In Dublin’s Portland Row, lamp-posts were decorated with gold, with the expectation of the homecoming of boxing hero, Kellie Harrington. Concurrently, another batch of talented Irish athletes set their course for Paris.
The Paralympic Games are scheduled to be held from Wednesday 28th August to Sunday 8th September, featuring many of the arenas previously used.
Eimear Breathnach, president of Paralympics Ireland and former Paralympian table tennis player, anticipates that the squad can replicate the prowess shown by the able-bodied Team Ireland members. She expressed faith in the teams, stating their best performances would bring victory, highlighting the diverse mix of athletes in the squad.
She pointed out the excitement for some athletes heading into their second games, having not wholly experienced the genuine atmosphere of the Games. Expressing enthusiasm about the reception they hope to receive in Paris, she hopes that their followers will support them as they did during the Olympics.
The departures from Dublin Airport began with the first group of Irish Paralympians, which included cyclists and triathletes, travelling on Aer Lingus flights to their European training camps.
Twin sisters Chloe and Judith MacCombe, 29 years old and hailing from Claudy in Co Derry, are among those athletes. Living with congenital albinism affecting their vision, the sisters finish each other’s sentences but will contend against each other in the vision impairment paratriathlon or PTVI. They engage in swimming, cycling and running, assisted by a guide.
Despite competing against each other, both sisters wish the best for the other. Chloe mentions the strain of competing against a loved one.
Eve McCrystal is set to participate in her third Paralympics as a sighted pilot in the tandem cycling event. In the past, she achieved a gold and silver in Rio and a silver in Tokyo with Katie-George Dunleavy.
This year, her co-ride partner will be Josephine Healion, who is vision impaired. The pair have been globally competitive since the previous year. Healion, who only began serious paracycling three years ago, is now a full-time Paralympics trainee.
“I never imagined I’d find myself in this position. It is an honour to don the jersey of Ireland on any occasion. Our ambition is to deliver top-notch performances in Paris, emulating the extraordinary achievements of Team Ireland at the Olympics,” says 35-year-old Ronan Grimes who participates in the C4 Paracycling category. Despite a close call, he missed securing a bronze medal in individual pursuit during the Tokyo games.
“There has been a considerable advancement in the standards and timings. If I can notch a personal best in the timed events, it has historically been sufficient to win a medal,” he elucidates. “The experience of the next Games will be entirely different from Tokyo, where the competitions in an unoccupied velodrome felt like a practice session.”