Daniel Wiffen, a double Olympic medallist, and Mona McSharry, a bronze medallist, were named as Team Ireland’s flagbearers for the Paris 2024 closing ceremony, which took place on Sunday evening. Wiffen, a 23-year-old from Armagh who carved out a spot in history at the Paris Games, spoke of his pride in carrying the flag and called the role a “dream come true”.
Meanwhile, McSharry, the Sligo-born swimmer who took home Ireland’s first medal of the Games, was elated and surprised to be chosen. The flag carrier role, she said, was the cherry on top of a phenomenal Olympic Games. Both of these athletes, competing in their second Olympics, jointly bore the Irish tricolour against the beautiful backdrop of Paris in the closing ceremony.
The grand finale of the Paris 2024 Olympics was hosted in the Stade de France, a stadium boasting an 80,000-seater capacity. The festivities kicked off at 8pm Irish time and transformed the stadium into a colossal performance space. Ensemble of dancers, circus acrobats, and globally celebrated artists brought the venue to life with spectacular aerial displays and light shows. The evening drew to a close with the traditional handover to LA, the next host city for the 2028 Games.