Paralympics Ireland today marked 100 days to the Paralympic Games in Rio this September with the unveiling of their brand new app which is now available to download for free by searching ‘Paralympics Ireland’ in the Play store or Apple store.
The app, which comes just three months after the launch of their highly-acclaimed ‘More Than Sport’ marketing campaign, will allow sports lovers across the globe to follow the progress of the Irish Paralympic team on the road to Rio. Sports fan will receive notifications of medal wins live from the sidelines in Brazil, along with interviews and snippets from the athletes and staff live in the moment of one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The app also features a special fan wall for supporters of the team to leave a picture and message for the squad.
Speaking about the launch this morning, Paralympics Ireland’s Media & Events Manager, Mary McGuire stated: “We’ve been working extremely hard on this app over the last few months to ensure that it is very user-friendly and full of engaging content and updates for fans to enjoy.
“We are delighted that we will be able to provide updates live from Rio this year through the app in addition to all of our other social media platforms, and we believe it will certainly be a must-have for any Irish Paralympic supporter this year.”
The latest instalment of Paralympics Ireland’s compelling ‘More Than Sport’ videos was also released exclusively on the app this morning and features Irish CP football captain Luke Evans. Supporters can view the latest video by downloading the app for free from either the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
The unveiling of the app was the second big announcement on an action-packed landmark day on the road to Rio, following on from the news earlier today that national broadcaster, RTÉ, will be providing live coverage of the Paralympic Games, proudly sponsored by Allianz.
A live show will be broadcast every night throughout the Games on RTÉ 2 with four concurrent live streams to be made available on RTÉ Player over the course of the 10 day event. Joanne Cantwell will anchor the nightly show, with regular appearances from Daráine Mulvihill and gold medallist Mark Rohan.
RTÉ will broadcast over 30 hours of coverage of the Paralympic Games, representing a seven-fold increase on its coverage from London 2012.
Speaking about the announcement, Ryle Nugent, Group Head of Sport, RTÉ said, “RTÉ is delighted to partner with Paralympics Ireland and Allianz to offer comprehensive coverage of the Irish team in action at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Our athletes have proven that they are world class and RTÉ is proud to bring these games to the Irish audience.”
CEO of Paralympics Ireland, Liam Harbison commented: “This is fantastic news for Paralympic sport in Ireland and is proof of a growing relationship between Paralympics Ireland and our national broadcaster.
“We’ve been working closely with RTÉ for the past three years in order to finalise the broadcasting of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and we are delighted to support their announcement today, which will see them providing live coverage of Paralympic sport for the first time, allowing sports fans in Ireland to see Irish Paralympians chase success at the Games this September.”
He continued: “I would also particularly like to thank Allianz Ireland who have once again demonstrated their incredible commitment to Paralympic Sport by sponsoring RTÉ’s Rio coverage.“
Also speaking at today’s 100 Days to Rio event, Denis Toomey, Chef de Mission for Paralympics Ireland for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games outlined how preparations are going ahead of September’s event.
“We are really looking forward to this year’s Games,” he stated. “We are currently on track to have approximately 44 athletes representing Ireland in Rio across 10 different sports.”
He continued: “While we know that there are many challenges ahead with these Games, it is hoped that having the Olympic Games beforehand will see any issues that arise dealt with efficiently, and it is hoped that services available for the Olympics will not be reduced for the Paralympics.
“Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joe Conway, is keeping the staff and athletes informed regularly on any updates about the Zika virus. He is in regular contact with his colleagues nationally and internationally and is monitoring the situation closely.”
