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LAST UPDATE | 26 Jul 2024
TEAM IRELAND’S ATHLETES have sailed down the River Seine in Paris for this evening’s opening ceremony at the Olympics.
Hurdler Sarah Lavin and golfer Shane Lowry took their roles as Ireland’s Olympic flag-bearers.
They fronted the Irish representation as competitors paraded not through a stadium, but down the Seine in boats.
All Irish athletes have their county crests embroidered into their Olympic uniforms.
President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the Irish athletes in a statement, saying that “everyone in the country will be firmly behind each and every one of our athletes” as they aim to perform.
“As President of Ireland, may I extend my very best wishes to all those Olympians who will represent our country with such distinction over the course of the XXXIII Olympiad now underway in Paris,” Higgins said.
“Competing at the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of a sporting career and represents four years of dedicated work and preparation by our athletes.
This year’s Olympics has a special significance for Ireland, as it marks the centenary of our first appearance at the Olympics as an independent nation in the same city. That was at the 1924 Paris Olympics.”
He added: “This will hopefully add to the 11 Gold Medals, 10 Silver Medals and 14 Bronze Medals which athletes representing Ireland have won since 1924.
“May I wish each of them, their coaches, support team and all of their families and friends the very best of luck over what promises to be a very exciting two weeks for Irish sport.”
Among the 10,500 strong athletes hailing from from 184 countries was Siobhán Haughey, a flag bearer for Hong Kong.
Siobhán is also the grand niece of the former Taoiseach Charles Haughey – her role in tonight’s parade was noted by relations in Dublin including TD Seán Haughey below.
Siobhán Haughey - flag bearer for Hong Kong @Olympics @RTEsport pic.twitter.com/ks2UyKT9LX
— Seán Haughey (@sean_haughey) July 26, 2024
The celebrations were met with heavy rain with performers, including pianist Alexandre Kantorow, braving heavy showers during their performances.
A total of 85 boats carried the team delegations on a four-mile journey through the centre of Paris, with more than 300,000 spectators lining the banks of the river.
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Best of luck Team Ireland
What an opening ceremony
Absolutely amazing
Delighted with the choice of the flag bearers. Spot on
@gordon o loughlin: a very silly opening on the boats.
@Sean Money: why, is different not good. Great to see a city showcased and to see the variety.
I’m loving the boats. It’s epic.
@Sean Money: it was spectacular. Stop whinging
@Sean Money: ???
@gordon o loughlin: I was very disappointed with it. Much prefer the stadium option.
@Paul Conlon: Being ‘different’ is not the reason for it not being not good.
@Sal Paradise: You win gold for the most “not” words in a sentence. Congrats!
@Willie Murphy: Thanks.
@Sal Paradise: then please explain. It’s a showcase of unity, strength, excitement, the thoughts of what can be. Loved every part of it
Paris looks amazing.
All the countries squeezed into boats, with some having to share with other countries and hardly seen. It is farcical not done in the stadium, its more of a boat show.
Best of luck guys.
No doubt the far right will find fault in your efforts and blame on something weird.
@Argus Romsworth: Twit!
@Argus Romsworth: no need for that , sweet Jesus , does it break your heart seeing the Irish flag ?
@Ulick: @Damien: There yis are there now
@Argus Romsworth: TDS.
Paris looked like the city of dreams. Imagine was incredibly moving. Watched on imax movie screen. Highly recommend. If movie theaters are smart they will steam events. Was so fun to be part of the crowd energy. Spontaneous applause for the Ukrainian atheles. Making the whole world feel as one is what the Olympics does best
Stunning display from France.
Now that was a show and was something else.
Bravo
Loving the opening ceremony. Pity about the rain but Paris looks amazing. Thought Maniac 2000 might get an airing in the Euro medley but not to be
It is always lovely to see humanity loving what is best in the spirit of competition. Those who play no part in any productive effort have nothing to do but complain in their own mediocrity and misery, but the games and the dances go on anyway to the enjoyment of those who live their lives with energy, creativity and productivity.
Everyone arriving in boats, just like the Mediterranean and the English Channel at the moment.
