Olympic torch due in Dublin

The Olympic torch is to be taken on a whistle-stop tour of Dublin tomorrow after a handover ceremony on the border involving 1992 Olympic medal winners Wayne McCullough and Michael Carruth.

The torch is to travel by convoy to Howth, where it is to be received by President Michael D Higgins at 8am, before moving onto Croke Park ahead of a two hour relay through Dublin city and a festival in St Stephen's Green to mark the occasion.

The torch will return to Belfast tomorrow afternoon before moving on to Scotland.

"We will never have the Olympic Games in Dublin and the nearest we are ever going to come to it is the London Games," said Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey.

"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'".

A derogation had to be sought for the torch to travel outside the host country because of what happened in 2008 before the Beijing Olympics, when the torch became a focus of anti-Chinese sentiment as it travelled through several countries. Since then it has been decided that the torch should only travel through the host country.

Mr Hickey said he believed it was important that the relay take in both Northern Ireland and Republic given the fact the Irish team was comprised of athletes from both sides of the border.

He said the involvement of McCullough and Carruth was symbol of the connection the Olympics brought between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

"Wayne McCullough and Michael Carruth were typical of the team of [1992]. Wayne is a Protestant from the Shankill and Michael is a Catholic from Dublin. They became best mates at the Olympic Games..."

Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin will takes the torch around the new Skyline attraction at Croke Park before the relay gets underway at the Jones' Road entrance to Croke Park at 9.35am.

Eurovision stalwarts Jedward, Dublin footballer Bernard Brogan and former soccer player Paul McGrath will also participate.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will greet the torch when it arrives at Government Buildings on Upper Merrion Street at about 11.30am.Lord Mayor of Dublin Andrew Montague will greet the final torch bearer Sonia O'Sullivan, who will light an Olympic cauldron in St Stephen's Green.

A number of tug boats are to provide a traditional water cannon port salute as the Olympic Torch crosses Samuel Beckett Bridge and all ships in Dublin Port have been asked to sound their horns.

As the Olympic Torch bearers approach the bridge from Mayor Street the port's Harbourmaster will instruct the captains of the tug boats to launch their water cannon shooting water 45 metres high into Dublin's skyline with a range of 120 metres. When fully deployed 7,000 litres of water are fired through the cannon every minute.

Chief Supt Aidan Reid, of the Garda National Traffic Bureau, said there would be rolling road closures in Dublin during the relay and that he hoped the event would cause minimum disruption.