Robinson and McGuinness congratulate Frampton on Titanic Showdown win

First Minister the Rt Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA have congratulated Carl Frampton on his win in tonight’s Titanic Showdown making him the IBF World Super Bantamweight champion.

The event in which Carl Frampton challenged Spain’s Kiko Martinez for the IBF World Super Bantamweight Title, was the largest boxing match ever to be staged in Northern Ireland. With an audience of over 16,000 people, a number of local boxers including Marc McCullough, Eamonn O’Kane, Jamie Conlon and Conrad Cummings took to the ring prior to the Frampton – Martinez bout.


Congratulating Carl Frampton on his victory the Ministers said: “Carl has dedicated his life to becoming world champion and everyone will be delighted that he has fulfilled that tonight. This was not just a great night for boxing but also for Belfast as images of the contest were beamed around the globe as our local boxers continue to deliver on the world stage.


“Winning a World Title is an exceptional achievement and being victorious on home soil in Belfast’s historic Titanic Quarter makes it even more special both for Carl and his many supporters. Carl has made considerable sacrifices to reach this level combining raw talent with an immense work ethic and we wish him continued success.


“We are very proud of his achievements and congratulate his manager Barry McGuigan and trainer Shane McGuigan for their contribution to Carl’s sporting career.”


Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster said: “Tonight’s world championship fight not only showcased the boxing talent of Carl Frampton, it also showcased Titanic Belfast to an international audience in over 90 countries. The purpose built arena with the iconic Titanic Belfast as a backdrop was a fitting stage for this much anticipated contest.


“And while Carl is our newest World Champion after his tremendous performance in the ring tonight, we have proven once again that Northern Ireland is a world beater when it comes to hosting major events.”


Congratulating Carl on his win, Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said: "Carl had an excellent fight tonight against Spaniard Kiko Martinez and he is now the IBF World Super Bantamweight champion.


“Carl is now a world champion and continues on the North’s proud tradition of boxers with his 19th win of his professional career.


“I also want to pay tribute to Carl’s family, manager and trainer who also have played their part in tonight’s win. We know that boxing, and sport of any kind, can help to improve our physical and mental wellbeing. Carl is a role model that so many young men and women can look up to and everyone is the north should be proud of his achievements."

Robinson and McGuinness congratulate McIlroy on Open success

First Minister Rt Hon Peter D. Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA have congratulated Rory McIlroy on becoming the 2014 Open Golf Champion.

The Ministers said: "We congratulate Rory on becoming the 2014 Open Champion. He has delivered a golfing masterclass over the last four days at Royal Liverpool.

"Having won three Majors, Rory now joins golfing greats Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win three majors by the age of 25. Rory is an exceptionally talented golfer and with his strong work ethic, he will undoubtedly go on to achieve many more great wins in his career.

"Rory is a fine ambassador for Northern Ireland. We are all very proud of his achievements and hopefully he can carry this rich vain of form into the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September."

Foster: Rory Open victory major boost to NI tourism

Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster has said Rory McIlroy's record breaking Open Championship victory is a major boost to golf tourism in Northern Ireland.

Arlene Foster said: “Rory McIlroy's impressive victory at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool has once again put Northern Ireland firmly in the centre of the media spotlight for all the right reasons. It was wonderful to see him lift the famous Claret Jug and become the first golfer in nine years to win the Championship 'wire to wire', having led the field after every round. He has also become the first European golfer and only the third player in the modern era - after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus - to win three of the four majors by the age of 25. 

"Rory is a tremendous ambassador for Northern Ireland and today’s historic result will present even more opportunities to tell the world what makes this place so special. He said this week that bringing The Open Championship back to Portrush was the best decision the R&A has ever made - and of course I agree with him. It will be the biggest sporting event ever held here and will showcase our golfing tourism product to a wider audience than ever before.

“With the mouthwatering prospect of the Irish Open in 2015 and 2017, and The Open Championship possibly as early as 2019, things have never looked better for golfing tourism in Northern Ireland. With that in mind, we will continue to work hard to promote Northern Ireland as a ‘must play’ destination for both the serious and casual golfer.”

