Former Olympic pentathlon champion Mary Peters with Irish athletes

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern attended the launch of Team Ireland at Croke Park on Sunday.

More than 430 Irish athletes with learning disabilities will take part in 13 different sports from 20-29 June.

The Bocce team, whose event is similar to bowls, are all from Northern Ireland.

Cities and towns throughout the island are hosting more than 7,000 athletes, 3,000 coaches and 28,000 delegates for the summer games, which have never before been held outside the United States.

Host city

Belfast is set to be a host city to more than 1,300 athletes and backroom staff from the US team, while more than 20 towns across Northern Ireland are also hosting competitors.

The games have been described as the largest sporting event of 2003.

A big crowd is expected for the opening ceremony on 21 June at Croke Park, the fourth largest stadium in Europe.

The games attracted controversy last week, when the Irish Government asked countries affected by the pneumonia-like disease, Sars, not to send teams to the games.

Health Minister Micheal Martin said on Friday that competitors from China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines, which have all had substantial outbreaks of Sars, have been asked not to travel to Ireland for the event.

The World Health Organisation has criticised the decision, describing it as inconsistent with the latest guidelines for controlling attendances at large events.