At a media event this morning in the Irish Cultural Centre in the heart of Paris, Limerick athlete Sarah Lavin and Offaly golfer Shane Lowry were both unveiled as the Team Ireland Flagbearers for tonight’s Opening Ceremony like no other along the river Seine, which gets underway at 7pm Irish time.
Flagbearers
The Limerick sprint hurdler and golf superstar from Offaly both reacted emotionally on discovering they had been selected to carry the Irish flag to represent their nation and the record number of 133 athletes on Team Ireland at Paris 2024.
Lavin, who was close to tears, said: “This is surreal. It is the greatest honour I’ve ever been given, and I’d go even go as far as to say it’s the biggest honour any Olympic athlete could ever be given.”
Proud Offaly man Lowry said: “It’s a huge honour for me and my family. Anybody that knows me knows how patriotic I am; how much I love Ireland and how much I love playing for my country. I always wear the Irish flag with pride.
“It’s something that I’m not sure you’d even dream about as a kid because it’s so far out there,” Lowry said. “To get to do something like this is something that I will remember forever.”
“I am so grateful to those who have trusted me and put me in this position,” added Lavin, who said she represented every Irish athlete who has fought so hard to qualify for, and now compete, at these Paris Olympic Games.
“This is a testament to all the hard work and how much you’ve dug deep, not just in the last 12 months but in the entire Olympic cycle, and in your entire career,” she added. “So I am deeply touched and just so excited to get out there.”
Opening Ceremony
Lavin and Lowry, who are both competing in their second Olympic Games, will jointly carry the Irish tricolour in the most unique Opening Ceremony ever which takes place on the River Seine tonight, proudly dressed head to toe in their custom Laura Weber designed Team Ireland suitings.
For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony, which has been five years in the making, will take place not in a stadium, but along a six kilometre route cruising the Seine. More than 6,500 athletes in 85 boats will sail past the iconic monuments of Paris including of course the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral. The aquatic parade will involve 205 delegations travelling on 85 boats and is expected to last two and a half hours culminating in a final show at the Trocadéro.
The unique nature of the parade, means a restriction on the numbers taking part and as is always the case many athletes chose not to take part due to the proximity of their competitions. Team Ireland is sharing boat number 28 with the team from Iraq and will be represented by approximately 20 athletes plus some of the support staff.
Among those on the boat representing Ireland at this evening’s parade along the Seine are taekwondo athlete Jack Wooley, Donegal badminton player Rachael Darragh, showjumpers Daniel Coyle and Shane Sweetnan, and sailors Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon, alongside Chef de Mission for the Games Gavin Noble. Further Team Ireland athletes from Canoe Slalom, Boxing and Diving will also be on board with members of the support staff for this once off spectacle on the Seine.
Each boat will be on the water for approximately 42 minutes and, once disembarked, the athletes and officials will be immediately transferred to the Trocadéro where the final part of the opening ceremony takes place, including the lighting of the Olympic flame which marks the official opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
More than 300,000 people are expected to watch the Opening Ceremony live, including 222,000 on the upper banks of the Seine and 104,000 on the lower piers. In addition, 80 giant screens will be set up around the city, with more than a billion people expected to watch at home.
Taoiseach at the Cultural Centre
On his second day in the city Taoiseach Simon Harris met with more of Team Ireland, including the Flagbearers, at the historic Irish Cultural Centre this morning. While there he got a chance to view the courtyard exhibition there that marks the centenary of Ireland’s participation at the Olympic Games that began at the 1924 edition in Paris. He will conclude his two day trip by joining many world leaders at tonight’s Opening Ceremony.