70 days 8,000 runners 8,000 miles Torch relay FAQs
Routes
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- Day 1 Land's End to Plymouth May 19
- Day 2 Plymouth to Exeter May 20
- Day 3 Exeter to Taunton May 21
- Day 4 Taunton to Bristol May 22
- Day 5 Bristol to Cheltenham May 23
- Day 6 Gloucester to Worcester May 24
- Day 7 Worcester to Cardiff May 25
- Day 8 Cardiff to Swansea May 26
- Day 9 Swansea to Aberystwyth May 27
- Day 10 Aberystwyth to Bangor May 28
- Day 11 Beaumaris to Chester May 29
- Day 12 Chester to Stoke-on-Trent May 30
- Day 13 Stoke-on-Trent to Bolton May 31
- Day 14 Bolton to Liverpool June 1
- Day 15 Liverpool to Castletown June 2
- Day 16 Belfast to Portrush June 3
- Day 17 Carrick-a-Rede to Londonderry June 4
- Day 18 Londonderry to Newry June 5
- Day 19 Dublin to Belfast June 6
- Day 20 Newcastle to Moorfields June 7
- Day 21 Stranraer to Glasgow June 8
- Day 22 Glasgow to Inverness June 9
- Day 23 Kirkwall to Lerwick June 10
- Day 24 Stornoway to Aberdeen June 11
- Day 25 Aberdeen to Dundee June 12
- Day 26 St Andrews to Edinburgh June 13
- Day 27 Edinburgh to Alnwick June 14
- Day 28 Alnwick to Newcastle upon Tyne June 15
- Day 29 Gateshead to Durham June 16
- Day 30 Durham to Middlesbrough June 17
- Day 31 Middlesbrough to Hull June 18
- Day 32 Hull to York June 19
- Day 33 York to Carlisle June 20
- Day 34 Dumfries to Bowness-on-Windermere June 21
- Day 35 Kendal to Blackpool June 22
- Day 36 Lytham St Anne's to Manchester June 23
- Day 37 Salford to Leeds June 24
- Day 38 Leeds to Sheffield June 25
- Day 39 Sheffield to Cleethorpes June 26
- Day 40 Grimsby to Lincoln June 27
- Day 41 Lincoln to Nottingham June 28
- Day 42 Nottingham to Derby June 29
- Day 43 Derby to Birmingham June 30
- Day 44 Birmingham to Coventry July 1
- Day 45 Coventry to Leicester July 2
- Day 46 Leicester to Peterborough July 3
- Day 47 Peterborough to Norwich July 4
- Day 48 Norwich to Ipswich July 5
- Day 49 Ipswich to Chelmsford July 6
- Day 50 Chelmsford to Cambridge July 7
- Day 51 Cambridge to Luton July 8
- Day 52 Luton to Oxford July 9
- Day 53 Oxford to Reading July 10
- Day 54 Reading to Salisbury July 11
- Day 55 Salisbury to Weymouth July 12
- Day 56 Portland Bill to Bournemouth July 13
- Day 57 Bournemouth to Southampton July 14
- Day 58 Southampton to Portsmouth July 15
- Day 59 Portsmouth to Brighton July 16
- Day 60 Brighton to Hastings July 17
- Day 61 Hastings to Dover July 18
- Day 62 Deal to Maidstone July 19
- Day 63 Maidstone to Guildford July 20
- Day 64 Greenwich to Waltham Forest July 21
- Day 65 Redbridge to Bexley July 22
- Day 66 Lewisham to Wandsworth July 23
- Day 67 Kingston to Ealing July 24
- Day 68 Harrow to Haringey July 25
- Day 69 Camden to Westminster July 26
- Day 70 Hampton Court to Olympic Stadium July 27
70 days; 70 routes
- Day 1 Land's End to Plymouth
- Day 2 Plymouth to Exeter
- Day 3 Exeter to Taunton
- Day 4 Taunton to Bristol
- Day 5 Bristol to Cheltenham
- Day 6 Gloucester to Worcester
- Day 7 Worcester to Cardiff
- Day 8 Cardiff to Swansea
- Day 9 Swansea to Aberystwyth
- Day 10 Aberystwyth to Bangor
- Day 11 Beaumaris to Chester
- Day 12 Chester to Stoke-on-Trent
- Day 13 Stoke-on-Trent to Bolton
- Day 14 Bolton to Liverpool
- Day 15 Liverpool to Castletown
- Day 16 Belfast to Portrush
- Day 17 Carrick-a-Rede to Londonderry
- Day 18 Londonderry to Newry
- Day 19 Dublin to Belfast
- Day 20 Newcastle to Moorfields
- Day 21 Stranraer to Glasgow
- Day 22 Glasgow to Inverness
- Day 23 Kirkwall to Lerwick
- Day 24 Stornoway to Aberdeen
- Day 25 Aberdeen to Dundee
- Day 26 St Andrews to Edinburgh
- Day 27 Edinburgh to Alnwick
- Day 28 Alnwick to Newcastle upon Tyne
- Day 29 Gateshead to Durham
- Day 30 Durham to Middlesbrough
- Day 31 Middlesbrough to Hull
- Day 32 Hull to York
- Day 33 York to Carlisle
- Day 34 Dumfries to Bowness-on-Windermere
- Day 35 Kendal to Blackpool
- Day 36 Lytham St Anne's to Manchester
- Day 37 Salford to Leeds
- Day 38 Leeds to Sheffield
- Day 39 Sheffield to Cleethorpes
- Day 40 Grimsby to Lincoln
- Day 41 Lincoln to Nottingham
- Day 42 Nottingham to Derby
- Day 43 Derby to Birmingham
- Day 44 Birmingham to Coventry
- Day 45 Coventry to Leicester
- Day 46 Leicester to Peterborough
- Day 47 Peterborough to Norwich
- Day 48 Norwich to Ipswich
- Day 49 Ipswich to Chelmsford
- Day 50 Chelmsford to Cambridge
- Day 51 Cambridge to Luton
- Day 52 Luton to Oxford
- Day 53 Oxford to Reading
- Day 54 Reading to Salisbury
- Day 55 Salisbury to Weymouth
- Day 56 Portland Bill to Bournemouth
- Day 57 Bournemouth to Southampton
- Day 58 Southampton to Portsmouth
- Day 59 Portsmouth to Brighton
- Day 60 Brighton to Hastings
- Day 61 Hastings to Dover
- Day 62 Deal to Maidstone
- Day 63 Maidstone to Guildford
- Day 64 Greenwich to Waltham Forest
- Day 65 Redbridge to Bexley
- Day 66 Lewisham to Wandsworth
- Day 67 Kingston to Ealing
- Day 68 Harrow to Haringey
- Day 69 Camden to Westminster
- Day 70 Hampton Court to Olympic Stadium
Explore our map to find out where the torch is going each day or check the text version to see a list of locations.
