Start every morning with The 42′s definitive guide to all the day’s action: when you need to be in front of the TV, who are Ireland’s medal hopefuls, and what other big stories should you look out for.
WHEREAS THE PARIS Olympics kicked off on the Seine under teaming rain, the 2024 Paralympics took a stroll up a sunkissed Champs-Elysee.
Sprinter Orla Comerford and table-tennis star Colin Judge bore the Irish tricolour on Place de la Concorde on a magical night in the French capital.
But things won’t stay dry for long, because we’ll begin these Games where we first dove into the Olympics a month ago: in the swimming pool at La Defense Arena.
And that’s where Ireland will hope to first make waves on Thursday, as some of the country’s leading Para-athletes get their campaigns under way in front of a capacity crowd of 15,000.
Which Irish athletes are competing — and when can I watch them?
Swimming: While TV coverage will begin on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 8:30am, the first two Irish athletes in action in Paris will take to the water at 9:47am.
Nicole Turner, who is the reigning European champion in the event, and 17-year-old European bronze medallist Dearbhaile Brady will share a heat in the Women’s S6 50m freestyle. Both athletes will compete in the second heat, with the final due to take place at 6:19pm.
Next up will be another teenager, Róisín Ní Ríain, who is in Heat 2 of the Women’s S13 100m butterfly at 10.15am. Ní Ríain, a world champion in the backstroke, is both the reigning European champion and a World Championship silver medallist in the butterfly S13 and is a good bet bet to make the final at 7:15pm.
RTÉ’s John Kenny will be on hand to provide commentary as the Games begin for this country.
Archery: At 12pm, Tokyo Paralympian Kerrie Leonard competes in her W2 Individual Compound Open ranking round.
Cycling: A double World Championship bronze medallist in 2023, Richael Timothy gets underway in the Women’s C1-3 3000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying at 11:55am. The bronze final in Timothy’s event takes place at 3:24pm, while the gold final will be at 3:41pm.
Rio Paralympian Damien Vereker and guide Mitchell McLaughlin take on the Men’s B 4000m Individual Pursuit Qualifying at 12.41pm, as does Vereker’s fellow second-time Paralympian Martin Gordon alongside guide Eoin Mullen. Both Irish crews could return again in the bronze final at 3.59pm or, all going well, in the gold final at 4.13pm.
Team Ireland Medal Watch
Ireland have serious medal chances in the swimming — particularly in the shape of such decorated athletes as Nicole Turner and Róisín Ní Ríain, who have won a combined 16 major international medals between them at the ages of just 22 and 19 respectively. Dearbhaile Brady, meanwhile, shared a podium with her hero Turner at the Europeans back in April, taking bronze in the S6 50m freestyle.
Richael Timothy, meanwhile, has mentioned a top-six finish in both the pursuit and the road race. With three World Championship bronze medals to her name on the track, who’s to say she can’t make a Paralympic podium today?
Ailbhe Kelly, Patrick Flanagan and Peter Ryan will join Evanne Ní Chuilinn in RTÉ’s studio for what will hopefully be a fruitful evening session for Ireland.
Do Not Miss…
The first Paris 2024 champion will be crowned in the men’s 400m freestyle S9, which begins at 4:30pm Irish time.
There will be something of a local flavour to this one, not only in the form of a French medal contender but in that of Italian star Simone Barlaam.
Barlaam is the reigning world champion in the event but finished all the way back in sixth in Tokyo. As such, this race has special significance to the Italian, but so too does the host city.
“As a kid, I had most of my surgeries and appeared in hospitals here”, Barlaam said of Paris, “so I am very close to the city and I’m really grateful for what the French people did for me.
“Also, it is not far at all from home so I will have my family and friends coming from Milan.”
He’ll face a hostile atmosphere, however, as the man who finished second behind him at the Worlds in Manchester last year (as well as second in Tokyo is one Ugo Didier, a home favourite who will have La Defense on his side as he aims to go one better in the French capital.
Guys the article is not attempting to be a comprehensive treatise on the finances of any one club. It is merely a look at the importance of location given the changing demographics of Dublin. I should also add I’m a blogger not a journalist and as a result the time I can give to fact checking is limited and I am happy to accept corrections through comments. Mea culpa on the Harristown issue.
Facts Lee!….. Evening Herald quality…a fate only avoided by Shamrock Rovers!!!first league win in 21st Century only 2 seasons ago….omitted massive tax write off…the role of SDCC!
Lee please get your facts straight before stating things,journalism like this is the reason people don’t know real facts. Rovers rent a ground in tallaght, Rovers had a 96% write off of all there debt when relegated, Bohs proposed move was to Harristown just beside the airport. The only reason Bohs haven’t moved is due to Liam Carroll being in Nama and having no funds to finish the deal.
Ah the memories! These were exciting times. Now we are extremely lucky to be still housed in Tolka. Word is both clubs will ground share Tolka next year. But where both clubs will be in 0-5 years? Lord knows.
The LOI and And FAI is inundated by a shower of grubby opportunist shady businessmen, (usually with thatch or comb overs) . Success on the field is normally followed by bankruptcy,Milltown, Flower lodge etc etc… markets field, kilcohan etc.. Sligo seem to be on the right track..