The 2012 Olympic torch will travel through more than 60 towns and villages in Northern Ireland in advance of the London Olympics next summer, it was been announced.
The flame will arrive in Belfast on June 3 and torch-bearers will carry the torch through iconic tourist attractions such as the famous Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and the Giant’s Causeway.
During its journey the flame will also be carried to the grounds of the Northern Ireland assembly at Stormont. The torch will travel for 12 hours each day on its 70-day journey around the UK which will begin on May 18 when it arrives at Land’s End from Greece. Throughout the course it will be carried by more than 8,000 torch bearers.
The torch-bearers will be locals nominated by members of the public because of their achievement or community service. They will be notified in December if they have been selected. The flame will leave Northern Ireland for Scotland on June 7.
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Here is the exact route around Northern Ireland:
The Olympic flame arrives in Belfast June 3 2012 from the Isle of Man.
Torch-bearers will carry it to Holywood, Bangor, Newtownards, Comber, Dundonald, Stormont, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Glynn, Larne, Drains Bay, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Carnlough, Glenariff, Cushendall, Ballycastle, Dervock, Bushmills and Portrush.
On 4 June, the torch will be taken across the River Bann and then on to Coleraine, Articlave, Castlerock, Downhill, Ballarena, Limavady, Ballykelly, Greysteel and Londonderry.
On June 5, it will be relayed to New Buildings, Magheramason, Bready, Ballymagorry, Strabane, Sion Mills, Omagh, Dromore, Irvinestown, Enniskillen, Fivemiletown, Clogher, Augher, Aughnacloy, Caledon, Armagh, Portadown, Gilford, Banbridge and Newry.
After leaving Newry on June 6, the flame will be taken to Lisburn and Belfast.
The final leg of the relay, on June 7, will take in Newcastle, Dundrum, Clough, Downpatrick, Crossgar, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Templepatrick, Antrim, Ballyronan, Magherafelt, Ballymena and Moorfields.
Later that day, the torch will leave Northern Ireland for Cairnryan in Scotland.
(Source: BBC)
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