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DUBLIN: The Olympic flame lit up the Republic of Ireland onWednesday on its only visit outside Britain en route to the 2012London Games, in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation between thetwo states. Wayne McCullough, from Belfast, passed the flame across the borderto his fellow 1992 Olympic boxing medallist Michael Carruth, in alight-hearted ceremony in which McCullough kissed his Dublinerfriend on the head. "It speaks very eloquently for the power of sport to transcendcultural, political and faith-based boundaries," London Games chiefSebastian Coe told BBC television. Irish Sports Minister Michael Ring, who watched with Coe and acrowd of onlookers as McCullough lit Carruth's torch, said theevent marked "a truly historic day for Ireland". "Today we bring the Olympic spirit into the heart of our capitalcity, in front of a global audience," he said. The Olympic flame is making a 10-week, 12,875-kilometre relay aheadof the Games, which begin on July 27. Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins received the flame in Dublinfollowing the handover. The flame's journey around Dublin included Croke Park stadium, thehome of Ireland's Gaelic games, ahead of its return to NorthernIreland. More than 40 torchbearers carried the flame, including formerIreland rugby winger Denis Hickie and pop duo Jedward, whorepresented the nation at last month's Eurovision song contest. Ronnie Delany, who won the 1,500 metres gold at the 1956 MelbourneOlympics, was applauded by Prime Minister Enda Kenny as he held historch aloft. Thousands of people waved Irish flags and cheered as Dublin's finaltorchbearer Sonia O'Sullivan, who won the 5,000 metres silver atthe 2000 Sydney Games, lit an Olympic cauldron in the city's StStephen's Green park. The flame crossed the border as part of its a five-day journeyaround Northern Ireland as a token of closer ties between Britainand the Republic of Ireland following Queen Elizabeth II's landmarkvisit there last year. The torch crossed back into Northern Ireland in the late afternoonand taken to Belfast City Hall where thousands of people gatheredfor a concert. The trip comes a day after Britain wrapped up four days ofcelebrations for the sovereign's diamond jubilee, marking her 60years on the throne. London Games officials decided the torch should stay in Britainapart from the Ireland trip, after Tibet-related protests doggedthe global torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Games. "It has taken many, many months of lobbying at the highestinternational levels to get the permission required to bring therelay south," said Pat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council ofIreland. Queen Elizabeth's highly-charged visit last year was the first by aBritish monarch since her grandfather king George V in 1911, beforethe republic won independence from Britain in 1922. In a diamond jubilee tribute, Prince Charles, the heir to thethrone, said he thought the visit had been his mother's "greatestachievement". Seen as the last piece in the jigsaw of peace in Northern Ireland,the queen's four-day trip required the republic's biggest-eversecurity operation. However, through some highly symbolic gestures - including speakingin Irish - she melted away decades of post-colonial angst. The Olympic torch landed in Britain on a plane from Greece on May18 and will arrive at the Olympic Stadium in east London for theopening ceremony. - AFP/de. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Q Switched ND Yag Laser Manufacturer , China Laser Tattoo Removal Machine for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Cellulite Reduction Machine.
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