Robinson and McGuinness express sympathy at death of Nelson Mandela

First Minister Rt. Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA have expressed their profound sadness at the death of Nelson Mandela.

The First Minister said: "It is with deep sorrow that I heard of the death of Nelson Mandela and I offer my condolences to his entire family circle at this time. We have known for some time that he was ill, nonetheless, it still comes as a great shock to lose such an inspirational man and a massive figure in terms of world politics.

"I met Nelson Mandela on two occasions and was struck by his considerable humility and charisma. He did not see himself in terms of celebrity yet barely anyone throughout the world would not recognise his name and that is no small part because of his unique ability to connect personally with people.

"Nelson Mandela carried out his role with a real talent to draw people and whole communities together. South Africa and the rest of the world had a tremendous respect for him.

"When I asked how he dealt with opposition and the business of negotiation he commented that real negotiation is not with political opponents, rather with your own community and while they may feel you are stepping ahead of them, it is important to convince them to make the journey - a message so pertinent to our own peace process.”

The deputy First Minister said: "I offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family at this difficult time. I was honoured to meet Nelson Mandela the last time he was in Dublin and there is no doubt he was truly one of the greatest leaders of our lifetime.

"Through his humility, strong negotiation skills and desire for justice he earned respect as an ambassador for peace, human rights and democracy across the globe. It was appropriate in 1993 this was recognised when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with former South African President FW De Klerk.

"He will be remembered for demonstrating what is possible when people are committed to peace and reconciliation in areas of conflict. Nelson Mandela has left an indelible mark not only in South Africa but across the world. In 1997, at a critical stage of our peace process, I was honoured to lead, at the invitation of President Mandela, a delegation to South Africa for significant discussion with South African peace negotiators, which also included all parties from the North.

"President Mandela’s interest in the success of the peace process was epitomised by the valuable contributions made by amongst others Cyril Ramaphosa, his Chief negotiator and the now Deputy President of African National Congress, who was a constant source of support to us throughout. Nelson Mandela was a true friend to Ireland.”

Robinson and McGuinness confirm production of Game of Thrones Series 4 in Northern Ireland

The First Minister Rt Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA confirmed the production of Game of Thrones Series four in Belfast with other filming across local locations.

The Ministers confirmed the return of filming for series four following the announcement by Michael Lombardo, president, Home Box Office (HBO) Programming, that HBO has renewed GAME OF THRONES for a fourth season. Based on the bestselling fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin, GAME OF THRONES is an epic story of treachery and nobility. Series four will receive funding from NI Screen, supported by Invest NI and part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The Ministers met with senior HBO executives at the Season 3 premiere in Los Angeles last month, where they took the opportunity to continue to press Northern Ireland’s advantage as a first-class production location, as well as the benefits afforded by the upcoming television tax breaks for the UK, in which the Executive, Northern Ireland Screen and HBO played important roles.

The First Minister said: "Securing the filming of series four is proof that Northern Ireland can host large-scale productions with positive spin-off into other sectors such tourism where we can showcase stunning locations such as the Causeway Coast and Glens, Ballintoy, Murlough Bay to name but a few.

"The success of Game of Thrones shows our commitment to leave no stone unturned when seeking to secure such international productions. We travelled to Los Angeles to press the case for the Northern Ireland film industry and to encourage HBO to return to film their fourth series.

"We have seen the economic impact of an estimated £65million across the three seasons and we want to grow our local film industry to attract more international projects of this scale.”

The deputy First Minister said: "Meeting with HBO senior Executives at the launch of Game of Thrones Series Three in Los Angeles last month shows we are prepared to go the extra mile to secure such an internationally renowned production for our local film industry. The credibility associated with a project of this scale has significant potential for our economy.

"A very important part of this large-scale inward investing production is the training and skills development for the local industry.

"We are focused on maximising the economic value of series four and build on the employment levels of the previous series where over 800 people were working on the production.

"NI Screen is working in partnership with the NI Tourist Board and Titanic Belfast to exploit the success of HBO's production through the Game of Thrones Exhibition in June.”

Robinson and McGuinness pitch for more filming projects

First Minister Rt Hon Peter D. Robinson MLA and the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA were in Los Angeles to pitch for more filming projects after the success of HBO's 'Game of Thrones'.

