Some 30 schoolchildren from Northern Ireland were invited to Strasbourg by the President of Parliament, Jose-Maria Gil-Robles, for an unusual occasion. They were there to receive the Flame of Peace, brought to Strasbourg from Bethlehem, and to bring it back to Northern Ireland.
Every December an Austrian child brings the flame from Bethlehem to Vienna, and it is distributed throughout Austria. This year, an Austrian MEP, Paul Rubig, decided to bring the flame to Strasbourg to present it to President Gil-Robles; and the President invited a group of young people from Northern Ireland to receive it from him.
Each of the three Northern Ireland MEPs, Messrs Hume, Nicholson and Paisley, invited two or more schools from their area, representing the whole community, and each school nominated up to five participants. Together with teachers, the group numbered 36.
The group received the Flame of Peace in Strasbourg on the evening of Thursday 18 December, and participated in a ceremony with the Mayor Strasbourg the following morning. The event received considerable media coverage, and at home the flame was presented to the two Archbishops of Armagh.
The schools invited were the Royal School and St Patrick's Grammar School in Armagh; Ballymena Academy and Hazelwood Integrated College, Newtownabbey; and four schools from Derry - St Joseph's College, St Paul's College, Clondermot School and Templemore School.