Drumraney woman takes part in Olympic flame relay in France

By Emily Sheehan

A Drumraney native, Josephine Moran, had the honour of being selected as one of the torchbearers in the Olympic flame relay, carrying the Olympic torch on part of its journey to Paris before the opening of the games.

A past-pupil of Ardnagrath NS and Our Lady's Bower, Josephine works for software giant Intel, which is a sponsor of the 2024 Olympics.

Intel had the opportunity to have certain employees act as Olympic torchbearers, as part of the Olympic flame relay. Employees from the greater European region were invited to submit an application to be considered for it.

Josephine was one of the lucky few selected for the role, and took part in a 13-person relay in Commercy, the Meuse District of Northern France, on June 29.

The majority of participants, Josephine recalls, were French, with one person from the UK and another from Poland.

“To be a part of something, albeit in a very small way, which as a world event reminds us of all the ways we are the same, rather than how we are different, is unbelievably special and something that will be hard to top during the remainder of my lifetime,” Josephine said.

She explained that she was “shocked and thrilled” when she received the email informing her that she had been chosen to carry the Olympic flame.

Currently living in Rochfortbridge with her partner Gerard Forde, Josephine originally hails from Drumraney. Her parents are Mary Moran and the late John Moran. Josephine has two sisters, Marie and Jackie, and a brother, Damien Moran, of Moran's Coach and Bus Hire.

"I remember even as a child what a massive occasion the Olympics were, watching varied sports and competitors from parts of the world we rarely heard of," Josephine said.

Having met with an event organiser in Commercy, the Westmeath woman was encouraged to "enjoy the moment, as it would go in a heartbeat".

"(The event organiser) finished it off by saying, remember, when you are carrying the Olympic torch you will be the only person in the world doing so. No pressure then!" Josephine said.

"The event people [at the relay points] told us to be prepared for people to come up to take photos with us and the torch. I really did not believe that would happen, but it did. Lots of families with their children wanted to be part of this event.

"It was such a lovely family-oriented occasion, everyone was so encouraging and cheered us all on. I had heard the expression of knees shaking, but that was the first time I experienced it. I was nervous and excited."

Having received advice on how best to carry the torch to avoid discomfort, Josephine noted how she "did not even register its weight" during her segment of the relay.

"The length of each person's relay was approximately 200 metres and it was the longest and shortest 200 meters I have travelled," said Josephine, remarking on how the town and surrounding areas all seemed to join the event.

"After the relay, we were brought to an outdoor velodrome where we completed a lap of the circuit to more cheers from people who collected in the arena. There even was a brass band!"

Following the relay, Josephine spent some days admiring the Olympic preparations in Paris.

"I had no doubt then that Paris and France were ready and proud to host the Olympics, and that the nation was behind it.

"However our Irish sportspeople fare, I hope they have the best experiences of their lives," she concluded.