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Dublin
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Newry
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Lisburn
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Belfast
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- Start stop
- Finish stop
- Past stop
- Torch location
- Future stop
- Approximate route
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Estimated arrival times
-
Dublin
- Croke Park Steps
- Jones Road
- Russell Street
- North Circular Road
- Belvedere Place
- Mountjoy Square North
- Gardiner Place
- Denmark Street
- Parnell Square
- Garden of Remembrance
- Parnell Square
- O'Connell Street
- Eden Quay
- Custom House Quay
- Custon House Quay
- Commons Street
- Upper Oriel Street
- Seville Street
- Guild Street
- Samuel Becketts Bridge
- Sir John Robertson Street
- Cardiff Lane
- Macken Street
- Grand Canal Street
- Holles Street
- Mount Street Lower
- Merrion Square East
- Fitzwilliam Street Lower
- Fitzwilliam Street Upper
- Fitzwilliam Street Lower
- Leeson Street Bridge
- Grand Parade
- Canal Road
- Grove Road
- Clanbrassil Street Upper
- New Street South
- Clanbrassil Street Upper
- Christ Street
- Grafton Street
- Nassau Street
- Clare Street
- Merrion Square West
- Merrion Row
- Dawson Street
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Newry
- The Mall
- Sugar Island
- Kildare Street
- Hill Street
- Margaret Street
- O'Hagan Street
- The Mall
- Mill Street
- Merchant Quay
- A27
- Canal Street
- New Street
- Downshire Road (A27)
-
Lisburn
- Hillsbrough Road
- Antrim Street
- Bow Street
- Market Square
- Castle Street
- Seymour Street
- Queens Road
- The Island
- Jubilee Bridge
- Gregg Street
- Mercer Street
- Hillhall Road
- Sloan Street
- Young Street
- Hillsborough Old Road
-
Belfast
- Donegal Street
- York Street
- Duncairn Gardens
- Antrim Road
- Cliftonville Road
- Clifton Park Avenue
- Agnes Street
- Shankill Road
- Shankhill Road
- Lanark Way
- Springfield Road
- Grosvenor Road
- Great Victoria Street
- Bruce Street
- Dublin Road
- Ormeau Avenue
- Cromac Street
- East Bridge Street
- Albert Bridge Road
- Newtownards Road
- Bridge End
- Queens Bridge
- Oxford Street
- Chichester Street
- Donegall Square North
- Donegall Place North
Evening Celebration
Belfast City Hall
Torch Relay News
Watch/Listen
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Watch Olympic torch relay highlights -
Watch 'Olympomania' at Hyde Park -
Watch Torch visits Downing Street -
Watch 'Eddie and Patsy' carry flame -
Watch Bollywood star carries flame -
Watch Olympic torch: Banks at Wembley -
Watch Torch visits EastEnders set -
Watch Tennis stars in Olympic torch relay -
Watch South London hosts torch relay -
Watch Skier takes flame on London Eye
0821: Good morning and welcome to day 19 of the torch relay which sees the flame travel around Dublin before returning to Belfast via Newry and Lisburn. The Olympic flame crossed the Irish border early this morning in a handover between former boxers Wayne McCullough and Michael Carruth.
Your writers this morning are Jenny Minard and Christine Jeavans and we'd love to hear from you on Twitter @BBC2012 or on our Facebook page.
0828: At the handover ceremony between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic, Mr McCullough said: "I am from the Shankill Road in Belfast, I have never had any problems like religion. It is a major step for everybody, people are coming together. Boxing was always a sport where Protestant and Catholic came together."
His good friend Dublin boxer Michael Carruth said: "It is fantastic, the torch is what is good about sport. It is a fantastic occasion for everyone, north and south of the border."
0830: Irish president Michael D Higgins earlier greeted the flame carried by Cillian Kirwan from St Fintan's High School in a civic ceremony outside the Olympic Council of Ireland in Howth, Dublin.
The local council tweeted this picture of Cillian carrying the flame.
We can't bring you video pictures of these early parts of today's events as they happen but we should be able to bring you the relay itself.
Popstars Jedward will be running with the torch later in Dublin. The twins tweet this picture of them with fellow torchbearer Paul McGrath.
