Countdown to Games: Celebrities and guests began arriving in Dublin yesterday for tomorrow's opening ceremony of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games.
Former South African president Mr Nelson Mandela arrived in Dublin yesterday morning, and went on to Galway where he will receive an honorary degree from NUI Galway today.
Muhammad Ali is expected to arrive at Dublin Airport this morning, while Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Ms Maria Shriver, are also believed to be on their way.
Other special guests who have been confirmed for the event include U2, The Corrs, Samantha Mumba, Colin Farrell, Patrick Kielty (the compere) Jean Butler and Michael Carruth.
Meanwhile, Special Olympics organisers continue to work with some teams who have still not arrived due to visa and paperwork problems.
Despite paperwork problems, Nigeria overcame their difficulties and arrived earlier than expected on Wednesday night. They will leave their host town of Killybegs, Co Donegal, today for Dublin.
The Chad team was due to arrive yesterday and should be in Swinford, Co Mayo, by now.
Other teams which were due yesterday were Jordan, Namibia, Uzbekistan, Guadaloupe and the remainder of the Chinese team. Teams from Sierra Leone and Sudan are expected to arrive today.
The Libyan team should be enjoying a brief stay in Templemore today following the intervention of Mr Denis O'Brien, the Special Olympics chairman. He organised a plane to bring the group to Dublin following delays caused by visa problems.
While Special Olympics organisers are still trying to help the Cameroon team with incomplete paperwork, the team's participation in the Games is looking increasingly doubtful.
Meanwhile, weather conditions have hampered the efforts of the balloonist who had been hoping to cross the Atlantic in time for the opening ceremony.
British pilot Mr David Hempleman-Adams is attempting a solo crossing of the Atlantic in a hot air and helium balloon.
However, he still had not left Pittsburgh yesterday due to bad weather conditions.
"They have had the worst June, in terms of rain, for the last 10 years," he said.
The Bank of Ireland is sponsoring the balloonist to promote its sponsorship of the Games so he had been hoping to arrive in Dublin before tomorrow evening. The journey takes about six days. If successful, he will be the first person to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic in the AM-08 Roziere class of balloon.
Yesterday a database of all Special Olympics athletes went live on the website www.2003specialolympics.com
It contains the names of nearly 7,000 athletes, with brief biographies of each one. More than one million people have visited the Special Olympics site since it was set up in April 2001.
Security is expected to be tight around the Galway university campus for the former South African president's visit. Mr Mandela will be flown west from Dublin by helicopter, and is expected to arrive at 5 p.m. He will meet the college president, Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, and will then join an academic procession at the Quadrangle.
Mr Mandela (85) will be transported by buggy to the conferring hall at Áras na Mac Léinn. After receiving the degree of doctor of laws, he will speak for about 15 minutes.
Tonight, he is due to attend a dinner in his honour in Galway when a cheque for €100,000 will be presented by business interests to the Nelson Mandela Children's Foundation.
Today's conferring will be followed on the university's first live "webcast" at www.nuigalway.ie/mandela
Dr Ó Muircheartaigh said the college invited Mr Mandela to accept the degree when it "got a hint" that he would be in Ireland for the Special Olympics.
The conferring is one of a series made to individuals by NUI Galway for their record in human rights and social justice. The Irish Centre for Human Rights is based on campus, and it will host a conference today on international development aid to mark Mr Mandela's presence.
