The Law Enforcement Torch Run will arrive in Castlebar on Monday, 16^th June 2003. Having run through the town, the Torch Run will stop at the Mall at 11:15am where a ceremony marking the occasion has been arranged by the Castlebar Host Town Committee. The ceremony promises to be colourful, vibrant, entertaining and is not to be missed. The ‘Flame of Hope’ as the Torch is known was lit in Athens on 4^th June 2003. It crossed Europe visiting such places as Istanbul, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Brussels, London and Glasgow. It arrives in Bangor, Northern Ireland on 12^th June and having passed through that area will be in Sligo on the night of 15^th June, before arriving in Castlebar on 16^th June’03.

The ceremony on the Mall will include many local musicians and schoolchildren from the local schools who will perform. The Torch will be carried by Law Enforcement Officers and Special Athletes from around the world and will be accompanied into Castlebar by some of the local Garda Officers. In total about 40 runners will accompany the Torch into Castlebar. In addition to the entertainment there will be a number of speakers at the ceremony. These will include Michael Kilcoyne, Mayor of Castlebar, Gerry Daly from Eircom – Sponsors of the Torch Run, Supt Joe Staunton, Castlebar Garda Station, John P Kerr, Asst Chief of Police, Honolulu, Hawaii, who as his name suggests is of Irish origin and Kevin Browne, Special Olympic Athlete from New York. There will be much more at the ceremony, so don’t forget