HBO invited the Ministers to attend the launch of the third successful series of 'Game of Thrones' which was filmed at Titanic Studios in Belfast.

The First Minister said: "The Northern Ireland Executive is committed to growing a dynamic, innovative economy. Through investment in our creative industries, Northern Ireland will continue to build on its reputation across the world as an excellent location to invest. 

"Northern Ireland Screen, through its funding support from Invest NI, has provided HBO with assistance of £6.05million, under the Northern Ireland Screen Fund, to secure the pilot episode and the first two series of this award winning medieval fantasy drama. 

"Game of Thrones has generated up to £65million direct spend in the local economy. We will continue to build on our highly successful relationship with HBO and have made a strong argument for any further series to continue to be filmed in Northern Ireland. 

"Investment of £8million in the Titanic Studios in Belfast, supported by Invest NI demonstrates a real confidence in our film and television sector."

The deputy First Minister said: "The film industry is an important sector for our economy and offers huge potential for further growth. HBO'S Emmy award-winning 'Game of Thrones' has created 800 jobs and contributed millions to the local economy. Its success provides the perfect platform to pitch for more film making projects from this important niche market.

"Through the work of NI Screen we have secured major film and television productions and now with the 100,000 square feet Titanic Studio facility in Belfast we hope to build on our international appeal as a global hub for the creative industries."

Northern Ireland Screen is the lead organisation in developing the film, television and digital content industry.

Robinson and McGuinness forge international links with Brazil

The First Minister Rt. Hon. Peter D Robinson, MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, MLA, are developing international links in Brazil this week.

On the five-day visit to São Paulo, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro the First Minister and deputy First Minister will promote economic development, trade, tourism, university and sporting links with Latin America’s largest economy.

First Peter Robinson and deputy Minister Martin McGuinness are pictured in São Paulo, at the start of their visit to Brazil. 

This visit is part of the Ministers’ wider international objectives aimed at promoting Northern Ireland in the world’s fastest growing economies, commonly known as the BRIC, (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries.

The First Minister said: "Our Programme for Government placed our economy as the key priority. We will leave no stone unturned as we continue to identify new markets and promote Northern Ireland in Brazil.

Northern Ireland has a lot to offer potential investors with our skilled work force and world class education system. Brazil is a major player on the world stage and I look forward to a very informative and productive visit."

The deputy First Minister said: “As the fifth largest country in the world and a population in excess of 191 million Brazil is a key market for us. We will meet with the Brazilian government, business leaders and universities and avail of every opportunity to promote the north of Ireland.

“The only way to develop international relationships is through face to face meetings. Our presence here demonstrates to the Brazilians that we are committed to exploring mutually beneficial opportunities to grow our economy.”

Robinson and McGuinness express sympathy at death of police officer

First Minister Rt. Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA have expressed their sympathy at the death of a Police Officer in Derry/Londonderry last night.

The Police Constable died when the police car she was travelling in was struck by a stolen vehicle in the early hours of this morning.

Two other police officers were also injured in the crash and are receiving treatment in hospital.

The Ministers said: "This is devastating news and we want to extend our heartfelt sympathies to the Police Officer's family, friends and colleagues.

"We wish her two police officer colleagues a speedy and full recovery.

"Officers in the PSNI put their lives at risk on a daily basis to serve and protect our community and we are all truly grateful for their dedicated service. 

"Those who commit a crime such as vehicle theft must realise their actions can have serious consequences. We urge anyone with information to go to the police.”

We are supporting Safer Internet Day 2013

Safer Internet Day is celebrating its tenth year of promoting safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people.

The #SID2013 message for this year is 'Connect with Respect', which aims to encourage children, young people, parents, teachers and the internet industry to really think about their online rights and responsibilities and how they can help make the internet safe for everyone.

Take the #SID2013 quiz to find out how you 'connect with respect' and then watch short video below.

Online rights and responsibilities

In honour of the tenth anniversary children and young people across the UK have worked in partnership with the UK Safe Internet Centre to develop a charter of "ten online rights and responsibilities". The charter is a result of a survey completed by over 20,000 children and young people.

