Team Ulster athletes arrive in Dublin for Special Olympics

by Q Radio news

More than 270 Team Ulster athletes have arrived in Dublin ahead of tonight's opening ceremony for Special Olympics Ireland.

Sixteen hundred athletes from across Ireland will be competing.

There were emotional scenes as friends, family and supporters cheered on over 100 local athletes from the Team Ulster delegation as they made their way onto the train at Central Station this morning.

Tonight President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will perform the official opening of the
2018 Special Olympics Ireland Games.

(Team Ulster athletes and their coaches prepare to travel to Dublin from Belfast's Central Station)

The Opening Ceremony will kick off three full days of competition in what is set to be one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events to take place in Ireland in 2018.

Thousands are expected to attend to welcome Special Olympics athletes, coaches and volunteers from
across Ireland, at the glittering event ceremony at Tallaght Stadium.

Among them Anthony Monaghan head coach for autistic gymnastics...

(Anthony Monaghan, head coach, Team Ulster autistic gymnastics)

Team Ulster athletes, Margaret Hazley, 67 from Co. Armagh (swimming) and Joe O’Hanlon, 28 from
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal (basketball) will be amongst the athletes that will lead a procession of torches and
flags into the stadium to open the Games.

(James Dorman from Doagh in county Antrim with his mum Ali at Central station prior to Team Ulster's departure for Dublin)

(Ciaran McCaughan from Ballyvoy, Ballycastle prior to Team Ulster's departure for Dublin)

The Opening Ceremony will feature exciting performances from well-known Irish acts such as Irish Folk Duo,
Hudson Taylor and pop singer, Jake Carter. Ireland’s Got Talent finalists, Xquisite Dance Group will also
feature in an energetic performance and leading Irish DJ and record producer, John Gibbons, is set to raise
the roof with a Decades Disco, celebrating 40 years of Special Olympics in Ireland.

The Ireland Games run from 14-17 June in Dublin. 1,600 Special Olympics athletes from across Ireland will
participate in 13 sports and Motor Activities Training.

The athletes will be supported by 600 coaches and official delegates and 2,500 volunteers.

The Games are set to be one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events to take place in Ireland in
2018 and selected athletes from these Games will go on to represent Team Ireland at the 2019 Special
Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi.