You may not be aware of it yet, but according to the organisers, the biggest sporting event in the world this year is about to get under way in Dublin. The 2003 Special Olympics Summer Games are taking place in Ireland.
 Athletes from 160 countries are taking part |
Gathering for the lavish opening ceremony will be around 7,000 athletes from 160 countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe. The games have caught the imagination here in Ireland - the posters and flags are up, newspapers are full of the build-up, and the VIPs are arriving.
Among them is Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, as well as another revered figure, Muhammad Ali, the former boxing champion known as "The Greatest".
The opening ceremony will be watched by 75,000 people at Croke Park, Ireland's finest stadium. The guests will also include Ireland's President Mary McAleese and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, plus U2 and The Corrs.
A spectacular evening is promised.
Rousing send-off
It is the first time the Special Olympics have been held outside America, and the Irish are relishing the chance to put on a show.
 Nelson Mandela is one of the VIPs at the games |
Founded in 1968, they are for people with learning difficulties. They should not be confused with the Paralympics, a separate and possibly better known sporting event for athletes with physical difficulties.
The 21 sports range from athletics and aquatics to volleyball and sailing. Half a million spectators are expected to watch during games week.
I saw the Ireland team receive a rousing send-off in the huge courtyard at Collins Barracks in Dublin as they headed for their own host towns.
Families and friends had come along to cheer them, and the vast square was filled with singing and colour, with the Irish Sports Minister John O'Donoghue leading the tributes to the courage and dedication of the participants.
'Dream come true'
He said: "I think the essence of the Special Olympics is to ensure that people who are educationally challenged can showcase their talents, that they can participate, and feel that they belong to society, that they are at the centre.
 Let me win, but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt  |
"That's what these games are all about: a celebration of human life." Lisa McNab is a leading member of Ireland's team. Aged 24, she is taking part in the athletics competitions, and has high hopes of success. She cannot wait for the event to get started.
"It's a dream come true - I've been training every day at home with my Mum and Dad," she said.
A central part of the Special Olympics is the "host town" programme, which places the different teams, which even include delegations from Iraq and Afghanistan, in dozens of towns across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Bravery
 The teams will be spread around Northern Ireland and the republic |
Drive through Cahir, County Tipperary, for example, and you'll see streets lined with Ghana's national flag. In Carrigaline, near Cork, the road signs proclaim "Host Town to Liechtenstein".
The games' motto is: "Let me win, but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt."
Ireland is embracing what is a unique event, where sporting competition is central, but not as important as celebration and a sense of personal achievement.
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