Olympics:Most of the debate surrounding the Irish Olympic team has been who will carry the flag for Ireland in the Opening ceremony. While Chef de Mission Sonia O'Sullivan and her team make that decision, there are a number of Irish candidates who will have to rule themselves out of the job because their Games begin the following day.
The Friday night showpiece, orchestrated by Oscar-winning film maker Danny Boyle and due to be watched by a global television audience of a billion people, is expected to last for up to three and a half hours.
It is certain that the spectacle will finish in the early hours of Saturday morning, which has prompted London transport to keep the trains running until 2.30am local time.
The time schedule means that athletes who take part could be standing around for several hours before their events begin the next day. A number of sports are due to start as early as 8.30am on Saturday morning.
Chloe Magee, Ireland’s badminton singles qualifier, could have an early rise on Saturday as her preliminary rounds begin at 8.30am. Lisa Kearney, Ireland’s only female representative in Judo also begins the elimination stages of her 48kg division.
The heats also start in swimming at 10am, where Barry Murphy competes in the breastroke, while the cycling Road Race begins at the same time. Nicolas Roche, Daniel Martin and David McCann take part in that.
The Dressage section of Three Day Eventing is also scheduled to begin at 10am while an hour later Ireland’s first ever qualifier in men’s gymnastics Kieran Behan has a qualification round.
Irish boxing captain Darren O’Neill may also be involved in the round of 32 in his middleweight division on Saturday afternoon. It depends on what draw he receives after the weigh-in. Two-times World championship medal winner John Joe Nevin could also box at lunch-time on Saturday in his bantamweight class.
The ceremony, which is due to open with the ringing of the largest harmonically tuned bell in the world, is costing some £27 million to stage. It will include 10,000 adult volunteer performers while Olympic athletes will walk around a meadow made up of mini fields separated by hedges and a river. The animal cast list includes 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, nine geese, a flock of 70 sheep and three sheep dogs.
The British Queen will open the Games in the presence of more than 100 world leaders in the Olympic Stadium, where the cauldron will be lit after the final leg of a torch relay around Britain and Ireland. The stadium seats 80,000.
The ceremony starts at 9pm and is scheduled to end between midnight and 1.30am, although, there are concerns that it may overrun.
Athletes from the 204 competing nations due to parade inside the stadium have been assured they will not be kept hanging around into the early hours before they can return to the Olympic village. Some athletes won't turn up if it's pouring with rain.