procedings, all in all a great start for LOCOG and Team Ireland.
There’s a very positive mood in the Irish camp with everyone looking forward to competition now.