Footballing legend McGrath, 53, had played for Manchester United and Aston Villa. He has also won 83 caps for Ireland and played at Euro 88, World Cup 94 and World Cup 98.
Jedward (John and Edward Grimes) also say: "I wonder if we will be the first people carrying the Olympic torch that actually look like the Olympic torch."
0851: Croke Park is awaiting the arrival of the flame. The stadium is the home of Gaelic games and the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It has a capacity of 82,300 people and the torch will be carried on the new Skyline walkway, a viewing platform at the top of the stadium.
Later the flame will visit the post office in O'Connell Street, where it is due to be carried by Jedward. It will go over Samuel Beckett Bridge, along the Grand Canal, and pass St Patrick Cathedral, Christchurch and Dublin Castle before going to Government Buildings on Merrion Square and arriving at St Stephen's Green for a celebration.
0853: Earlier Northern Ireland Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilín described the torch's trip to Dublin as "significant".
"There are a number of Irish teams competing for Ireland in the Olympics comprising of members from all over the island of Ireland, so it was appropriate that given the fact that the torch was in the Newry area that it would go to Dublin, albeit for a brief trip," she said.
0857: We've switched to RTE's picture from inside Croke Park, which we hope is going to zoom in on the torch as it makes its way over the Skyline walk.
0903: Irish sportsman Henry Shefflin, 33, from Kilkenny will carry the flame along the Skyline walkway at Croke Park. He plays hurling with the Ballyhale Shamrocks and was the All-Ireland winning captain in 2007 and holds a host of hurling records, including that of being one of the most decorated players in Gaelic games history.
0906: It's looking an awfully long way up here but Henry is smiling gamely for the cameras.
0908: Here comes the police officer with the flame in a lantern and he lights Henry Shefflin's torch - we can hear applause from the ground some 44m (132ft) away.
The skyline is a narrow walkway across the roof of Croke Park and Henry is making a steady walk across it - no running when you're this high up!
He's looking relaxed now and gives a wave to the people below.
0912: He's reached the mid point of the walkway and is standing with Seb Coe, Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey and former BOA chair Craig Reedie, among others.
0914: The walkway which only opened in May goes right out over the pitch at Croke Park. Henry is resolutely not looking down!
0917: If you're wondering why there was a torch kiss, it's because each torch burner only has a certain amount in it, so Henry needs a second torch as he continues his walk.
0919: And it's time for another photo call, looking out over the Irish capital. Then on to platform two and a wave to the crowd down below, where from here he can see landmarks across the city including the Guinness brewery.
0929: Lots of people for Henry and the flame to meet and greet up here, including GAA sponsors. And finally, he begins to descend the stairs, pausing to light torch number four on the way!
RTÉ news tweets a picture of "Beaming faces in Croke Park - torchbearer Henry Shefflin and [sport] Minister Leo Varadkar".
And Rebecca Barry tweets: "Super coverage on RTE of King Henry carrying the torch around the Croke Park skyline. Absolutely class!"
0939: Wow that was a mega stint from Henry Shefflin, high above Dublin. Next up is Garda Brian Bunton who will carry the flame. Apparently Locog Chair Seb Coe is on the media horsebox and ready to watch today's torchbearing action.
0942: But it's not Brian's turn yet as Henry Shefflin is now showing the flame to the crowds outside Croke Park and doing a run with the torch outside the stadium.
0944: Now it's time for Brian Brunton, 48, who is a keen athlete and a member of An Garda Siochana. He has previously carried the torch in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics in Carolina 1999, Alaska 2001, Japan 2005 and China 2007.
Brian was the lead Garda organiser of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Ireland in 2003.
Children are waving flags with the Olympic rings as he jogs along up the hill away from Croke Park.
0947: Brian passes the flame to Robbie Lyons who is 18 and from The Swan, County Laois. He has had a rare kidney condition since he was a child and had a kidney transplant in 2009, joined the Irish Kidney Association's 'Transplant Team Ireland' in the following year.
Since then he has represented his country at the World Transplant Games in Gothenburg, Sweden, winning two silver and one gold medal.
Chants of "Robbie, Robbie" go up from the crowd.
0950: The flame passes to Aaron Fallon, 16, from Ballymun, Dublin, is an artist co-hosted on the main stage at the 2011 Otherworld Festival. Since then Aaron has moved through the ranks of his local youth club and now sits on the Ballymun Regional Youth Resource Panel.
The BBC's Mark Simpson tweets: "The muscular crowd-control team protecting the Olympic torch around Ireland will soon face its biggest challenge. It's nearly Jedward time."
0952: And taking part in his second torchbearing duty of the day is Olympic boxer Michael Carruth, 44, who won gold at the Barcelona Games in 1992. He retired from the sport in 2000 and is now a Boxing Development Officer with Dublin City Council.
Earlier Michael took part in the handover at the border with fellow boxer Wayne McCullough.
0955: And here are pop duo Jedward who are running holding the torch together. John and Edward Grimes are identical twins and are widely known for appearing on The X Factor 2009. Both young men competed successfully in schools athletics and recently completed the Los Angeles marathon.
They represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest this year and last year.
The pair have golden flames on their shoes and earlier tweeted they were "ready to be luminous".
0957: Looks like the amount of mobile phone activity as Jedward run has knocked out our 3G coverage, hopefully not for long.
1006: And we're back with Anne Ebbs, 71, from Drogheda, who competed for Ireland in three Summer Paralympic Games and became involved in the administration of sport with the Irish Wheelchair Association.
In 2008 she received the highest honour of the International Paralympic Movement when she was presented with the Paralympic Order.
Anne Byrne tweets a picture of Anne with the torch and says: "So lucky to get to see the Olympic torch relay in Dublin."
She hands the flame to Lee Kinsella, 19, from Wicklow, who is a volunteer in the WAY Project, inspiring youths to follow his path and move away from being involved in criminal and anti-social behaviour.
1009: Now it's the turn of Olivia O'Toole, 40, who has won over 130 caps with Ireland's women international soccer team and was the Irish captain.
Olivia has scored more goals for Ireland than Robbie Keane - a record 54. She is employed at Sheriff Street Recreation Centre as a play and recreation worker for Dublin City Council.
Lots of flags and cheers for Olivia.
1016: Now it's the turn of Lauren Lawless, 16, from Dublin, who divides her time between volunteering at the Localise Community Service Project with school and sport. She is involved with her Larkin Community College student council and also trains children in Gaelic football at primary school level.
1020: This morning Belfast-born Olympic boxer Wayne McCullough and fellow Olympian Michael Carruth, from Dublin, welcomed the flame as it passed from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland.
Why not take a look at the pictures from the relay, which will be updated throughout the day.
1023: RTE's Darren Frehill says Henry Shefflin, who carried the torch at Croke Park, told him the occasion was "up there with his eight All-Ireland" hurling medals.
1024: We can't see the pictures unfortunately but we hear that the flame has crossed Samuel Beckett bridge and is heading for Grand Canal Theatre. At this point it should be being carried by footballing legend Paul McGrath.
Here he is as the flame is handed to him.
Adventure athlete Mark Pollock, 36, from Hollywood, County Down lost his sight at 22 but went on to win two medals in rowing at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
He has run a marathon at the North Pole, raced through the desert lowlands of the Syrian African Rift Valley to the Dead Sea and competed at high-altitude in the Everest Marathon. Last year he fell and is now paralysed from the waist down.
1038: The BBC's Julie Kirby says "Thousands lined Dublin's O'Connell Street to watch as pop duo Jedward ran by the General Post Office. One little girl, who had brought a homemade flag with her for the occasion, commented that their hair looked like the flame. Dozens of other mostly teenage girls burst into songs and screams. It was over in minutes but even for the dedicated few who had waited for up to two hours to see their idols it was a special moment."
1042: Several people have been asking why the Olympic flame is visiting Dublin.
Sebastian Coe, chair of Locog, said: "This is a historic opportunity to showcase the wealth of sporting talent from across the Republic of Ireland ahead of the competition at London 2012."
And Michael Ring TD, Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Republic of Ireland, said: "This historic occasion recognises the friendship, peace and cooperation that now exists on the island of Ireland and demonstrates the unifying power of sport.
"A number of international teams have already chosen Dublin as a training base before the London Games. The visit of the flame will be a wonderful opportunity for the whole of Ireland to be even more closely involved with the 2012 London Games and for Irish people to be part of the biggest sporting event in the world."
1044: Eddie Byrne, 54, has been competing and coaching on Dublin's boxing scene since the 1980s. He has run a total of 27 marathons since 1983 - 25 in Dublin, one in Boston and one in Belfast - raising in excess of €100,000 for various local charities.
He passes the flame to Niamh Reid-Burke, 21, who is a second year student on the Sports Management & Coaching course at Blanchardstown Institute of Technology. He is a member of the National Aquatic Centre's Spring and Platform Diving Team and represented Ireland at international events on four occasions.
Niamh also plays soccer and received her first cap for Ireland when she was 14. She has 36 under-age caps and has been on the FAI Ladies Senior International panel for the last two years.
1048: Niamh passes the flame to Alva Nolan who is off at a steady clip on this canalside route.
1051: Gillian Garrett now has the flame, she's 38, from County Wicklow who is a hockey player, coach and umpire in her community where she has set up a hockey club that now involves more than 150 children. She has represented Ireland in hockey at club, provincial and under-21 levels.
Gillian passes it to young Ger Keelan who's getting a great reception with horns beeping and lots of waves from the crowd.
1055: Mubarak Habib, 49, from Somalia, was nominated by the Sport Against Racism in Ireland (SARI) organisation. He was chairperson of the Africa Week Athletics 2011 competition aimed at raising awareness about athletics among Ireland's African minority groups.
1058: Cheers now for Denis Hickie, 36, from Dublin's St. Mary's RFC, is a big name in Leinster and Irish rugby. He has earned 51 caps for Ireland as an explosive winger but is now retired from the competitive game. He has toured with the British & Irish Lions.
Matt Hague tweets this picture of him:
1100: The BBC's Austin O'Callaghan says that Lord Coe, who met Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin at Croke Park earlier, has some family connections to the county - his great-grandfather was from Ballyragget.
1102: We seem to be having problems with the 3G signal again in Dublin. While you are waiting for the pictures to come back, you can take a look at Jedward running with the Olympic flame.
The twins tweet: "We are having do much fun. This is a day we will remember forever! It's Jepic."
1104: Earlier this morning the flame made a brief visit to Dublin's Garden of Remembrance. The garden is intended as a place of quiet remembrance and reflection. A large sculpture, based on the theme of the "Children of Lir", was designed by Oisín Kelly and is situated in the garden. Oisín also designed the statue of James Larkin on O'Connell Street.
1105: Mark Kenneally, 31, achieved the marathon qualifying time for the London 2012 Games in October having previously represented Ireland at European and World Cross Country championships.
