Gavin Cooney reports from Paris

WORD ON THE identity of Ireland’s flagbearers for tonight’s opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics slipped out a little earlier than planned this morning, but Shane Lowry and Sarah Lavin have spent the last few weeks wrestling to keep the news of their respective honours under wraps. 

“I didn’t tell my Mum until the other day”, Lowry told The 42. “It would have been in the Tullamore Tribune a couple of weeks ago if I did!” 

“I think it was kept kind of quiet until this morning”, added Lavin, “but it was a tough one for the parents to hold.” 

Lowry will represent Ireland in the men’s golf competition from 1 August, while Lavin will run in the women’s 100m hurdles from Wednesday, 7 August. 

Both were informed via a a call from the Olympic Federation of Ireland, and were then sent a formal letter of invitation. 

“I was crying when I found out initially”, said Lavin. “It doesn’t much to make my mom cry if I’m crying so. I think it’s just an incredibly emotional day.” 

“My parents are the same”, chimed Lowry. “My parents follow me all over the world to do what I do. They’re going to be here next week for the games, they’re not here today. Yeah, obviously incredibly proud, they always are. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of pictures on the wall in the coming days, they won’t even take that long. I’m looking forward to seeing them next week and them watching me out there competing. It’s an incredible thing to happen to anybody and I’m just very happy it’s me.” 

Lavin and Lowry will hold the flag during a unique opening ceremony, which is the first ever to take place outside of a stadium. Instead athletes will be paraded down the Seine on boats, and the Games have a particular resonance for Ireland: this is the centenary anniversary of Ireland’s first-ever Olympic Games as an independent nation, which also took place in Paris. 

“To carry the Irish flag on the centenary anniversary, it’s incredibly special”, said Lavin. “I don’t think there are many honours you could be given in life that can match up to this.” 

Both are fuelled by more recent Irish Olympic history. 

“My first Olympic memory is sitting in my classroom in my school and the TV getting wheeled in to watch Sonia O’Sullivan”, said Lowry. “Obviously you go on over the years then and Katie [Taylor] sticks out well in people’s heads, and us as a team here, we’re hoping to be that person for the kids at home watching it.

“I’d give anything to win a medal, that’s what I’m here for and it would just be an unbelievable thing to achieve.”

“Sonia was also my first Olympic memory”, added Lavin. “Sonia was our last medal on the track and please God that can be replicated, we have a really strong athletics team here and hopefully we can put together some great performances and make the country proud.” 

The Irish outfits for the opening ceremony are designed by Laura Weber, and each feature a stitched badge recognising the county from which each athlete hails. Lowry’s is one of five to bear the Offaly county emblem. 

“I’m an incredibly proud Offaly man”, said Lowry. “We’ve got five athletes here this week from Offaly which is great. I’ve met a few of them, I know [boxer] Grainne Walsh and I know her family pretty well so that’s my one goal over the next week is to go and watch her compete. Our family are very good friends. I’m patriotic, I’m Irish but I’m Offaly as well.” 

Lavin will carry the Irish flag following a deeply difficult couple of years, as she mourns the loss of her boyfriend Craig Breen, an Irish rally driver who tragically died in a car crash in April of last year. 

“It’s been incredibly difficult from a performance perspective”, said Lavin. “Going into Tokyo I’d broken 13 seconds once and this time round, I think I’ve qualified 10 times in the last 12 months for this Games. I was the last person on the plane the last time round, I think I was the first from the athletics side this time. I’m running for a lot. And I hope to keep Craig close to me for the next few days, as always.”