Shane Lowry to carry Irish flag at Olympics opening ceremony

It has been announced that Offaly's Shane Lowry has been chosen to carry the flag for Team Ireland at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony this evening.

Lowry, who made his Olympic debut last time around in Tokyo, will be carrying the flag alongside Limerick athlete Sarah Lavin.

The Clara native said that "it's a huge honour for me and my family. Anybody that knows me knows how patriotic I am, and how much I love Ireland and how much I love playing for my country.

"It's something that I'm not sure you'd even dream about as a kid because it's so far out there that it's sometimes not achievable.

"But to get to do something like that is a huge honour for me, and I always wear the Irish flag with pride.

"To get to do something like this is something that I'll remember forever."

The opening ceremony will take place along the River Seine, and will start this evening, Friday July 26 at 6.30pm. It will be available to watch on RTÉ 2.