He started his athletics career with Raheny Shamrocks AC and is now a member of Clonliffe Harriers AC. He is the reigning National Senior 10,000m champion and Ireland's only male challenger in the marathon in London.
1107: Mark passes the flame to Pamela Lacken, 34, who went to Athens in 2011 as part of the Special Olympics Ireland team of volunteers at the World Summer Games and also volunteers with the Ennis Eagles Bowling club.
Dublin's Christchurch towers over this section of the relay.
1118: We've unfortunately lost pictures againg but the Olympic flame is due to be meeting the Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Government Buildings on Upper Merrion Street about now.
1125: The BBC's Robert Hall who is at St Stephen's Green, where the torch will arrive around midday, said the crowds have been gathering there during the morning. "That Olympic fervour that we've seen throughout the UK, is almost certain to reappear here"
Former athlete Sonia O'Sullivan who is now Ireland's London 2012 Chef de Mission is preparing to be the final torchbearer in Dublin and light the cauldron at St Stephen's Green.
She tweeted this picture with fellow Olympians, Kenny Egan, Ronnie Delany and John Treacy.
1130: Among the torchbearers in this final stretch where we've lost the live pictures are champion jump jockey Ruby Walsh and Ronnie Delany, 77 who is arguably Ireland's most famous Olympian winning 1500m gold at Melbourne in 1956.
1132: We've just switched to the RTE feed of St Stephen's Green where Sonia O'Sullivan should shortly light the cauldron.
1135: And here is distance runner and Olympic silver medallist Sonia O'Sullivan jogging easily into St Stephen's Green to massive cheers.
1137: Thousands are gathered at St Stephen's Green for this spectacle, the first time the Olympic flame has come to Dublin.
1138: Sonia O'Sullivan, who takes the stage with her young daughter, Sophie, says she didn't think she would get nervous but "it's like the start of a race".
1141: Lord Coe tells the crowd in St Stephen's Green: "Support your team in London, have a great day and I'm sorry I'm not Jedward." And without futher ado, Sonia O'Sullivan lights the Olympic cauldron to a great cheer from the crowd.
Andy Sheridan tweets this picture of Olympian Ronnie Delany taking the torch into Government buildings.
1147: And despite Lord Coe's comment here ARE Jedward who want the crowd to congratulate them for not setting their hair on fire.
Sonia O'Sullivan tells them it was a "long 300m" that she ran with the flame.
John, or was it Edward, from Jedward tells the crowd: "Last year we have Barack Obama, today we have the Olympic torch."
1158: We've left the St Stephen's Green crowd now as the flame is going to head back towards the border. The relay will begin again in Newry at about 1330.
1212: Ronnie Delany, who carried the torch to Dublin's Government Buildings, told RTE News: "Thanks to Lord Coe for letting us have the torch. I got an emotional buzz and I'm not an overly emotional person. All my grandchildren were here, they never see papa in this guise - I'm the grumpy old guy."
1214: Sonia O'Sullivan said: "I never thought it would be like this. The Olympic torch has got a little bit of magic in it and I think you could see that in the crowds that turned out."
1229: The Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said: "The symbolism is so powerful. On behalf of the people of this country, it's great to have the Olympic flame come through and I hope some of the young people will be inspired as a consequence to get involved in whatever their chosen sport may be, to be active, to be healthy and to appreciate the adventure of living and the adventure of life. Sport is a fundamental and central part of that."
Earlier champion jump jockey Ruby Walsh, who carried the flame in central Dublin tweeted: "Pity horse racing is not an Olympic sport, this is as close as I will get to being an Olympian, if it was, Ireland would clean up!!"
1242: The BBC's Andy Martin was in Dublin to see the torch, he says: "The offices emptied, the schools were out and thousands of mobile phones were recording as the torch went past - surgeons in their scrubs were out in the streets taking pictures.
"I honestly believe there were more than 30,000 people, the amount of smiles was unbelievable.
"Jedward really lifted the mood. Another highlight was Paul McGrath - 'Ooh, ah, Paul McGrath', the crowd was shouting as he ran past. He was loving it, smiling as he ran down Merrion Road."
1257: The torch is on its way back across the border to Newry, where the torch will be lit outside the town hall, before being carried through the streets.
1259: Football legend Paul McGrath, who carried the torch in Dublin, said he had an amazing day.
"Today showed how important it was for it to have made it here, to be asked to carry it was such an honour - it's just been an amazing day," he said.
"Glad to see so many Irish people out, the sun shining, it's fabulous, just brilliant. It's been a great experience for Ireland and it was a very generous offer on England's part to do it that way."
1315: Lord Coe, who has been in Ireland for today's relay visit, said he knew the torch's journey through Dublin would be a success:
"I wasn't in any doubt that bringing the torch to Dublin was anything other than the right idea," he said. "This is a community that really gets Olympic sport.
"It was also very symbolic - the crossing point at Newry with Michael Carruth and Wayne McCullough, who did so much during the really difficult days to keep life as normal as it possibly could be, again through sport.
"Everything pointed in the right direction. It speaks very eloquently for the power of sport to transcend cultural, political, faith-based boundaries."
1329: This picture has just arrived of Prime Minister Enda Kenny, gold medallist Ronnie Delany, Bridget Taylor and Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore with the torch outside Government Buildings in Dublin, earlier.
1338: While you're waiting for the flame to reach Newry, why not have a look at a selection of pictures which have been taken today.