Children and young people ranging in age from 7 - 11 (Primary School Charter) and 11- 19 years old (Secondary School Charter) voted on what they thought were the most important rights and responsibilities they had when online.




 

Top ten online rights and responsibilities voted for by primary school age children (7-11 year olds)

View the larger version here


I should feel safe
I should not be bullied
I should be able to tell someone if...

Top ten online rights and responsibilities voted for by secondary school age children (11-19 year olds)

View a larger version here

I should feel safe

I should be able to manage who can see the content I post online

I should be educated about staying safe online

For more information on the Top Ten Rights and Responsibilities charters and the full report on the 'Have Your Say' survey please visit the #SID2013 website.

You can join the discussion about safer internet on twitter using #SID2013 or visit SID2013 facebook 

Opening the door for significant job creation and private sector investment at Maze/Long Kesh

A spokesperson for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister said: 

“The Peace building and Conflict Resolution Centre (PbCRC) along with the investment by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society is the first step in opening the door for significant job creation and private sector investment at the Maze/Long Kesh site that has been assessed as 5,000 jobs and £300million investment. It is projected that the PbCRC could support 70 additional jobs and generate approximately £1million per annum from visitor income and employment.

"It is best practice for the Department  to try and project what additional support may be required however it is the Ministers intention that the centre will be fully sustainable when fully operational however this will require initial investment.

"The business case prepared in 2010, anticipated the Centre generating income after its start up period. Significant work is underway to develop the programme and income generating aspects of the Centre.

"The PBCRC's two main income streams will be:

·   local and international organisations paying for the use of facilities to deliver local and international peace-building programmes, and the provision of conferences, and

·  visitor numbers expected at the PBCRC.

"The level of departmental funding for the start up period is fully justified by the contribution the Centre will make and the services it will deliver both locally and internationally. 

"The capital build will be fully funded by EU Peace III funding and possibly with additional Heritage Lottery funding.”

Robinson and McGuinness promote local tourism at the Hong Kong Open

First Minister Rt. Hon. Peter D. Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA promoted local tourism at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are pictured with Keith Williams (Manager of Hong Kong Golf Club) during a tour of the competition this afternoon.

The Ministers attended the tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club, in Fanling, at the end of their week-long business mission to China.



Ministers are pictured holding the Ryder Cup with Mr Chi-Won Yoon, Chief Executive Officer of UBS Asia Pacific, the major sponsor of the Hong Kong Open.

The First Minister said: “The participation and success of local golfers has shone the international spotlight on Northern Ireland giving us the ideal opportunity to promote tourism.

“China is a significant emerging market and that is why we are working to build awareness of Northern Ireland as a tourism destination. Golf tourism currently generates over £14 million per year for the local economy in Northern Ireland, with the average spend per golf visitor coming in at £300-£450, significantly higher than the average visitor spend.”

First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are pictured with Jamie Birkmyre, Championship Director of the UBS Hong Kong Open during a tour of the competition.

The deputy First Minister added: “As our golfers continue to play at the highest level of competitive golf around the world, more people will want to come to play the courses that our local golfers enjoy, and this will increase tourism spend in our local economy.

“Tournaments, such as the Hong Kong Open, represent a window to the world to gain further widespread exposure, and we are working to make the most of the opportunities created by our world-class golfers. Promoting our golf offering to an international audience and capitalising on the current global interest in our local golfers will help grow tourism here."

Executive announces £200million economy and jobs initiative

The Executive has announced a £200million economy and jobs initiative to support people, businesses and investment.

The new measures, which include support for more than 4,600 people through skills training and employability, are additional to the commitments in the Executive’s Programme for Government and Economic Strategy.

Welcoming the measures, First Minister Peter Robinson said: “I am pleased that we are able to announce this package which will provide a significant boost to the economy in Northern Ireland and provide employment, particularly for our young people and those who have been out of work for long periods. 

“This initiative comes on top of the £26million in additional funding recently announced as part of Delivering Social Change ‘Signature Projects’ and again shows that by working together the Executive continues to deliver on our Programme for Government commitment to grow the economy and contribute to rising levels of employment by supporting the promotion of over 25,000 new jobs." 

