AS THE SUN set on a searingly hot day in Paris, the 2024 Paralympic Games opened in spectacular fashion.
Like the Olympic inauguration beforehand, the Paralympics’ opening ceremony took place outside a traditional stadium for the very first time.
A little over a month ago, the athletes and their delegations boated up the adjacent River Seine in the pouring rain. On this occasion, they paraded Avenue des Champs-Elysee and walked out on the historic Place de la Concorde as a beautiful day turned into a magical night.
Orla Comerford and Colin Judge were the flagbearers leading Team Ireland, who were positioned 71st of 168 delegations.
This was their stage tonight. Over the next 10 days, it will be Stade de France for T13 100m sprinter Comerford, and South Paris Arena for table tennis star Judge.
Paradox: From Discord to Concord was the theme portrayed by artistic director of both Paris 2024 ceremonies, Thomas Jolly, here. Get it? Parfait.
Place de la Concorde, the largest square in the city and the site of many public executions during the French Revolution, staged urban sports during the Olympics but it won’t be used as a Paralympic sporting venue.
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It has been transformed this summer, with temporary stands erected and topped with flags of the competing nations. The Irish press inadvertently sat below the tricolour.
As the ceremony began at 8pm, significant queues remained outside and there were some blocks of empty seats around the theatre-like venue. The show went on, beginning with a remarkably chaotic performance around the Luxor Obelisk — an ancient Egyptian pillar offered to Napoleon Bonaparte and transported here in the 1830s.
In all, there were 500 artists and performers — some of those wheelchair users and amputees on crutches — many mascots or Phryges, cars and handbikes circling the stage, enthusiastic volunteers, and pianos. Lots of pianos. There were 35,000 spectators present, while many more lined the streets.
“WELCOME TO PARIS,” was roared at one point in the early madness, before blue, white and red fireworks exploded.
Shortly afterwards, eight small airplanes flew from Eiffel Tower direction blazing the same trail behind them.
Flag bearers Colin Judge and Orla Comerford lead Team Ireland. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Each delegation brought their own colour, noise and size to the parade of athletes; Brazil and Canada particularly lively with the crowd. Irish fans around the venue made themselves known as Comerford, Judge and co. arrived just before 9.10pm, between Iraq and Iceland. The team waved tricolours and were decked out in beige bottoms, white t-shirts and navy cardigans.
On with the show after the parade where Ukraine, Palestine, the Refugee Team and of course, our hosts, got the biggest cheers (Allez les Bleus!). Then came the formalities, and French President Emmanuel Macron officially declared the Games open.
Following an emotive spectacle, the Paralympic Flame arrived amidst a relay which began four days ago in Stoke Mandeville. It finished at Tuileries Garden, where the Cauldron was lit and soared into the Paris sky after 11.30m.
As it glistened, Christine and the Queens sang ‘Born to be Alive’. The City of Light lived up to its name there and then.
It was colourful, magical, and emotional.
From wheels up at Dublin Airport, this experience has been just that. As Aer Lingus flight EI523 prepared to take off on Monday afternoon, well wishes were extended to those on board representing Ireland and met with rapturous applause.
After a slight delay at Charles de Gaulle, momentum picked up again in the Paris 2024 motorway lane during rush hour, where Games vehicles can avoid heavy traffic.
Public transport has been friendly so far, for recces of the venues and other preparations.
Tuesday was busy in that sense, with a reception at the Irish Embassy in the afternoon and a half shift of work experience in political journalism following suit (Spoiler: I’ll happily stick to sport.)
The 42 took a trip to the breathtaking, highly-secure Élysée Palace, effectively for a handshake between Taoiseach Simon Harris and Macron, before a doorstep interview back at the Embassy, all in searing heat. With the audio offloaded to The Journal’s news desk, it was back to our bread and butter of sport.
One Harris quote did hit home, when he spoke about these top-level Irish athletes also embodying “resilience, endurance, hope and positivity in a way many of us can only imagine”.
Paralympics Ireland President, Eimear Breathnach, who competed at London 2012 in table tennis, added:
“Not one athlete is here today because they have overcome their disability, but you are here today because you have overcome the barriers that made your journey to high performance sport much more difficult.”
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She spoke about being a proud Paralympian, and referenced the recent high-profile story about tattoos: Paralympic athletes could have been disqualified if they didn’t cover their Olympic rings tattoos, but that ruling has since been dropped.
“Touchy subject,” Breathnach noted. Several Irish athletes, including Ellen Keane and Richael Timothy, have the Paralympic Agitos symbol inked on their skin, and have spoken out on the matter and corrected others on social media.
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Letter from Paris: Games officially begin at spectacular opening ceremony
AS THE SUN set on a searingly hot day in Paris, the 2024 Paralympic Games opened in spectacular fashion.
