IRELAND has named the first of its athletes who will represent the nation at the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer.
Seven athletes who will represent Team Ireland have been announced this month across two sporting disciplines.
Dubliner Colin Judge will represent Ireland in table tennis for the second time, having first competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Deaten Registe and Dearbhaile Brady will both make their Paralympic debuts in Paris in swimming. Registe recently made his international debut at the European championships and Brady goes into the Paralympic Games with a European bronze medal from the same championships.
Meanwhile, Ellen Keane will be appearing at her fifth and final Paralympics.
To date Keane has a Paralympic bronze and gold medal.
She recently won European silver in Madeira and will be hoping to add to her tally in Paris.
Nicole Turner will also bring great experience to the team, competing in what will be the third Paralympic Games of her career.
The Tokyo silver medallist goes into the Games with great confidence having won gold, silver and two bronze European medals this year.
Tokyo Paralympian, Commonwealth and European medallist Barry McClements will travel to his second Games this summer.
Róisín Ní Riain will also be looking to impress at her second Paralympic Games.
The Tokyo Paralympian and double World Champion, who is currently studying at the University of Limerick, had an outstanding European Championships earlier this year, winning five medals including two gold.
“We are really delighted to be announcing the first of our Team Ireland for the Paralympic Games,” Paralympics Ireland Chef de Mission Neasa Russell said.
“We are incredibly proud of the performances the athletes have put in to get to this point and we are really looking forward to supporting them reach their potential at Paris. Tús maith leath na hoibre.”
Paralympics Ireland CEO, Stephen McNamara has also expressed his excitement as the competition approaches.
“It’s very exciting being able to announce the first of our athletes who will represent Team Ireland at the Paralympic Games,” he said.
“I want to congratulate the athletes as well as their coaches and families on this very special occasion,” he added.
“So much hard work goes into qualifying for the Games and this is a culmination of their efforts for the past number of years.
“We look forward to cheering them on in Paris.”
Para Swimming Performance Director, Dave Malone said it’s “tremendous” to have six athletes selected to represent Ireland at para swimming.
“It’s a really exciting team with a lot of world class experience alongside two new debutants,” he said.
“We have high hopes for our athletes as they put the final preparations towards the Games.
“We’ve had a challenging and rewarding qualification process and a very successful European Championships in Madeira winning 12 medals, so our team are well prepared and all of us are looking forward to supporting the athletes in the final few months before Paris”