On the Scene - Irish Welcome for Olympic Torch Relay

(ATR) LOCOG Chair Seb Coe says that it is "hugely symbolic" for the London 2012 Torch Relay to come through the city of Dublin.

Coe was speaking to reporters Wednesday at a sunny St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin, where the Olympic Flame finished its two-hour relay of the Republic of Ireland capital.

It ‘s the first time in any torch relay for the Flame to come back out of the host country after its domestic arrival – but Coe said that this opportunity was a very special one.

"I think it’s hugely symbolic," he said. "It also speaks powerfully and eloquently for the power of sport to transcend geographical, cultural, social and faith-based boundaries – and it’s done it in a most powerful way today."

Starting at Crowke Park, the Flame was carried through the city by 40 torchbearers, including many Irish sportspeople and personalities. The final straight of the relay saw Sydney 2000 silver medalist Sonia O’Sullivan carry the Flame to a stage on St. Stephen’s Green and light the cauldron in front of hundreds of cheering spectators.

According to Coe, it’s been a "long and a delicate process" to bring the torch to Ireland, but that the president of the IOC played an integral role.

"Clearly the IOC decided not to continue with the international dimension, but I pay particular tribute to Jacque Rogge, who when I took theconcept to him immediately understood that this had a special implication that sport where possible should be used as a part of bringing communities together," Coe said Wednesday.

"That has demonstrated that beyond anything this morning that sport gets to places and gets to people that other areas of activity rarely get to."

Despite a delayed start, the two-hour route was a trouble-free zone with many people lining the streets to see the Flame up close. There was certainlynothing similar to Monday’s republican protests in Northern Ireland that briefly diverted the Torch Relay – but Coe played down the incident and insisted it’s not an area of major concern.

"We live in a country where peaceful protest is quite rightly a part of the landscape. But the vast majority of people on this trip and in the U.K. have just wanted to come out and celebrate, so that’s been a huge story for me," he said.

The relay will now head back to Northern Ireland, where another 51 torchbearers will carry the Flame to its evening destination of Belfast, where there will be more celebrations. Thursday, the Flame will cross the North Channel to visit the only remaining nation of the U.K. it has yet to see – Scotland.

Reported in Dublin by Christian Radnedge

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