Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray with Holy Trinity Boxing club trainer Mickey Hawkins Lord Mayor of Belfast sends good luck message to Olympic athletes The Lord[...]

Date: 24 Jul 2024

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, has wished Belfast athletes good luck ahead of their participation in the Paris Olympics.

He was speaking on a visit to Holy Trinity Boxing Club in west Belfast where he met with former middleweight fighter Brian Magee, who represented Ireland at the 1996 games in Atlanta and veteran coach Michael Hawkins, who led Ireland's boxing teams to successive games between 1988 and 2012.

Two of the club's former fighters - brother and sister Aidan Walsh and Michaela Walsh - are among the ten Belfast-based athletes competing in boxing, swimming, archery, cycling and rowing, for both Team GB and Team Ireland, at the games.

Cllr Murray said: "Ahead of Friday's opening ceremony, I want to wish all the competitors from Belfast, and indeed from across Northern Ireland, the very best of luck as they compete at the pinnacle of their respective sports.

"Our city has a proud tradition of success at the Olympics and I'm excited to see what these athletes can do to add further to our record.

"Sport brings so much to our city, whether it's through participation or volunteering, and it's an area I'm keen to celebrate more of during my year in office.

"I look forward to watching our local stars in action in Paris and to them welcoming back after the games - hopefully with some medals in tow!"