Setanta is to become the first Irish Broadcaster to broadcast the Paralympics Live. The Sports broadcaster has significant access to the games and are providing as much coverage of Irish Athletes as possible. Irish participation at the 2008 games brought home 3 gold medals, 1 Silver medal and 1 bronze medal, placing Ireland 36 on the medal table in Beijing, China. Team Ireland is made up of 49 athletes in 10 sporting events. Ireland has participated in the games since the opening games in Rome (1960).

 

 

Setanta Coverage

Setanta's coverage of the games will begin with the opening ceremony next Wednesday night (29/09/2012) and will finish with the closing ceremony on the 9th of September. Through out the games Setanta will focus on Irish athletes. Up to 8 hours a day of live coverage will be provided during the games on Setanta Ireland.

 

Setanta have free-to-view coverage for UPC, Sky and Eircom customers. Setanta Ireland is available on UPC channel 105, Sky Channel 425 and via the Setanta Player for Eircom Broadband customers. HD Coverage will be available to UPC customers on Setanta HD, Channel 412.

 

Brian Quinn, Marketing Director of Setanta Sports, commented “We are delighted to be showing the games on a free to air basis and we are making every effort to show as many of the Irish performances as possible. Our ambition is to have the widest possible audience tuning in to get behind Team Ireland.”

 

Setanta's coverage will be hosted by Stephen Cullinane with former Olympians and Paralympians, Derek Malone, Melanie Nocher, Olive Loughnane, Barry Murphy, Martin Gillingham, Will Downing, Pierce O'Callaghan, Declan Quigley and Hugh Byrne.

 

On Monday night Setanta will broadcast Athena Media's Beyond Limits documentary, which charts the preparation of a number of Irish Paralympic Athletes.

 

The paralympics is sponsored by Allianz on Setanta Sports.

 

Below are a list of events and times of Irish Athletes that will appear on Setanta's coverage of the games.

ATHLETE	EVENT	Day	DATE	TIME
Enda Smyth	Track Cycling	Thursday	30/8/12	14:00
John McCarthy	Athletics	Friday	31/8/12	09:30
Michael McKillop	Athletics	Friday	31/8/12	09:30
Enda Smyth	Track Cycling	Friday	31/8/12	13:30
Cathal Miller	Track Cycling	Friday	31/8/12	13:30
Colin Lynch	Track Cycling	Friday	31/8/12	13:30
Stephen Campbell	Swimming	Friday	31/8/12	17:30
Jonathan McGrath	Swimming	Friday	31/8/12	17:30
Jason Smyth	Athletics	Friday	31/8/12	19:00
Nadine Lattimore	Athletics	Saturday	1/9/12	10:00
Ailish Dunne	Athletics	Saturday	1/9/12	10:00
Catherine  O’Neill	Athletics	Saturday	1/9/12	10:00
James Scully	Swimming	Saturday	1/9/12	17:30
Stephen Campbell	Swimming	Saturday	1/9/12	17:30
Jason Smyth	Athletics	Saturday	1/9/12	19:00
Michael McKillop	Athletics	Saturday	1/9/12	19:00
Ray O’Dwyer	Athletics	Saturday	1/9/12	19:00
Stephen Campbell	Swimming	Sunday	2/9/12	17:30
Darragh McDonald	Swimming	Sunday	2/9/12	17:30
Bethany Firth	Swimming	Sunday	2/9/12	17:30
John McCarthy	Athletics	Monday	3/9/12	19:00
Michael McKillop	Athletics	Monday	3/9/12	19:00
Nadine Lattimore	Athletics	Tuesday	4/9/12	19:00
Orla Barry	Athletics	Tuesday	4/9/12	19:00
Ray O’Dwyer	Athletics	Tuesday	4/9/12	19:00
Ailish Dunne	Athletics	Tuesday	4/9/12	19:00
Amanda Crotty	Athletics	Tuesday	4/9/12	19:00
Catherine  O’Neill	Athletics	Friday	7/9/12	10:00
Jason Smyth	Athletics	Friday	7/9/12	19:00
Ray O’Dwyer	Athletics	Friday	7/9/12	19:00
James Scully	Swimming	Saturday	8/9/12	09:30
Darragh McDonald	Swimming	Saturday	8/9/12	09:30
Ellen Keane	Swimming	Saturday	8/9/12	09:30
James Scully	Swimming	Saturday	8/9/12	17:30
Darragh McDonald	Swimming	Saturday	8/9/12	17:30
Ellen Keane	Swimming	Saturday	8/9/12	17:30

 

 

RTÉ Coverage

RTÉ will also be providing highlights coverage of the games across Radio, TV and online. RTÉ Two will cover the games with a highlights programme presented by Darren Frehill. Key medal hopefuls will feature heavily. RTÉ sports commentators John Kenny, Stephen Alkin and Adrian Eames will provide analysis on the progress of each of the athletes.

 

Eamon Horan and Cian McCormack will provide extensive news coverage during the two weeks of the games across RTÉ Radio and TV.

 

On radio RTÉ Sports programmes Sports@Seven Extra, Saturday Sport and Sunday Sport will provide coverage on Radio 1. RnaG will also provide coverage on their sports programmes Spórt an tSathairn, Spórt an Lae agus Spórt an Luain.