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 are athletes, front row from left, Patrice Dockery, 100m, 200m, & 400m, Eimear Breathnach, Table Tennis, Richard Whealey, Sailing, Padraic Moran, Boccia, back row from left, Lisa Callaghan, Javelin, Cathal Miller, Cycling, Jonathan Cummings, Swimming, Sean Heary, Archery, Jason Smyth, 100m & 200m, and Eilish Byrne, Equestrian. Conrad Hotel, Dublin. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE