Disappointed, downcast, devastated. This was the mood in Spiddal, Co Galway, last night, following confirmation that the Cameroon Special Olympics team hadn't left home. Lorna Siggins reports.
"We have no idea why. All we know is that if they do get to travel, we won't get to meet them," Ms Martina Goggin, spokeswoman for the Spiddal Host Town Committee, told The Irish Times.
Four Cameroon athletes and two officials were due to be feted, and accommodated, in the Connemara village this week. However, the team failed to arrive on a scheduled flight from Paris into Dublin airport on Tuesday morning.
Three volunteers from the host town committee waited all day at the airport, checking every incoming flight from France. Crestfallen, they drove back west in a specially-hired minibus on Tuesday night. There were frantic phone calls, and eventually it was established yesterday afternoon the team hadn't left the African state.
The Cameroon athletes - Cyville Mgba Tsanga, Emilie Kapie, Elysee Onguene and Patrick Mbarga Mvogo - are listed to compete in track events and shot putt. They were due to travel with head of delegation,Nicolas Amaugou Noma, and assistant head, Simon Mbarga Panda. Simon Tabah, a Cameroon student currently studying at Waterford Institute of Technology, was due to serve as voluntary interpreter, and was among the welcoming party waiting at the airport.
Mr Tabah has already met the Spiddal host committee, and attended several fundraising events during the winter. Muintir an Spidéil put in an enormous preparatory effort for this week. A global music event involving Irish and African music had been planned for Spiddal beach on Tuesday night, and the team were to be taken to Connemara yesterday. The host committee planned to take them shopping today.
"We can only hope that they do make it to Dublin at least," Ms Goggin said. "We also hope that their national flag is carried at the opening ceremony, even if they don't arrive." Jack and Pearse Ó Tuathaill from Spiddal have been chosen as local representatives to carry the Cameroon flag at the opening ceremony. Jack and Pearse are brothers of Ruairí Ó Tuathaill (27), Spiddal's torch bearer at the World Games next week.
Ruairí is on the Irish canoeing team, and will be participating in the sprint event on Leixlip lake.
"Rath Ort Ruairí Ó Mhuintir an Spidéil" a banner states in the village, and a large Spiddal contingent will be rooting for the canoeist, who is currently training in Leixlip this week. Ruairí, son of Paddy and Anne Ó Tuathaill, works at Snipe Industries and Tesco in Galway. He is one of a family of five, and first took up paddling off Spiddal beach during sessions run by local teacher, Breandán Ó Challaráin. Breandán's daughter, Eadaoin Ní Challaráin, was selected as Irish Olympics canoeist in the 2000 Sydney Games.