Stage set for a memorable start to Special Olympics

The stage is set and the "flame of hope" is on its way. After 1,400 days of planning, a 15,000km torch-run, the generosity of 30,000 volunteers and the warm welcomes of an entire country, the Special Olympics will open in spectacular style tonight.

The organisers of the opening ceremony of the 2003 World Summer Games in Croke Park are promising an emotional event which will move all those who witness it.

An array of celebrities and sports stars will be present, including Muhammad Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, U2, The Corrs and Ronan Keating, while 100 dancers will participate in the biggest performance of Riverdance ever staged.

"When the stadium fills and when the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, sits down, it will be an extraordinarily unique event, the like of which we will not have seen before in the country and may not see for a long time to come," said Mr John McColgan, of Tyrone Productions.

The athletes will also have a central role. David McCauley (16), from Co Derry, has been selected to light the Olympic cauldron.

The "flame of hope", meanwhile, arrived in Dublin yesterday after a week which saw emotional celebrations in 177 host towns and villages throughout the island.

Tears were shed as the teams left for Dublin, with many host towns making promises to keep in contact with athletes and raise funds for Special Olympics programmes in less privileged parts of the world.

The President, Mrs McAleese, hosted a reception for the torch-runners at Áras an Uachtaráin yesterday. Those in attendance included the founder of the Special Olympics, Ms Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and her son, Tim, the president of the movement.

"The people of Ireland have already shown their capacity and willingness to be accepting of people with learning difficulties. So let the joy begin," Mr Shriver said.

The response to the event has also drawn praise from religious leaders, who hailed it as an inspiring example of dedication, enthusiasm and generosity. Lama Yeshe Losal, director of the Buddhist Centre in Kilmainham, Dublin, said that the ancient scriptures preserved in the Buddhist tradition echoed the beauty of the games.

"The scriptures also tell us that the 'lamp of wisdom' is a torch which dispels the ignorance of all beings," he continued. "As the Special Olympics torch arrives, it illuminates the extent of local and international co-operation, determination and goodwill which has made this event possible."