Carruth, the 1992 Olympic welterweight gold medallist, took part in the handover ceremony with Wayne McCullough (pictured above right), the silver medallist in the bantamweight division at the same Games, between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland.

The Flame was then transported to Dublin where it was carried round the city by the likes of Ronnie Delany, the 1956 Olympic 1500 metres champion, former Irish and Manchester United defender Paul McGrath, champion jockey Ruby Walsh (pictured) and X Factor stars Jedward.


But it is the extraordinary welcome that it received that will stick in people's memories, justifying the commitment shown by Coe and Patrick Hickey, the President of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), to ensure that it was allowed to travel to the Irish capital.

It needed special permission from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after they banned the Torch Relay leaving the country in which the Games are being held due to the worldwide protests that marred the event in the build-up to Beijing 2008.

"The welcome has been extraordinary," said Coe.

"They've been 10, 15, 20 deep, they're hanging out of office windows, and I saw somebody halfway up a lamppost.

"That's commitment.

"I'm really pleased we came here.

"I felt it was a right thing to do.

"This is a country that's excellent at sport.

"You've got an extraordinary history in sport and having Michael Carruth run with it this morning symbolises what it's all about."


Jedward (pictured) - twin brothers John and Edward Grimes - ran with the Torch down O'Connell Street and past some of the city's most famous landmarks.

"It's such a great experience being here," said John.

"It was such an honour to carry the Olympic Torch in the relay.

"Thank you, guys, so much for all coming out and being so...Jedicated to the Olympics.

"Last year we had [United States President] Barack Obama [in Dublin] and this year we have the Olympic Torch."

The Flame had been received by Irish President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony in Howth shortly after 8am, watched by a crowd of several thousand people.

It moved on to Croke Park, before being carried to Government Buildings, where Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore greeted flame carriers Delaney and Bridget Taylor, mother of boxer Katie Taylor, the favourite for a gold medal at London when women's boxing makes its debut on the Olympic programme.

Sonia O'Sullivan (pictured), the Sydney 2000 5,000 metres silver medallist, carried the flame onto St Stephen's Green, where a community festival was taking place.


She lit an Olympic cauldron on the stage in St Stephen's Green before the flame began its journey back to Belfast.

"The symbolism is so powerful," said Kenny (pictured below left with Delany and Gilmore right).

"It epitomises in so many ways what the Olympics actually stand for - higher, faster and stronger - for all of those young people who can be inspired by sport, that they take up to become world champions.

"It's an enormous commitment for split-second timing to be the best in the world and to achieve Olympic glory and therefore, like Ronnie Delaney, everybody knows him because of his achievements in 1956.

"On behalf of the people of this country, it's great to have the Olympic Flame come through." 


The event was a personal triumph for Hickey, who is also the President of the European Olympic Committees.

"This is a historic moment for us in Olympic sport," he said.

"The Olympic Flame coming south to Dublin shows the importance of sport in building bridges for peace and a recognition of the all-island composition of Team Ireland as it goes for gold at the London Olympic Games.

"We will never have the Olympic Games in Dublin and the nearest we are ever going to come to it is the London Games.

"To have the Torch Relay in our part of the island is quite unique and historic, and I think in years to come people will look back and say, 'That must have been great'."

After its tour of Dublin, the Flame travelled back into Northern Ireland in Newry before a celebration event at City Hall, Belfast.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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