Like the Olympic inauguration beforehand, the Paralympics’ opening ceremony took place outside a traditional stadium for the very first time.
A little over a month ago, the athletes and their delegations boated up the adjacent River Seine in the pouring rain. On this occasion, they paraded Avenue des Champs-Elysee and walked out on the historic Place de la Concorde as a beautiful day turned into a magical night.
Orla Comerford and Colin Judge were the flagbearers leading Team Ireland, who were positioned 71st of 168 delegations.
This was their stage tonight. Over the next 10 days, it will be Stade de France for T13 100m sprinter Comerford, and South Paris Arena for table tennis star Judge.
Paradox: From Discord to Concord was the theme portrayed by artistic director of both Paris 2024 ceremonies, Thomas Jolly, here. Get it? Parfait.
Place de la Concorde, the largest square in the city and the site of many public executions during the French Revolution, staged urban sports during the Olympics but it won’t be used as a Paralympic sporting venue.
It has been transformed this summer, with temporary stands erected and topped with flags of the competing nations. The Irish press inadvertently sat below the tricolour.
As the ceremony began at 8pm, significant queues remained outside and there were some blocks of empty seats around the theatre-like venue. The show went on, beginning with a remarkably chaotic performance around the Luxor Obelisk — an ancient Egyptian pillar offered to Napoleon Bonaparte and transported here in the 1830s.
In all, there were 500 artists and performers — some of those wheelchair users and amputees on crutches — many mascots or Phryges, cars and handbikes circling the stage, enthusiastic volunteers, and pianos. Lots of pianos. There were 35,000 spectators present, while many more lined the streets.
“WELCOME TO PARIS,” was roared at one point in the early madness, before blue, white and red fireworks exploded.
Shortly afterwards, eight small airplanes flew from Eiffel Tower direction blazing the same trail behind them.
Each delegation brought their own colour, noise and size to the parade of athletes; Brazil and Canada particularly lively with the crowd. Irish fans around the venue made themselves known as Comerford, Judge and co. arrived just before 9.10pm, between Iraq and Iceland. The team waved tricolours and were decked out in beige bottoms, white t-shirts and navy cardigans.
On with the show after the parade where Ukraine, Palestine, the Refugee Team and of course, our hosts, got the biggest cheers (Allez les Bleus!). Then came the formalities, and French President Emmanuel Macron officially declared the Games open.
Following an emotive spectacle, the Paralympic Flame arrived amidst a relay which began four days ago in Stoke Mandeville. It finished at Tuileries Garden, where the Cauldron was lit and soared into the Paris sky after 11.30m.
As it glistened, Christine and the Queens sang ‘Born to be Alive’. The City of Light lived up to its name there and then.
It was colourful, magical, and emotional.
From wheels up at Dublin Airport, this experience has been just that. As Aer Lingus flight EI523 prepared to take off on Monday afternoon, well wishes were extended to those on board representing Ireland and met with rapturous applause.
After a slight delay at Charles de Gaulle, momentum picked up again in the Paris 2024 motorway lane during rush hour, where Games vehicles can avoid heavy traffic.
Public transport has been friendly so far, for recces of the venues and other preparations.
Tuesday was busy in that sense, with a reception at the Irish Embassy in the afternoon and a half shift of work experience in political journalism following suit (Spoiler: I’ll happily stick to sport.)
The 42 took a trip to the breathtaking, highly-secure Élysée Palace, effectively for a handshake between Taoiseach Simon Harris and Macron, before a doorstep interview back at the Embassy, all in searing heat. With the audio offloaded to The Journal’s news desk, it was back to our bread and butter of sport.
One Harris quote did hit home, when he spoke about these top-level Irish athletes also embodying “resilience, endurance, hope and positivity in a way many of us can only imagine”.
Paralympics Ireland President, Eimear Breathnach, who competed at London 2012 in table tennis, added:
She spoke about being a proud Paralympian, and referenced the recent high-profile story about tattoos: Paralympic athletes could have been disqualified if they didn’t cover their Olympic rings tattoos, but that ruling has since been dropped.
“Touchy subject,” Breathnach noted. Several Irish athletes, including Ellen Keane and Richael Timothy, have the Paralympic Agitos symbol inked on their skin, and have spoken out on the matter and corrected others on social media.
Keane was one of the swimmers involved in a brilliant pre-Games post for Paralympics Ireland.
A picture circulated of a woman holding a sign, which read, “What do I do with my life now the Olympics is over?”
Keane and her swimming team-mates replied: “Watch the Paralympics. 28 Aug – 8 Sept.”
With the Games officially opened and competition getting underway tomorrow morning, it’s time to do just that.
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2024 Paralympics c'est magnifique Paris 2024