The Special Olympics countdown began in earnest today with the traditional lighting of the Flame of Hope at a ceremony in Greece.
The flame will now begin its journey to Ireland where it will arrive on June 13th. A core group of law enforcement officers from 21 countries will carry the flame; including five gardaí, five PSNI officers and 10 Special Olympics athletes including two from Ireland — Robert Jordan from Wicklow and Michael Quinn from Armagh.
The 15,000km Torch Run will pass some of the most renowned monuments of Athens before separating into three teams that will travel to 17 cities in 15 European Countries between now and June 13th.
Three routes will be used taking cities as disparate as Madrid, Milan, Paris, Helsinki, Riga, Warsaw, Hamburg, The Hague, Istanbul, Budapest, Vienna and Prague. The routes will then converge in Brussels on June 10th, before continuing on to London on June 11th and arriving in Bangor, Co Down on June 13th.
Four teams will be joined by members of the police forces from both sides of the border passing through more than 130 towns and villages before it arrives for the opening ceremony at Croke Park in Dublin, June 21st.
Among the dignitaries in attendance at this morning's event on the sacred hilltop site of Pnyx, were Greek President Mr Konstantinos Stefanopolis; the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue; the Director of the Special Olympics, Dr Tim Shriver, chairman of the 2003 organisaing committee, Mr Denis O'Brien; Deputy Garda Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald; PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Duncan McCausland.
Speaking after the ceremony, Mr O'Brien said: "Ireland will be at the centre of celebrating the abilities of not only the 7,000 athletes competing at the Games but also the million others throughout the world who haven't made it to these Games but show us everyday what they can achieve, given the opportunity."