OCI widen search for standout celebrity

OLYMPIC GAMES:WANTED: Well-known sporting personality to help carry Olympic torch into Dublin. Must be available on June 6th, open to strict security check, and possible political ambush.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) aren’t actually that desperate, but are being forced to widen their search after a number of original candidates turned them down – including Rory McIlroy, Pádraig Harrington, Brian O’Driscoll and Robbie Keane.

Their excuse is entirely understandable: each have prior engagements, with McIlroy and Harrington at golf tournaments in the US, O’Driscoll set for the Irish rugby tour to New Zealand, and Keane at the Republic of Ireland training camp ahead of Euro 2012.

“We do already have one or two celebrities on board, who will cause great excitement,” said OCI president Pat Hickey. “It’s a pity the likes of McIlroy aren’t available, because he’s actually one of the celebrities that we’d have really liked for the torch relay. So we’re losing some high-level sports people, but we’re working with the rugby and the soccer and the golf to replace them with good personalities.”

London’s 70-day Olympic torch relay – the full details of which were announced last week – comes to the island of Ireland on June 3rd, arriving in Belfast. There will be a ceremonious “passing” over the Border on June 6th, before the brief whirlwind tour of Dublin, and the OCI are allowed to nominate 22 of the 40 “Irish” torch bearers, the remaining 18 allocated to Olympic sponsors.

“The closing date for nominations is actually this Friday,” added Hickey, “then we’ll announce all the names together, about 10 days later. It is well-known that Wayne McCullough will be handing over to Michael Carruth at the Border. After that Sonia O’Sullivan is the only other name announced, who is our Chef to Mission for London, an iconic athlete, and fully entitled to it.

“But it is all very transparent. No one else from the OCI or their families were allowed, and no politicians, which is a London organising committee rule, not my rule. But we have offered a place to lots of people, like the Paralympics, Special Olympics, Travelling community, and Garda Síochána.”

A convoy of vehicles will take the torch from the Border to Dublin, where the stops will include Croke Park (with the GAA deciding who gets to carry it onto the roof) and finally the Mansion House. “There will be a huge celebrity as the last torchbearer, to light the cauldron on the stage, then we’ll all have a bit of a party,” said Hickey. “And I know the Border crossing is already set to be a big international event, with CNN, BBC World and French TV lined up to cover it, because it is to celebrate the peace process in Northern Ireland for the last 15 years.”

The torch relay, however, hasn’t always gone off peacefully – with a series of protests marring its route to Beijing four years ago. “Funny thing is,” said Hickey, “we had talks with the London organisers recently, and they said ‘sure, nobody in Ireland would disrupt the torch relay’. Then someone reminded them of a little Irish priest in a skirt, who caused a big disruption in the Athens marathon.”

When asked if someone like Roy Keane would be considered, Hickey replied: “Well, I’ve no problem with Roy Keane.”

In the meantime Hickey has emerged as the leading candidate to replace veteran Olympic official Mario Vazquez Rana of Mexico on the 15-member International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive, a position Hickey narrowly lost out on in 2009.