If they had wanted to do the Ireland team properly, and I wish them all the best of luck in their events, then they would have been brought in by air and sponsored by an NGO.
@Garry Coll: Can’t you joyless freaks just enjoy the ceremony without bringing your anti-immigrant bollixology into it?
@Anthony Curran:
It’s not me that created the opening ceremony for the Olympics, replete with its imagery making a mockery of western and Christian civilisation and culture, and it’s not anti immigrant to want to preserve your civilisation and culture.
If you think it is, you’re the one with the problem.
@Garry Coll: Cry harder Garry. While the rest of us carry on seeing people, not colour. Civilisation and culture changes constantly. Otherwise we’d still be living in caves. Though it seems some people would prefer to do that.
@Anthony Curran:
I’m sure that the perverts and groomers and serial fetishists who get their kicks by watching grown men
@Garry Coll:
expose their genitals to children on live TV think like yourself Anthony, butt the wave of revulsion at parts of the “ceremony” across France and Europe tells it’s own story.
@Garry Coll: Old man yells at cloud.
@Anthony Curran:
Not really Anthony, just stating the obvious.
And just to emphasise point, the Paris 24 Olympics committee has taken down their official video of the opening ceremony from YouTube out of embarrassment and is threatening Twitter with legal action if it doesn’t censor any posts with uploaded video clips of the event.
This tawdry exercise in deviant debauchery is even too much for those who commissioned it and paid out good money to the mental patient who thought it up.
#HeIsRisen.
looks like they are ready for Judo.
Biggest load of woke nonsense, absolutely unbelievable symbolism.
@T.A ANTHONY: Everything is woke nonsense these days to joyless freaks.
@T.A ANTHONY: Whats woke? See, you can’t answer.
What a ridiculous ceremony.
The boats ok, the light show good but the drag show and what seemed a reference to a 3 some earlier on after the library scene??? What’s going on?
I thought sport/Olympics was to be non politicised.
@Niall Murphy: So drag is political now? Ffs…
@Anthony Curran: I was tempted to say – go straighten your wig, put a bit of lippy on and chill the knickers out
The only thing missing tonight, was shooting midgets out of canons as they screamed ‘I identify as tall’.
@Niall Murphy: You seem weird.
@Niall Murphy: non politicized, the Olympics? Who told you that?
@Niall Murphy: bet you were turned on Niall,bet you came over all funny,ya durty pecker
Dreadful ceremony in my opinion. Apart from Gojira.. They were incredible
Its a pity Team Ireland wasn’t in a viking splash tour boat
Just in case you missed this info above… Hurdler Sarah Lavin and golfer Shane Lowry took their roles as Ireland’s Olympic flag bearers.
Charlie Haughey should have been jailed for stealing money from brian lenihans fund. He should have been denied a state funeral. BBC much better at broadcasting than rte.
@rory Mcgovern: hey ass hole I bet u have parents ,grandparents ect.ask ur parents .grandparents about who brought in good pensions .free tv licence .free transport free fuel,allowance ect right back to the 70s.other government after would not dare touch or try to scrap all of this as they know the old people built and paid for this Republic of Ireland. Now hopefully The GAA will cop on to this with this GAA go .and forcing the older generation who built the GAA to pay to watch game’s of interest…put ur small game’s on ur pay per view..the current people in charge in croke park see money . Let’s have full and open disclosure of income and expenses/ expenditure .allowances paid out and also income including sponsorship of GAA go .
@Christopher Fealy: Haughey was a crook, a charlatan, a philanderer. He filled his pockets while he told the rest of us to tighten our belts. No amount of revisionist bs can change facts.
@Christopher Fealy: Let’s bring back punctuation.
@Anthony Curran:
Facts like the definition of a woman is an adult human female.
Good luck to the Irish team.
Celine Dion. Goosebumps.
Like the aul’ assassins creed unity homage.
Go on Gojira! Did your country proud!
The poor delicate petals who throw about the word ‘woke’ have been upset by an Olympic Opening Ceremony.
How weak you are. Weak and insignificant.
@Sun Rise: It’s pathetic isn’t it? Those who claim to be “patriots” get upset by dancers, performers and musicians!
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