1350: There is rain forecast in Newry, with a temperature of 15C. Don't forget you can hover over the green dots on the map to see what the weather is like in other places along the relay.
1353: The torch relay vehicles are just entering Newry, where there will be a small lighting ceremony at the Town Hall.
1404: There are crowds lining the streets of Newry, despite the weather, as relay vehicles carrying the flame drive through the city.
1413: We are stopped outside Newry's famous town hall which was built on a three-arched bridge over the Clanrye River in 1893. The relay in Newry is starting a little later than planned but crowds are gathered along The Mall waiting for it to start.
1416: First to run in Newry is 12-year-old Laura Quinn. She's a gaelic footballer and cross country runner. She certainly starts at a fast pace.
People in the crowds are clapping and cheering, while cars beep their horns
1419: Laura passes on the flame to Marjorie Dale, from Banbridge. Since her own cancer diagnosis she has raised over £400,000 for Cancer Research UK by organising a regular overnight "Relay for Life".
1422: Ian Caughey is the head of the "minis" section at his local rugby club which caters for children from 5-15 years of age, and has recently taken over as ladies head coach.
He now has the torch and says: "I hope that my efforts will bring people the same enjoyment and friendships which rugby has brought me over the years."
1424: Ian slows down his pace as he walks past the Clanrye River, with supporters clapping, screaming and taking photographs.
1429: Ian's torch touches 37-year-old Barry Curran's in an "Olympic embrace". He is raising money for Daisy Hill hospital in Newry after staff saved the life of his son Callum who fell ill with meningitis at just four weeks old.
Philip Nolan whose niece Alva ran with the flame in Dublin tweets: "Thank you, LOCOG, for sending the Olympic flame to Dublin. Great day. Very neighbourly and generous of you!"
1435: Margaret Bradley, 54, now has the flame. She has been an active volunteer in the Special Olympics and coaches the Pin Pals Special Olympics ten pin bowling club.
1440: Now running with the torch is William McCracken. He has had a running career spanning six decades since joining Newry's Shamrock Athletics Club in the 1960s. In that time he's taken part in over 60 competitive marathons and in at least 20 of these his time was inside 2hrs 30.
He has represented Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at International Athletic Events.
A girl with a sign saying "Go Willie, Keep 'er lit" runs beside him.
1444: Schoolchildren chant his name as "Willie" runs past.
1445: "Willie" passes the torch to Kristopher Campbell from Banbridge and shakes his hand. Kristopher was nominated by his mother for helping to care for his father since he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Mrs Campbell said: "His father would be full of pride to see him carry the torch for him."
1452: We're back into convoy mode for the drive to Lisburn, expecting to arrive in about half an hour - putting the Olympic flame roughly 30 minutes behind schedule...
1458: While we're in a - hopefully brief - 3G blackspot, it's handover time at the BBC mothership in White City, with Jenny Minard and Chris Jeavans clocking off and Michael Hirst and Claire Heald logging on for the rest of the day's coverage. Greetings!
1502: We'd love to hear your thoughts on the torch's journey so far - get in touch via twitter (@BBC2012) or facebook and we'll publish your messages where possible. You can also email your photos of the relay to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text 61124.
1504: One question several people have been asking is why the Olympic flame visited Dublin today. Locog's boss, Sebastian Coe, said: "This is a historic opportunity to showcase the wealth of sporting talent from across the Republic of Ireland ahead of the competition at London 2012."
And Michael Ring TD, Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Republic of Ireland, said: "This historic occasion recognises the friendship, peace and cooperation that now exists on the island of Ireland and demonstrates the unifying power of sport.
"A number of international teams have already chosen Dublin as a training base before the London Games. The visit of the flame will be a wonderful opportunity for the whole of Ireland to be even more closely involved with the 2012 London Games and for Irish people to be part of the biggest sporting event in the world."
1510: Hi to Leona Carr who tweets: "Just watching live footage of torch relay going through my home town Newry, very proud. What a great day #torchrelay"
Hello also to Thomas Haley, who tweets: "@BBC2012 I am watching #bbctorchcam whilst revising for my last exam! I can't wait until the #torchrelay comes to Sheffield in a few weeks!" It's a little-known fact that healthy doses of #bbctorchcam enhance acadmeic performance, Tom - good luck with the revision!
1515: If you're heading out to see the Olympic flame this evening, don't forget your raincoat - it's looking damp in Lisburn!
For more info on the weather, hover over the green dots on the maps just to the left of this commentary box to see the forecast three days ahead of the torch's arrival.
1521: There have been positive reviews of the torch's visit south of the border. One of those who carried the torch in Dublin, Mark Pollock, said carrying the Olympic flame had been "a huge privilege".
Mark was a 22-year-old student when his retinas detached and he lost his sight. In the decade since then he has been racing in the world's harshest environments including Antarctica and the Gobi Desert.
"It's really been very exciting for Dublin to get the opportunity and Ireland to get the opportunity to have a little bit of the Olympics come south of the border," he told the BBC. "It's important I think for both North and South to be involved in the Olympics in some small way when it's in this part of the world. From my point of view it turns elite level sport into community sport and everyone can have a little piece of it and hopefully be inspired to become involved."
1525: And it looks like a first outing for the torchbearer poncho in Lisburn as architecture student Naomi Sheehan, 20, carries the flame through brolly-lined streets. She has volunteered in Guatemala working alongside charity Habitat for Humanity.
1531: We'll try and avoid the cliches about thre weather not dampening the Olympic spirit, but judging by the number of umbrellas on display as the torch wends its way towards Castle Street there's a healthy crowd turn-out in Lisburn!
