THE IRISH Paralympic team is composed of 49 athletes in 10 sports, the largest team since Atlanta in 1996.
It includes two reigning Paralympic champions: Jason Smyth, who won the 100m and 200m in Beijing, and Mike McKillop, who will hope to defend his 800m title and add the 1,500m title.
Ireland won five medals at the last Paralympic games in Beijing in 2008, three golds, one silver and a bronze. The team will expect to at least match that.
There are no fewer than five world champions in the Irish team. McKillop is double world champion in his category in the 800m and 1,500m.
Smyth, who is hot favourite to win gold in the 100m and 200m, missed out on the world championship through injury.
Catherine O’Neill is the reigning world champion in the discus. Former Westmeath footballer Mark Rohan is a world champion hand cyclist, Colin Lynch won the time trial last year at the World Paracycling World Championships and tandem cyclists Catherine Walsh and Francine Meehan also won gold.
The oldest Irish competitor is sailor John Twomey (56), who competes in his 10th Paralympics. The youngest competitor is Heather Jameson (15), who competes in the 100m, 200m and long jump in the cerebral palsy category.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “Irish Paralympians have shown in the past that they compete with success at the highest level. Their achievements have been a great source of pride and inspiration to other athletes.”