Walsh, Mageean & Hall - Who are the athletes heading to Paris?

It is that time of year again. The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are just around the corner.

A grand number of 139 athletes from Northern Ireland and Ireland are heading to Paris for the Games.

BBC Sport NI is taking a look at all the athletes heading to France, and we are starting with some big names from archery to canoeing.

This is part one of three, so keep an eye out on the BBC Sport website over the next few days for the rest of the competitors.

Archery

Northern Ireland will be represented by one archer for Team GB.

Belfast's Conor Hall will make his debut on the biggest stage in the individual event.

Two-time Olympian Patrick Huston will travel as a reserve.

Athletics

A gold medal in the 4x400m mixed relay kicked off a stunning week for Ireland at the European Championships in June

After being an outsider for so long, Ireland are suddenly a contender on the track heading to France.

Ciara Mageean is the headline name. After missing out on the top step for so long, she claimed a stunning gold at the European Championships in perfect preparation for the Olympics.

While Mageean is a well-established star of the sport, Rhasidat Adeleke is the breakout talent and will compete in the women's 200m, 400m and relays.

Adeleke warmed up for Paris by winning the 400m at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday.

Sharlene Mawdsley is another star on the Irish relay team and will combine that with the women's 400m, as will Sophie Becker.

Phil Healy, Kelly McGrory, Rachel McCann and Lauren Cadden have also been named for both relay teams, while Thomas Barr, Christopher O'Donnell and Jack Raftery have been selected for the mixed 4x400m.

Newry's Kate O'Connor left it late but has qualified for the women's heptathlon.

Mageean will be joined in the 1500m by Sophie O'Sullivan and Sarah Healy, while Sarah Lavin will go in the women's 100m hurdles and Fionnuala McCormack has qualified for the 5,000m.

Mark English will compete in the men's 800m, Andrew Coscoran, Luke McCann and Cathal Doyle in the 1500m, while Brian Fay (men's) and Jodie McCann (women's) go in the 5,000m.

Eric Favors will represent Ireland in the men's shot put, while Nicola Tuthill will go in the women's hammer.

Badminton

Ireland will have two representatives at the Olympics in badminton.

Donegal's Rachael Darragh will be Ireland's hope in the women's draw as she makes her Olympic debut, while Nhat Nguyen will compete in the men's singles.

Boxing

Jude Gallagher won a gold medal for Northern Ireland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

There are 10 Irish boxers going for gold in Paris, ranging from defending champions to future stars of the sport.

Kellie Harrington will defend her gold medal from Tokyo in the women's lightweight class.

Aidan Walsh won bronze three years ago in the men's welterweight, while his sister Michaela Walsh will lead Ireland's charge in the women's featherweight.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jude Gallagher has been tipped as a star of the future in the men's featherweight, while Dean Clancy (men's lightweight) and Jack Marley (men's heavyweight) are also in the early stages of their careers.

Aoife O'Rourke is a European champion in the women's middleweight division, while Grainne Walsh (women's welterweight), Jennifer Lehane (women's bantamweight) and Daina Moorehouse (women's flyweight) round out the Irish hopefuls.

Canoeing

There will be three Team Ireland athletes competing in canoeing in Paris.

Liam Jegou will race in the men's C-1 class, while Noel Hendrick and Madison Corcoran will race in the men's and women's K-1 class respectively.

All three athletes are also eligible to compete in the Kayak cross event.

From cycling to gymnastics, the second part of BBC Sport NI's athlete profiles will be published on Monday.