16 June: Special Olympians are arriving today in host towns throughout County Kildare.
The visitors will be sampling Irish hospitality for the week prior to moving to Dublin for the actual games.
New Zealand flags and bunting are flying from businesses along the Main Street in Naas. All local shops were supplied with the NZ flags last week. A mini parade of the New Zealand and Kenyan Special Olympic athletes (from Kilcullen) is planned to climax with the arrival of the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run in the town (from Newbridge) on Friday 20 June at around 12 noon. A crowd of 2500-3000 school children from a number of schools around the Naas area is expected.
The Naas Host Town Committee have liaisoned with the local Gardai and other agencies to plan and prepare for the event. Main Street will be closed to all traffic from 10am-2pm. Safety barriers will be placed on the street and will form a corridor for the runners to have a safe passage through the crowd. Parking will be restricted on Main St, Abbey St and Poplar Square from 6am- 2pm.
School children will start to arrive at drop off points from 10.15am onwards. The Torch Run will depart at around 12.30pm.
Two bus parks will be used by schools attending the run - Naas Town Council car park on Fair Green will accommodate Killashee, Two Mile House, Brannockstown, Rathmore and Blessington Schools while the Newbridge Road (Swan Dowlings) car park will take Sallins, Kilcullen, Dunlavin and Caragh School children.
A welcoming area will be set at the Bank of Ireland with a reviewing stand (open top bus). The schools will be allocated a place along the street for safety and identification purposes.
Host Town Volunteers, Naas Gardai, Kildare Civil Defence and Naas Community Wardens will act as stewards for crowd control. Children will be entertained with street entertainment.
First Aid posts include an ambulance at the Taxi Rank at Market Square, and a First Aid point at Corban’s Lane/Murtagh’s Corner (lane way). Host Town Medical volunteers and Order of Malta personnel will man the first aid posts.
Traffic diversions will be in place from 10am traffic with diversion signs in place.
A bus will take the runners with escort to Kilcock via Sallins and Clane..
