PARALYMPICS Jimmy Byrne to lead Irish Paralympic team in Beijing

The Paralympic Council if Ireland is delighted to announce the appointment of Jimmy Byrne as the Chef de Mission for the Beijing Paralympic Games.  Jimmy is highly respected as a coach and administrator within sporting circles, both in Ireland and on the International scene. 

Jimmy, from Dublin, is a founder member of the Paralympic Council of Ireland and has represented Ireland in a coaching capacity at a number of Paralympic Games. Most recently Jimmy traveled to the Athens games at short notice when the Athletics Manager, Liam Moggan, was taken ill.
 
Jimmy Byrne, on his appointment, said  “Ireland is fortunate to have some outstanding Paralympic athletes across many sports and it will be a privilege to work with them, and their dedicated support personnel, from now up to the Beijing 2008. The Games are increasingly competitive but I am confident that with the right support and preparation they will produce performances that will make the country proud”. 

This is the first in a series of key personnel appointments to be made by the PCI in 2005 and 2006 with planning for the Games well advanced.