Next with the torch is 14-year-old Toraigh Fletcher from Hillsborough, who lists tennis, windsurfing, running, swimming and sailing as her preferred sports, adding that her real passion is netball in which she would love to play for Northern Ireland.
1536: Continuing the netballing theme, Lisburn's last torchbearer before a late lunch-break, Evie Dornan, has captained school sports teams and also dreams of representing her country at international level in netball. But she had her Maths GCSE today and told the local paper: "I don't know which will make me more nervous!"
1539: The Olympic flame makes its way into Lisburn Council Offices for the lunch break. That's meant to be an hour long, but as the relay is 35 minutes behind schedule, it may be cut short - we'll let you know when we do...
1547: If puddle-jumping was an Olympic sport...
Thanks to the BBC's Niall Glynn who has sent in this pic of the scene - or should that be "stream"? - in Lisburn, adding: "In contrast to the sunny scenes in Dublin, it's brollies and huge puddles in Lisburn."
1601: While the Olympic flame is on its break, some Jubilympic knowledge for you: Lisburn and another of today's torch destinations, Newry, were both granted city status in 2002 to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
The towns were judged on their notable characteristics, their historical and royal connections as well as their progressive attitude. The other Northern Ireland towns that had been in the running were Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Coleraine and Craigavon.
1603: This just in from the BBC's Niall Glynn - the Police Service of Northern Ireland says the torch will leave Lisburn city centre within the next few minutes.
1615: Are those budding young fencers waving at #bbctorchcam? Hello back!
1616: First with the torch after its late lunch is Martin McNeill, 43, from Baybridge, who was left paralysed from the waist down after a motorbike accident in 2004.
He remains an active sportsman, having been skiing in Colorado, Canada and France - as well as climbing Mount Snowdon. Martin teaches wheelchair skills for the charity BackUp, and is also a governor of his old Grammar School.
1618: The person who nominated 12-year-old trampolining enthusiast Hannah Rainey says she "lives on a housing estate at a sectarian interface in North Belfast".
Having only taken up trampolining last September, in December she was selected to compete for the school team at the Northern Ireland championships. The college won the U13 team event and Hannah won the individual U13 competition. She went on to come ninth in the UK Championship in Newcastle - on her first trip away from Northern Ireland.
1623: The rain has abated for the time-being, but the BBC's Simon Hunter says about 500 people braved atrocious rain to welcome the flame to Lisburn Civic Centre. There Mayor William Leathem and Olympic gold medallist hockey player Jimmy Kirkwood, from Lisburn, accepted the torch on behalf of the city.
Members of the Salto Gymnastics Club, who will host the Chinese gymnastics team ahead of London 2012, performed for the crowd.
Here's a shot of the mayor receiving the flame from Evie Dorman - who is sporting the fetching torchbearer poncho. Look at those lines!
1629: The current torchbearer, kidney transplant recipient Orla Smyth, 33, hopes to use her passion for running to encourage people to sign the Organ Donor Register. Her running goals are to qualify for the next World Transplant Games in South Africa in 2013.
It's interesting to see how torchbearers grow in confidence as their leg gets underway, often starting out with a few ginger steps before gaining in confidence and smiling and waving back at the crowd. No skipping or high-fives to the crowd from Orla yet, but there's still time!
1634: Sixty-four year-old Alvin Patterson is the president of Holywood Rugby football and Cricket Club and a committee member of Wandsworth Community Centre. He passes the flame to Gerard Lenaghan, 40, from Castlewellan, the last torchbearer before the flame makes its way in convoy to Belfast.
Gerard suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa with deafness. Married with five children he is a youth officer at a local Gaelic football club where he is a GAA-certified coach.
1640: As the Olympic flame is transferred back into a lantern for its road trip to Belfast, hello to official torch relay photographer Ben Birchall of the Press Association, who has been in touch via twitter to say things are looking up on the weather front.
Ben tweets: "@BBC2012 en-route to Belfast and its Locog shorts and t-shirts here. Look forward to the evening cele coverage #norainplease."
1700: As we near Belfast city centre, there's a chance to tell you about our School Reporters from Carrickfergus College in County Antrim who have been out and about in Belfast, finding out what local people think about having the torch in their city.
They've also been interviewing British Olympic legend Dame Mary Peters, who will be carrying the Olympic flame later.
"I think the Olympics is about bringing the youth of the world together in peace and harmony," she told the School Reporters.
"And the fact that the flame has come to the island of Ireland for the very first time, I think is very significant.
"It's lighting everybody's imagination and [I'm] hoping that it'll make young people like you all interested in sport in the future."
1701: The first carrier of the torch in Belfast is 17-year-old Holly Hamill from Newtonabbey, who has Cystic Fibrosis and was selected to be part of the GMPD (Gymnastics and Movement for People with a Disability) British National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team in 2009. Since then she has won six gold medals and two silver medals at the Rhythmic British Championships, claiming the junior title two years in a row. This year she won all four gold apparatus medals, taking her first senior title.
One of Holly's greatest ambitions is to be a part of Cirque du Soleil.
1715: If you want to track the torch's progress today - or any live day of the relay - have a look at our map on the left-hand side. The flashing red dot indicates where the torch is on its journey. The list of places below the map tells you when it is due to arrive in each town - and the red arrow pinpoints the next location.
1725: BBC NI Traffic and Travel report that rush-hour traffic on Belfast's Westlink is "at a standstill". It's been held up to allow the torch relay to pass the area.
