The annual Thanksgiving Service for the Gift of Sport takes place in St Patrick's Cathedral tomorrow, maintaining the service for sportsmen and women of all persuasions that stretches back 51 years.

The service was the brainchild of the late Bob Graves, who along with fellow Lions rugby tourist in South Africa, the Rev George Crummy, overcame the difficulty of sparse worship attendance following Saturday night post-match celebrations by arranging a service on Sunday evenings. When they returned to Ireland, the idea blossomed into the first Thanksgiving Service, which was held in St Peter's Church in 1949.

Since then, the service has been held in venues as varied as the Catholic church in Donnybrook and the Adelaide Road synagogue, with an address being given by the likes of Ronnie Delany, Tony O'Reilly, Jack Lynch and Willie John McBride, to name but a few.

Tomorrow's service, which starts at 7.30 and is open to the public, will feature an address by Irish Independent journalist Colm Smith.