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Olympic flag honour for Malahide sailor

Thursday, 31 July 2008

A NORTH county Dublin woman has been chosen to carry the Ireland flag during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games that start next month.
Ciara Peelo, from Malahide, a long time member of Howth Yacht Club will be competing in China as part of the Irish Olympic Sailing team.
Ciara has been sailing full-time since 2005. She has an impressive sailing record, having won the Irish Laser Radial National Championships three times, as well as three medal finishes at European and World Championship level.
She qualified for the Olympics by placing 29th overall from a 116-boat fleet at the Women's Laser Radial World Championship in New Zealand.
Ciara believes that carrying the Irish flag at the games will be a tremendous experience.
“Obviously, this is a great honour for an Olympic athlete,” she told Northside People.
“I am pretty excited about it and will be happy to do it.
“My family are delighted and of course they will be travelling over to see me compete.”
Ciara, who left for Beijing last Saturday, described her final week in Ireland before the Olumpicsas being hectic.
Fundraisers for her trip were hosted at Howth Yacht Club and Malahide Rugby Club in the days before she left.
Ciara (28), who has lived in Malahide all her life, learned to sail at the local Broadmeadows Estuary.
She has represented Ireland internationally for 12 years, competing in over 50 international events in 20 countries and four continents.
As well as teaching sailing at Howth Yacht Club, Ciara is a business graduate from DCU where she received the Chancellor's Medal for her contribution to university life.
“This is the biggest sporting event in the world so I have no idea how well I’m going to do,” she added.
“The Olympic Games are an inspiration in themselves and this honour will help to motivate me to do my best for my team and my country.
“But I will take it one event at a time and see how things work out.”
Confirming the decision to make Ciara the official flag bearer, Dermot Henihan, Chef de Mission of the 51-strong Irish Olympic team, said Ciara was the most decorated Irish female sailor, winning three World Championship events in her sporting career to date.
“She is a worthy successor to recent Irish Olympic flag-bearers such as Sonia O’Sullivan in Sydney and Niall Griffin in Athens,” Mr Henihan stated.
James O’Callaghan, manager of the Irish sailing team, said it was a fantastic honour for Ciara and for the sport of sailing.
“It couldn’t have happened to a better person and will give Ciara a big boost in confidence going to the Games,” stated Mr O’Callaghan.
The eagerly awaited Olympic Games will take place from August 8-24.

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