Let the Games begin in earnest: Strong Royal representation at Paris extravaganza

OLYMPIC GAMES Rail system 'sabotaged' by arsonists to affect 800,000 passengers

Boxer Jenny Lehane and rugby sevens player Kathy Baker, along with show jumper Cian O'Connor, eventer Sarah Ennis, cyclist Ryan Mullen and runner Andrew Coscoran will step into Irish sporting history when they take part in the Olympic Games in Paris with the opening ceremony taking place this evening with the event affected by a serious disruption to the local rail network due to sabotage. Up to 800,000 people could be affected.

The above athletes are part of a Meath contingent participating in what is the biggest sporting extravaganza on the globe.

Another participant is Chey Mullins, who's grandfather is from Meath, has already got his Olympics experience underway with a number of games - and tries - for the men's Sevens rugby team.

However there is no chance of him ending up with a medal even though the opening ceremony has yet to take place.

His team were defeated last night by Fiji at the quarter-final stage. Mullins and Ireland now play for final placings - and a chase to restore some battered national pride.

“I’m kind of just speechless really. Gutted is the main emotion, to be honest,” Mullins said on the Olympics broadcast.

Jenny Lehane, the 25-year-old Ashbourne boxer, secured her place in the Games early last month. She defeated Hungarian Hanna Lakotar of Hungary in a qualifier in Bangkok.

Her story is remarkable as she gave up teaching two years ago to pursue her Olympic dream and here she is now on the big stage. She starts her campaign on Tuesday when she takes on a Chinese opponent.

Also going to the Olympics for the first time is Kathy Baker, who has strong connections with Kilcloon. Kathy is part of the Irish Rugby Sevens team.

Lehane and Baker are joined on the Irish Olympic squad by O'Connor who is at the opposite end of the scale when it comes to experience at the Olympics. He will be competing in his fourth Games. O'Connor, of course, is based at the famous Karlswood high-performance stables in Batterstown.

Then there is Meath Athlete of the Year Andrew Coscoran who has been selected to run in the 1,500m in Paris. He is something of an old hand when it comes to the Olympics having reached the 1,500m semi-finals at the Tokyo Games.

From Balbriggan he, of course, has ran in the colours of Meath club Star of the Sea from for many seasons and has competed in many events on the world and European stages. Earlier his year he smashed the Irish indoor 5,000 record in Boston, clocking up 13:12.56.

It all means that Lehane, Baker, O'Connor, Mullins, Mullen, Ennis and Coscoran will be among a group of Irish athletes to take part in the Games exactly 100 years since the then newly-minted Irish Free State first participated in the 1924 Olympics, also in Paris.

Last month O'Connor was included on the Irish Olympics show jumping team with his horse Maurice. Also included were Daniel Coyle and Shane Sweetman with their respective mounts, Legacy and the unusually named, James Kann Cruz.

O'Connor (45) has had very mixed Olympic experiences. He won bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London. He also won gold in his debut Olympics in Athens in 2004 but was subsequently stripped of his medal after his horse, Waterford Crystal, was found to have had a banned substance in its system.

It was all part of a series of bizarre events that included the theft of Waterford Crystal's B-sample.

However no blame of any kind was attributed to O'Connor. The authorities accepted that O'Connor was not in any way involved in a deliberate attempt to influence or affect the horse's performance.

Just a few weeks ago Lehane's place on the Irish boxing team was officially confirmed when the Olympic Federation of Ireland selected the 10 boxers that will make up the team.

The boxing competitions take place from Saturday 27th July to Saturday 10th August, the day before the Games themselves are brought to a conclusion.

Having made her World Series debut in Japan in 2018 Baker's stock in the rugby sevens circuit has risen sharply. She is regarded as a dynamic and hard-working forward. As a youngster she turned out for North Kildare Hockey Club but turned to rugby while attending school at Kings Hospital, Dublin and her ability was quickly recognised. "Sport has always being a big part of my life and I've always had that drive to get into professional sport," she said.

Unlike the last Covid-hit Olympics in Tokyo events and competitions in Paris will be attended by spectators ensuring plenty of atmosphere at the contests - and there are sure to be a big contingent from Meath backing Lehane when she enters the ring.

The preliminary rounds of the boxing take place in the Arena Paris Nord, a huge exhibition centre in the Seine-Saint-Denis district while the semi-finals and finals will be held in Roland Garris Arena, a place made famous as the venue for one of the biggest and best known tennis tournaments in the world.

Sarah Ennis is originally from Howth but she is based in Batterstown and will be taking part in her second Olympics having finished in 36th place at the Tokyo Games. Eventing gets underway tomorrow (Saturday).

Ryan Mullen is part of the Team Ireland cycling team. His grandparents come from Duleek. He lives in Birkenhead, UK and has a fine record in his sport. An eight time Irish champions he won medals and various u-23 European and World events. He was third in the Ras while still only a youth. He took part in the Giro d'Italia this year. He takes part in the Olympic Road Race.

Lehane, Baker, O'Connor, Coscoran, Mullins, Ennis and Mullen may also be among the contingent of Irish athletes who take part in the Olympic opening ceremony which for the first time in history will be held outside a stadium.

Instead the teams will sail up the Seine in a unique openerthis evening - and it promises to be an a truly spectacular sight. An experience in itself.