Who are the Paralympians from NI?
There are eight Paralympians from Northern Ireland, five representing Team Ireland and three ParalympicsGB
- Published
After the Olympic Games in Paris earlier this summer, now it's the turn of the Paralympics which take centre stage in the French capital from 28 August through to 8 September.
There will be eight athletes from Northern Ireland taking part in the Games across a range of sports.
BBC Sport NI looks at the competitors.
Claire Taggart – boccia - ParalympicsGB
Claire Taggart
Age: 29 Hometown: Larne,
Disability: Dystonia Sport Class: BC2
Having first competed in Rio at 21-years-old, boccia player Claire Taggart becomes a three-time Paralympian in Paris. In 2022, Taggert secured two gold medals at the Boccia World Cup in Portugal and later the same year, gold in the Boccia World Championships in Rio.
Schedule: 29 August, 17:10 BST – vs Joselyn Leon (Ecuador); 30 August, 19:30 BST - vs Cristina Goncalves (Portugal); 31 August, 18:35 BST - quarter-final; 1 September, 10:55 BST - semi-final; 1 September, 18:35 BST - final
Dearbhaile Brady - swimming - Team Ireland
Dearbhaile Brady
Age: 17
Hometown: Feeny Club: Limavady Swim Club
Disability: Hypochondroplasia (Short Stature) Sport Class: S6, SB6, SM6
Making her Paralympic debut will be Dearbhaile Brady. Her fist major appearance for Ireland came at the Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester last year, while she won a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle at the Para Swimming European Championships in Madeira this year.
Schedule: 29 August, 09:43 BST – 50m freestyle heats; 29 August, 18:19 BST – 50m freestyle final; 3 September 3, 09:15 – 50m butterfly heats; 3 September, 17;05 - 50m butterfly final
Barry McClements – swimming - Team Ireland
Barry McClements
Age: 22
Hometown: Newtownards Club: Ards Swimming Club
Disability: Right above knee amputation Sport Class: S9, SB8, SM9
Barry McClements will be competing at his second Paralympics. In Tokyo his best finish was seventh place in the 100 metre backstroke S9. He won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the S9 100 m backstroke, becoming the first Northern Irish medallist in swimming at the Commonwealth Games, and secured his first European medal at the 2024 Para Swimming European Championships in Madeira.
Schedule: 3 September, 08:38 BST – 100m backstroke heats; 3 September, 16:37 BST; 3 September, 16:37 BST – 100m backstroke final; 6 September, 09:18 – 100m butterfly heats; 6 September, 17:35BST – 100m butterfly final
Deaten Registe – Swimming - Team Ireland
Deaten Registe
Age: 20
Hometown: Dungannon Club: Lisburn City Swimming Club
Disability: Intellectual impairment Sport Class: S14, SB14, SM14
A newcomer to the team, 20-year-old Deaten Registe His first major international performance was at the 2024 Para Swimming European Championships in Madeira where he placed 4th in the 100m Breaststroke final.
Schedule: 2 September, 09:33 BST – 100m breaststroke heats; 2 September 17:13 BST 100m breaststroke final
Judith MacCombe - Triathalon – Team Ireland
Twin sisters Judith and Chloe MacCombe
Age: 29
Hometown: Claudy Club: North West Triathlon Club
Disability: Vision impairment Sport Class: PTVI 3
Having qualified for the Games 9th in the world rankings, Judith MacCombe will be making her Paralympic debut in Paris with her guide Eimear Nicholls. She took up triathlon just over five years ago and competed in the in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.
Schedule: 2 September, 09:10 BST
Chloe MacCombe – Triathalon - Team Ireland
Age: 29
Hometown: Claudy Club: North West Triathlon Club
Disability: Vision impairment Sport Class: PTVI 3
Like twin sister Judith, Chloe MacCombe will be making her Paralympic debut in Paris with her guide Catherine Sands. A silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, she qualified for these Games ranked third in the world.
Schedule: 2 September, 09:10 BST
David Ross - wheelchair rugby - ParalympicsGB
David Ross
Age: 29
Hometown: Lisburn
Disability: Spinal injury
David Ross was first involved in Team GB trials prior to the Games in Rio but had to wait until the Canada Cup in 2022 to make his debut. Paris will be the first Paralympics for the Lisburn man who sustained a spinal injury playing a schools' rugby game 11 years ago.
Schedule: 29 August, 10:30 BST – vs Australia; 30 August, 10:30 BST - vs Denmark; 31 August, 18:30 BST - vs France, 1 September - semi-final; 2 September, 18:30 BST - final
Katie Morrow - wheelchair basketball - ParalympicsGB
Katie Morrow
Age: 24
Hometown: Ballymena
Disability: Multiple sclerosis
The youngest member of ParalympicsGB's wheelchair basketball team at Rio in 2016 when she was just 16, Katie Morrow was originally a swimmer but came to basketball after being diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis.
Schedule: 29 August, 11:45 BST - vs Spain; 31 August, 09:30am - vs Canada; 1 September, 15:00 BST - vs China; 4 September - quarter-final; 6 September - semi-final; 8 September - final.