Irish Paralympic team announcement

2 July 2008; The Irish team for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing was officially announced at an event today. Forty five elite athletes across nine sports will represent Ireland at the Beijing Games which get underway on September 6th and run for twelve days. The Paralympic Games are elite Olympic style sports events for elite athletes with physical disabilities, or visual impairment, emphasising athletic achievement rather than disability. At the announcement is Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Mr. Martin Cullen T.D. with some of the athletes, front row from left, Richard Whealey, Sailing, Eimear Breathnach, Table Tennis, and Patrice Dockery, 100m, 200m, & 400m, back row from left, Cathal Miller, Cycling, Jonathan Cummings, Swimming, Lisa Callaghan, Javelin, Sean Heary, Archery, and Eilish Byrne, Equestrian. Conrad Hotel, Dublin. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE