Thursday 7 June 2012

The Olympic Torch goes to Ireland

“There’s no divisions when it comes to the Olympics” local, Newry.

I’ve been quiet while the Olympic Torch has been busy this past month. My Olympic baby is now two weeks old, born at Stoke Mandeville, home of the Paralympic Games (and a rather outstanding NHS hospital). It’s also home to one of the largest specialist spinal units in the world. Jimmy Saville was a big champion of the hospital and many’s the time we’ve enjoyed a cuppa in the large café name after him.

Anyway, I digress. If you also missed the past few weeks of Torch action, it’s travelled to all sorts of wonderful places including underground and to the tip of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. I think it got lucky that day as the sun was actually shining which is more than can be said for when we visited a couple of years ago. You couldn’t see the Causeway for thick grey cloud.

Most excitingly perhaps, was its journey to the only city outside of Greece and the UK when it crossed the Northern Irish border and arrived into Dublin. This was a brilliant moment for the north and the south – and once again, a sharp reminder of how sport and significantly, the Olympics, brings people together from all different walks of life.

And there in Dublin, another first: only two-time Eurovision entrants Jedward, could get away with running as a pair. I wondered if someone would try to take them out as they jogged along O’Connell Street, but I needn’t have worried. Although their hair looked pretty flammable as it had been moulded into a similar flame look, the event passed off safely. Nicely organised Ireland and Locog.

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