Thousands of people have turned out to cheer the torch along its five-day journey around Northern Ireland.
Olympic torch begins five-day journey of Northern Ireland
Thousands of people have turned out to cheer the torch along its five-day journey around Northern Ireland.
The relay left the Belfast slipways where the Titanic was built and took in Stormont, the spectacular Co Antrim coastline and the setting for this year's golf Irish Open, Royal Portrush. The North Coast is home of golf's former US Open winner Graeme McDowell and other sporting high achievers.
David Stevens and his two children Jenny and Danielle watched the torch near Carrickfergus Castle, overlooking the shores of Belfast Lough.
Mr Stevens said: "We have a number of really top class sporting names here, people like Rory McIlroy, showing what Northern Ireland is capable of so it is brilliant to see the flame here."
Ireland and Lions rugby star Trevor Ringland was among those running the relay in Larne, Co Antrim. David Sharkey, 22, from Coleraine carried the flame in Bangor, Co Down. He was chosen due to his excellent customer service and team work skills within his job at ASDA.
Louise Lyons, 16, from Portrush bore the flame in her hometown. She coaches local children at a soccer school and aspires to play hockey for the Northern Ireland ladies team.
Towns and villages
A total of 448 torch bearers are running through more than 60 cities, towns and villages throughout Northern Ireland and Dublin.
The first torch bearer was Karen Marshall, who has had Crohn's disease for the last 14 years.
She works full time with marginalised young people, volunteers for her local church, for REACT (Reconciliation Education and Community Training) and is a member of the local District Policing Partnership.
Sports Minister Caral Ni Chuilin said: "She is a real inspiration to the local people of Tynan in County Armagh and Sunday is an inspiration to all becoming the first torchbearer here."
Ice skater Dempsey Andrews, 15, from East Belfast, carried the torch through part of Co Down. She has performed with Olympic skaters Torvil and Deane.
Former Olympic champion Dame Mary Peters, who won the pentathlon in 1972, carried the golden lantern through a packed Belfast City Airport after it landed from the Isle of Man on Saturday night. The arrivals hall was full of cheering flag-waving children and past Olympians, eager to catch a glimpse of the flame, which is visiting every part of the UK ahead of this year's London Olympics.
Travel
The torch will also travel to 2013 City of Culture Londonderry on Monday and Dublin on Wednesday in a symbol of Anglo/Irish good will.
Among sporting figures expected to carry it in Ireland are Olympic boxing medallists Wayne McCullough and Michael Carruth, who will take part in the handover at the border.
Other highlights will be a celebratory event at St Stephen's Green in Dublin city centre on Wednesday and the crossing of the newly-built Peace Bridge in Londonderry linking the mainly nationalist west of the city with the mainly unionist east.
Celebrities taking part in the relay will include Northern Ireland-born television personalities Zoe Salmon, Patrick Kielty and Colin Murray.
Police in Northern Ireland warned the terrorism threat level remained severe and appealed for public vigilance.
Following this evening's entertainment from local band General Fiasco in Portrush on the shores of the Atlantic, the torch visits the Giant's Causeway World Heritage site and Londonderry.
