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Organisers of the 2012 London Olympics have confirmed that the Olympic torch will visit Dublin as part of the preparations for the games this summer.
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) expect the Olympic flame in Dublin on June 6th after it has toured around Northern Ireland. According to the organisers, the visit to the Republic of Ireland, symbolic in its nature, has been arranged to “shine a light on the rich heritage and sporting ambitions of Ireland, north and south.”
The itinerary for June and who will carry the torch in Dublin has not yet been finalised. Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through the city and proceedings will culminate in a mid-morning celebration event at a city centre location. Further details of the crossing point, the route around Dublin, and the event programme will be confirmed next year.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of LOCOG, said: “We are delighted to be taking the Olympic Flame to Dublin … This is a historic opportunity to showcase the wealth of sporting talent from across the Republic of Ireland ahead of the competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games.”
Mr Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: “The Republic of Ireland is the only country outside the UK to be visited by the torch and rightly so, given the unique and deep ties between Ireland and the UK. I’m sure the Olympic Flame will receive a warm and rapturous welcome in Dublin.”
Mr Pat Hickey, President of the Olympic Council of Ireland, said: “I am delighted that the Olympic Flame will visit Dublin next year for what will be a historic moment. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate the rich sporting heritage of Ireland and an opportunity for the local community to be part of the excitement in the build-up to the Games. We are grateful for the support of all involved and we look forward to working together to deliver a memorable moment of the Olympic Torch Relay of which we will all be proud.”
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Andrew Montague, said: “It is a great honour for Dublin to welcome the Olympic Torch on its way from the Temple of Hera at Mount Olympus, Greece to the Olympic Stadium in London for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. We are grateful to the International Olympic Committee for their decision today, and we look forward to being part of the Olympic experience in 2012. I and Dublin City Council look forward to working closely with the Olympic Council of Ireland, An Garda Síochána and the Irish Government in organising this historic day for Dublin and Ireland, when we will showcase Dublin to the world.”
Tourism Potential
A lot of noise was made last year with respect to the potential business and tourism the London games could bring to Ireland. The outgoing Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, was in London in 2010 pitching for deals for Irish firms for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In April 2011, Mr Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, was trying to lure athletes to our shores to train in Irish facilities.
It’s hard to quantify what impact these efforts have had. According the current Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Mr Michael Ring TD, “a number of international teams have already chosen Dublin as a training base before the London Games.”
The Minister believes that this is “tremendous news” for tourism in Ireland.“This year we had the highly successful visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama, and today’s announcement means that we will again have an opportunity for significant international media focus on Ireland next summer… It should be particularly useful in terms of generating further positive publicity in Great Britain -- our most important overseas tourism market.”
