THE OLYMPIC TORCH is being taken on a tour of Northern Ireland’s most famous landmarks today as it continues on its journey to London ahead of next month’s opening ceremony.
It has already reached the Giant’s Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in Antrim and is due to cross the Peace Bridge in Derry later this evening.
Sixty torch bearers will run with the flame over a 45 mile distance from Portrush to Derry.
Isobel Coote, 58, from Ballygawley, who was nominated through the LOCOG campaign for being an inspirational mother and grandmother, employer, community organiser and friend, will carry the flame to the middle of the Peace Bridge where she will hand it to 13-year-old Meabh Fisher from Derry. Meabh was nominated through the LOCOG public nomination campaign for her bravery in battling a permanent health condition.
The Olympic torch arrives in Dublin on Wednesday morning and will begin its trek through the capital at 8am at Harbour Road in Howth. It will then make its way to Croke Park for the start of the relay proper. A total of 41 torch bearers will take part in the six-hour run, passing landmark sites including the Garden of Remembrance, the GPO, Custom House, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral and St Stephen’s Green.
Olympians Ronnie Delaney, John Treacy, Kenny Egan and Sonia O’Sullivan are among those to be given the honour of carrying the torch. For a full list of torch bearers, follow this link.
The torch returns to Belfast on 8 June for a final tour of the city, finishing up at City Hall ahead of a two-hour outdoor event.
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