It's all a bit stop-start at the moment, probably because of traffic on the street the convoy's on.
1731: Here's Bangor boy Peter Smith, 13, has been nominated by his 90-year-old grandmother who says he has been her "rock" since her husband died four years ago, checking she is okay on a daily basis, doing her shopping, tending the garden and, most of all, "bringing me hope".
Pauline Campbell has been nominated by her daughter Hannah, 13, whose dad died of Motor Neurone Disease when she was just a year old but her mum coped with looking after her and her three brothers and sisters solo.
Since then Pauline has run all over the world raising more than £100,000 for a Motor Neurone Disease charity.
1740: More traffic news - Wellington Place has just been closed in advance of the arrival of the Olympic torch, so motorists should expect long delays in the city centre as a result.
The torch is heading to Duncairn Gardens in the north of the city next.
It will tour north, west and east Belfast before returning to the city centre after 19:00 BST.
You can get more information from the BBC Travel pages for Northern Ireland.
Here's a local face - Olympic boxer Wayne McCullough, 41, from Belfast, takes up the torch. He won a silver medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He then turned professional in the USA and stood toe-to-toe with 11 World champions.
We just heard that about two dozen people at Clifton Park Avenue in North Belfast held a protest as the torch passed by.
They said they were from the North Belfast Civil Rights Association and were protesting at "discrimination in housing allocation in the area".
Wayne McCullough hands over to Elizabeth McLaughlin but he did so very gently, giving her a reassuring hug.
1755: A nice tweet from Kelly McKenzie who writes: "So proud after watching my uncle online doing brilliantly as a torch bearer" and posts a picture of her tv set showing the handover!
1800: Remember, the evening celebration takes place outside Belfast City Hall on Donegall Square North. We'll try to show you as much of the final stages of torchbearing as possible.
Don't forget that you can watch BBC Northern Ireland's special programme live at 19:00 BST and if you're in the UK, it'll be here on the iPlayer shortly afterwards.
1805: And another tweet in praise of a runner, this time from Siobhan McGarry who says excitedly: "@BBC2012 SO EXCITED FOR PAULINE CAMPBELL GETTING READY TO TAKE UP THE TORCH! AMAZING LADY".
1808: Was that a Usain Bolt impersonation from Yu Xiong? He'll need to run a bit faster than that if he wants to be the great man.
And he's brought his own musical accompaniment! Brilliant drumming from the Chinese contingent who're making their presence felt and heard.
Niamh McHale's red hair seems to match the torch flame. Has she coloured it specially for the occasion?
Some of the entertainment at the evening celebration - General Fiasco, dance act Twist and Pulse (Britain's Got Talent in 2010), Sontas and the City Of Belfast School of Music Junior Choir.
Paula Piercey takes over torchbearing duties with a wide grin on her face.
1830: Handover complete and Leonard Totton takes charge of the flame.
1835: Madeline Maginn, who's blind, gets a big cheer as she takes over with the help of a guide.
1837: BBC NI reporter Karen Atkinson says there is a great atmosphere at Belfast City Hall where crowds are beginning to gather ahead of the arrival of the torch.
1845: The familiar face here is Olympian Dame Mary Peters, 72, from Dunmurry. During the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, she ran, jumped and threw her way into the record books to win gold in the Pentathlon, setting a world record points total.
Having lived in Northern Ireland since the age of 11, Mary calls herself an "Ulsterwoman" and her achievement in Munich resonated back to Belfast where the troubles were at their worst. There was temporary calm as rivals all celebrated together the country's greatest sporting success.
Mary is still involved with sport, most notably with The Mary Peters Trust which helps young people in Northern Ireland achieve excellence in sport.
1846: School Reporters from Carrickfergus College in Antrim got the chance to interview Dame Mary Peters as she prepared to carry the torch this evening.
The reporters asked the gold medal winner why the torch's visit to Ireland was so important.
You can watch the full interview here.
1853: Belfast's Lord Mayor Gavin Robinson said a concert at Belfast City Hall on Wednesday evening was a "very fitting culmination of what has been an incredible couple of days for the Olympic torch relay".
He also said that protests staged by dissident republicans along the torch route in Londonderry and Newry had "backfired".
1855: Another well-known torchbearer here, TV and radio presenter, Colin Murray, 35, who is the Football for All ambassador for the Irish Football Association, which aims to bring together both sides of the community through the northern Irish National Football Team.
In the past he has provided his services for various organised events for the NSPCC.
Look at that, more sunshine breaking through. If you're planning to watch the torch relay tomorrow, you can see the weather forecast by hovering over the green dots on the map on our Newcastle to Moorfields page.
1900: Here's the scene at the evening celebration outside Belfast City Hall, taken by BBC reporter Karen Atkinson.
Kerri Magee, a Sport Northern Ireland torchbearer, is among the final runners of the day. Not long now before it arrives at the evening event.
1907: Matthew Shields is the penultimate torchbearer. He'll hand on to Laura McCann, who's due to appear at Belfast City Hall at 19:15 BST.
Do you think the torch security lads have had a word in his ear? "Psst, slow it down a bit guv'nor, we're early."
Big smiles as Laura and her torch take centre stage and it's time for her big moment.
1927: And there we leave you at the end of the day's torchbearing from Dublin to Belfast.
1931: You'll be able to see the cauldron lighting and more from the evening celebration on BBC Northern Ireland's special programme on the iPlayer later this evening (UK users only). Meantime, here's a picture of Laura McCann heading off to do the honours.
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