The 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games will take place in Limerick. The announcement was made at a gala event in the University Concert Hall, Limerick, during the week.
The games will take place over four days from Thursday, June 10 to Sunday June 13. In what will be one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events to take place in Ireland next year, 1,900 Special Olympics athletes from throughout Ireland will travel to Limerick. They will be accompanied by 650 coaches and official delegates as well as a contingent of some 4,000 family members. The games will be supported by a team of 3,500 volunteers who will be recruited from Limerick city, county, and beyond over the next number of months.
Former Irish and Munster rugby star Keith Wood was a guest speaker at the event and welcomed the assembled audience to Limerick. “The 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games will showcase the talents and skills of 1,900 Special Olympics athletes,” he said. “Every one of these athletes will have worked extremely hard at club and regional level to reach these prestigious games. It is now up to each and every one of us to show them the support they deserve. I call on all businesses in Munster to get behind these games and support these fantastic athletes in every way they can.”
A total of 3,500 volunteers will be required to ensure the successful staging of these games and a major volunteer recruitment campaign for the games was also launched. This volunteer recruitment drive is being supported by Munster, Irish, and Lions rugby hero Paul O’Connell, who said: “Getting involved as a volunteer at the 2010 Special Olympics Ireland Games will be an unforgettable and rewarding experience. We all need to help Special Olympics Ireland reach its target of recruiting 3,500 volunteers to ensure that these Games are a huge success. Your involvement is vital and is guaranteed to make a real difference.”
Special Olympics competitions in each of the sports have been taking place over the past number of months at regional level, and athletes from each of the five regions have now qualified to compete at Ireland level. For the next nine months these athletes will be busy training in their local clubs, supported by their volunteer coaches.
