The host towns: Alison Healy visits Wexford in advance of the arrival of the Polish team. She finds the event has sparked a town-wide geography lesson on Poland.
The people of Wexford are quickly becoming walking encyclopaedias on Poland. "Did you know that they have a 500 kilometre coastline? I never knew that," says Mr John O'Connor, chairman of Wexford's Special Olympics host town programme, as he begins reciting facts about Poland.
Wexford town is embracing all things Polish this week as the people get ready to welcome 101 athletes and coaches from the East European country.
"And then there's the Pope who comes from Krakow," adds Mr Séamus Flood, whose family is hosting three basketball athletes and coaches. "There won't be anything we won't know about Poland when all this is over."
He believes the host town programme has been a great way of getting everyone involved in the Games. "By hosting the athletes, it makes us all feel a part of it. It's not just for Dublin." He is already considering organising a bus to see "our basketball players" when they compete.
The Polish delegation is one of the top 20 largest groups of visitors and the Wexford people are proud to have secured such a big delegation.
The red-and-white Polish flags flutter in the breeze on the streets of Wexford while local radio stations and newspapers have taken to dropping Polish expressions into their reports.
School children will tell you the population of Poland (more than 38 million) and are trying to get their tongues around the Polish for "good morning" (dzien dobry).
The extent of Wexford's Polish population surprised Mr John O'Connor. "Three months ago, if you had asked me if there were any Polish people living around here, I would have said no. Now they are coming out of the woodwork," he says.
A dozen Poles work in Kelly's Hotel in nearby Rosslare while a local factory, Numico, has a sister company in Poland.
"Some local people are married to Polish people. There's a Polish refugee in Wexford who knows Lech Walesa personally. He worked with him in the shipyards."
Clonard community centre will be the gathering point for the delegations every morning, while training facilities for the 12 sports represented have been organised locally.
Some 36 families are hosting the Polish visitors. "We had no trouble getting people or help," says Mr O'Connor. "With the Special Olympics, all you have to do is just mention what you want and you have it, whether it's €10 or €5,000."
The entire Polish basketball team is staying in four houses in Orchard Lane, a cul-de-sac outside the town. One of the hosts, Ms Colette Neville, says she does not know what to expect. "We really don't know what it will be like but it's great to be able to do something for someone else for a change. And it will be great for the kids."
Her son Harry (16) has just returned from helping pilgrims in Lourdes and is looking forward to meeting the visitors. "When he was six, he pushed his teacher in a shopping trolley through the streets of Wexford for People in Need so he loves a bit of excitement like this."
Next Wednesday, all six delegations staying in the county will meet at a get-together in Johnstown Castle. Wexford county is hosting teams from Guatemala, Texas, Burkina Faso, Canada and Bonaire (an island off Venezuela).
The following day, the torch run will come up the river Slaney and into Wexford town, to be greeted by fireworks, street theatre and music.
More than 200 people in Wexford town have been involved in the preparations and more than €50,000 has been raised. "It has been great for raising awareness of disability for kids but it has also been great for adults," Mr O'Connor says. "Many of us never had contact with people with a learning disability before and we are learning all the time."
His family are hosting three Poles. "We thought we were getting the weight-lifters and my six-year-old, who is being turfed out of his room, said 'what about my bed?' He was afraid it would collapse under a weight-lifter, but it turns out that we have the athletes instead."
The Special Olympics has brought "a lovely atmosphere" to Wexford, he says. "I think there will be a stronger link between Wexford and Poland after all this is over. It remains to be seen how it will work out but I don't think it will be let die."