by Bernie English
FOR four days next June, Limerick will be transformed into Ireland’s biggest sporting venue as 1,500 athletes from all over the country descend on the city for the 2014 Special Olympics Ireland Games.
And with 3,000 local volunteers needed to help stage the event, a recruitment drive is already under way in Limerick city, county and beyond to ensure that it will be an unforgettable occasion for the athletes who will be accompanied by 500 coaches and delegates as well as a contingent of over 3,000 family members.
Running from Thursday, June 12 to Sunday, June 15, the games will feature 13 sporting disciplines and qualifying competitions have been taking place over recent months with athletes from each of the five regions already qualified to compete in the Limerick Games. For the next seven months all 3,000 athletes will be training in their local clubs, supported by their volunteer coaches.
Details of the 2014 Games were announced at a launch event in the University of Limerick on Tuesday when Special Olympics Ireland chief executive Matt English said that the two critical areas to guarantee success were people and finance.
“Over the coming months, we will be working hard to raise the €1.9 million required to cover the costs of the Games. With the help of 3,000 volunteers and businesses from the greater Limerick area, we are determined to ensure that the Special Olympics Ireland 2014 Limerick Games will be a fantastic success and talked about for many years to come”, he said.
The Special Olympics were last held in Limerick in 2010 and businessman Denis O’Brien, who is Chairman of Special Olympics Ireland’s Council of Patrons, said it was a great endorsement of the success of the 2010 Ireland Games that Special Olympics had chosen to return to Limerick for its 2014 Ireland Games.
