The Olympic flame arrived at George Best Belfast City airport from the Isle of Man yesterday evening at the start of its six-day visit to Ireland, greeted by the gold medal pentathlete Dame Mary Peters.
A welcoming ceremony takes place in Belfast today before the flame begins a tour of the island.
The first torchbearer today will be Karen Marshall, 31, from Tynan, Co Armagh, who will set off from the Belfast Titanic Centre.
A total of 448 torchbearers ranging in age from 12 to over 93 will run with the flame through more than 60 cities, towns, villages and past landmarks throughout Northern Ireland and in Dublin. There will be overnight stops in Derry, Portrush, Belfast and Newry.
Among the sporting figures to carry the torch will be the Olympic boxing medallists Wayne McCullough and Michael Carruth, who will take part in the handover at the border on Wednesday.
Advertisement
The torch will be taken by road to Dublin, the only city outside the UK it is touring.
The first person to run with the flame in Dublin will be Cillian Kirwan, 16, from St Fintan’s High school in Sutton. He will be greeted by President Michael D Higgins outside the offices of the Olympic Council in Howth.
It will then travel to Croke Park where Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin will parade it across the stadium before its tour around Dublin city centre, ending at St Stephen’s Green around midday.
Ireland’s most famous runner, the 77-year-old Ronnie Delany, the Olympic silver medallist Sonia O’Sullivan, former footballer Paul McGrath, rugby’s Shane Horgan, jockey Ruby Walsh and Jedward are among the 39 who will carry the torch during its six-hour visit to Dublin. It then returns to the north before leaving for Cairnryan in Scotland.