Walking with giants...Olympic torch visits famous landmark

The torch was at the World Heritage site’s hexagonal columns of rock, held aloft by Denis Broderick high above the Atlantic on Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.

The torch started its relay proper from Coleraine, Co Londonderry, and continued through villages and towns including Limavady to Londonderry city.

It crossed the River Bann in a boat. Seamus Reynolds carried the torch with an eight-man rowing team. He was chosen because of his work in the community.

Londonderry, where yesterday evening’s celebrations were held, has had problems with dissident republican violence, an explosive was thrown at police in an attempted murder bid over the weekend, but it will be UK City of Culture next year.

A bridge was built between a disused army base on the shores of River Foyle in a predominantly unionist part of the city and the other, nationalist, side.

Isobel Coote, 58, from Ballygawley, who was nominated for being an inspirational mother and grandmother, employer, community organiser and friend, carried the flame to the middle of the Peace Bridge where she handed it to Meabh Fisher, 13, from Londonderry.

Meabh was nominated for her bravery in battling a permanent health condition. She was born prematurely and developed necrotising enterocolitis resulting in her needing a resection of the bowel.

Security was tight in Londonderry. Specialist police officers had abseiled off the side of the peace bridge to check its underside for devices.

They also combed the grassy banks of the River Foyle close to the railway line. Searches at homes in nationalist parts of the city took place over the weekend.