Dublin in Torch relay route

The London Olympic Games torch relay will include Dublin in its route, the International Olympic Comm-ittee (IOC) announced yesterday, a gesture which would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

Gilbert Felli, Olympic Games Executive Director, said that it would be a one-day event and take place on June 6 and added that there were no concerns over possible repeats of the disturbances that affected the Beijing Torch Relay in several cities on the international route.

“It wasn’t for the IOC to give approval but we got the final appraisal from LOCOG today (yesterday),” said Felli.

“We needed to wait for the approval from the Irish NOC and the Irish government who are responsible for the route.

“Regarding Beijing relay and what happened then that is why it (the Dublin decision) has been taking a bit of time. Knowing the sensibility of the issue we wanted to know that the Irish government was in the loop.

“All analyses were made of the risk to security and it was based on those analyses the board took its decision.”

The announcement is another significant step in the warming of Anglo-Irish relations which were plagued by violence and historical differences down the centuries.