The deputy First Minister said: “The Executive is responding flexibly to the needs of those hit hardest by the recession and taking action to ensure those out of work have access to the right training, skills and education opportunities. These employment measures are particularly focused on the needs of young people to help them get into work. 

“The Executive is already committed to delivering over £5billion of capital investment in the current budget period. To boost employment in the construction sector this package will deliver a range of new measures to improve our schools, roads and accelerate nearly £60million of capital projects.”

Supporting People

Ministers are taking action to ensure that those out of work have access to the right training, skills and education opportunities. They are particularly focused on the needs of young people and other disadvantaged groups.

There will be waged employment opportunities for 1,700 young people of a minimum of six months duration within either the private, public or voluntary and community sectors. 

Around 1,100 over-50s, who have been out of work for more than 12 months, will take up temporary paid employment of up to 26 weeks in the Community and Voluntary Sector. 

Further employer engagement with ApprenticeshipsNI will mean up to 900 additional young people will participate in the Youth Employment Scheme.

An additional 500 undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths places will be funded each year, bringing the total increase in STEM places to 1,200 by 2015. This will enhance the skills base in priority areas for the NI economy. There will also be 150 fully funded PhD places and 20 bursaries for Aerospace MSc students.

A further 500 work experience placements/training opportunities for young people will be provided across the public sector as part of DEL’s Steps to Work Programme.

Supporting Businesses

The small business rate relief scheme will be extended to provide around 3500 business ratepayers with a 20% discount.

A new Invest NI ‘Skills Growth’ scheme will be introduced for small businesses (up to 50 employees) which would provide 50% grant towards training costs. 

Car parking charges in towns and city centres will be frozen until at least 2015.

An additional £15million will be available to ensure that farmers receive more money in their Single Farm payment in 2013. This will generate additional spending power for farm business from the end of 2013 and into 2014.

There will be a new ‘Finance Voucher’ scheme to help SMEs access the specialist support they need to grow their businesses.

Streamlined and ‘fast-track’ application & approval processes will be brought in for many Invest NI business support schemes.

Supporting Investment

The Executive is already committed to delivering over £5billion of capital investment in the current budget period. To boost employment in the construction sector there will be several new measures.

More than £40million will be available to deliver a range of projects in the current financial year which will support the construction sector. This funding will see further resources being made available to:

• improve the schools estate (including addressing the consequences of the fire damage to Arvalee Special School);
• undertake further roads structural maintenance; street lighting maintenance; emerging works along the Antrim Coast Road; 
• £8million additional funding for the housing co-ownership scheme.

The maintenance budget for the Schools Estate will be increased by £10million in 2013/14.

Nearly £60million of capital spending will be accelerated to allow projects to commence in 2013/14 rather than 2014/15.

A further £10million will be available in both 2013/14 and 2014/15 through the housing co-ownership scheme. 

An extra £5.7milion of funding will go to the Tourism Development Scheme which could deliver total investment of over £27.5million, supporting over 450 jobs in the construction phase and creating or sustaining approximately a further 50 tourism jobs once complete.

There will be further reforms to planning, including changes to the Permitted Development Rights regime which enables developers to undertake works without the need to apply for planning permission and revisions to the structure of planning fees to alleviate the financial burden on developers.

Ministers will be available to provide more details of the measures under the particular control of their Departments in the coming days.

Ministers express sadness at farming deaths

First Minister the Rt Hon Peter D Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP, MLA have expressed their deep sadness at the passing of three members of the Spence family in a tragic accident at their family farm in Hillsborough yesterday.

The Ministers said: "It was with great sadness that we learned of the sudden and tragic passing of Noel Spence and his sons Nevin and Graham in an accident on their family farm yesterday.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Spence family at this extremely sad time and pass on our deepest condolences to them. We understand another member of the family, Emma, has been hospitalised following the accident and we wish her a full and speedy recovery.

“This tragedy has shocked the entire community and is a terrible reminder to us all of the dangers of farming life. Our thoughts are also with farmers everywhere at this time.

“Nevin was a rising star of local rugby and it is only a matter of months ago, in happier times, that we had the honour of hosting him and his colleagues at a reception in Parliament Buildings to celebrate the achievement of Ulster in reaching the Heineken Cup final. His untimely death is a blow for the game in the province and we sympathise with his teammates and everyone at Ulster Rugby who have lost a true colleague and friend."

Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has expressed her condolences to the Spence family who tragically lost three family members in a farm accident yesterday evening.

Minister O'Neill said: "I am shocked and deeply saddened to learn of this terrible tragedy which has hit this hard working farming family. My thoughts and prayers are with Noel, Graham and Nevin and their family and friends at this extremely difficult time. I also hope and pray that Emma Spence who was also involved in this accident makes a full recovery."

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: "I want to express my sincere sympathies to the Spence family following the deaths of Noel Spence and his two sons Graham and Nevin who was a rising Ulster Rugby star.

"This tragic accident has devastated a family and my thoughts and prayers are with them at this very difficult time.

"I understand that another family member Emma Spence, is currently in hospital following the accident and we all hope that she makes a full recovery."

Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety Edwin Poots has expressed his sympathy for the family of Noel, Graham and Nevin Spence following yesterday's tragic accident in Hillsborough.

He said: "I have known the Spence family for many years and it is difficult to comprehend the grief that they are suffering after such a terrible accident. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and their friends. I also want to wish Emma a full and speedy recovery. The loss of Noel, Graham and Nevin is being felt right across the community.

"I know that the firefighters, paramedics and medical staff who did everything in their power to save Noel, Graham and Nevin are devastated by what has unfolded. There is a sense of shock and disbelief across Northern Ireland today.

Sports Minister Caral Ni Chuilin has paid tribute to Ulster rugby player Nevin Spence and his father and brother who lost their lives in a farm accident in Hillsborough, and to Fermanagh County GAA player Brian ÓG Maguire, who died on Thursday following an accident.

The Minister said: "The loss of two talented sports players, and also a father and a brother, in such tragic circumstances is a tragedy for both the Spence and Maguire families. My sincere sympathy is extended to them at this extremely difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with them all, and also with Nevin's sister Emma who is currently in hospital.

"Nevin and Brian were committed sports players and their untimely deaths are not only a loss to their immediate families, but also to the sporting organisations they represented and to their wider communities. Ulster GAA and Ulster Rugby are two of the great provincial sporting codes which unite society. Brian Og and Nevin were wonderful examples for their respective sports.

"I offer my condolences to both the Ulster and Ballynahinch rugby teams on the tragic loss of Nevin, and to the Ulster, Fermanagh and Lisnaskea GAA community on the loss of Brian, both of whom will be sadly missed."

Robinson and McGuinness welcome Olympic Flame to Belfast

First Minister the Rt. Hon. Peter D. Robinson MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP, MLA were at Belfast City Airport today to welcome the arrival of the Olympic flame.

Also on hand to greet the flame was local Olympian Dame Mary Peters.



Beth Stafford, Victoria Park PS, First Minister Peter Robinson, Olympian Dame Mary Peters, deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Louis Cannet from St Josephs PS



Speaking at a reception to mark the arrival of the flame to Northern Ireland, First Minister, Peter Robinson said: “We are privileged to welcome the flame to Northern Ireland and to witness its journey over the next five days, during which it will be carried by 400 torchbearers through cities, towns and villages, past many of our iconic landmarks, creating what promises to be a once in a lifetime spectacle for all to see.

“2012 is a great year for Northern Ireland. It really is our time and our place. Many events are taking place here this year, such as the Irish Open and along with the spectacular interest in the Titanic centenary, these star attractions are boosting the Executive’s drive to showcase all that is great about Northern Ireland in the run-up to Londonderry’s launch as the first UK City of Culture and our hosting of the World Police and Fire Games in 2013."

Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness said: “The Olympic and Paralympic Games are at the heart of sporting excellence, but the Games are also about much more than sport. The Olympic Torch relay is a visible demonstration of this.

"The all Ireland torch relay epitomises the values and spirit of the Olympics. The Olympics are a celebration of sport, culture and local heroes. It is great that we are playing our part in this celebration.

“However, underpinning the Games is a set of important values: respect, excellence and friendship. Our torchbearers are inspirational people who make a real difference to people and the communities around them.”