Transcript of radio interview between Gerry Ryan and Ambarish Keenan, Coordinator, World Harmony Run Ireland and two radio listeners on Tuesday morning at 10.20am, 22nd March 2005.

Three callers rang in to say they had seen the Torch. The Gerry Ryan Show then called back Ambarish. The first caller saw Pavel from Ukraine on the main Dublin-Athlone road. The second caller, Siobhan, had seen a runner yesterday beside Bunratty Castle just outside Limerick……

Siobhan: …and I was asking how’s he going to keep carrying that, and I was waiting for the gang to come behind him, a support vehicle, or other guys, and I was saying where’s everybody

GR: (echoing) Where’s the support van? Ann saw him as well. Hold on, thank you for that, Siobhan. Ann, good morning.

Ann: Hi Gerry, how are you?

GR: Very good. Where did you see him?

Ann: We saw him where the Clare Inn is, just outside Newmarket on Fergus, running towards Ennis.

GR: Same thing, hand held aloft…

Ann: Hand held, yes, smallish torch, but…

GR: Running through driving rain, hail, sun, you name it…

Ann: It was actually lovely at the time, we were on our way in to see the bands in Limerick. But he didn’t seem to have any support with him. I was quite surprised, like Siobhan, I thought now there’d be a gang or a car at least behind him.

GR: That’s right, or somebody trying to deport him at least.

Ann: That was eleven o’clock on a Sunday morning.

GR: So, sightings all over Galway and Clare. I’ve Ambarish Keenan on the line who apparently knows all about it. Good morning, Ambarish.

Ambarish: Good morning Gerry. Good morning ladies. Thank you. The runner you saw this morning was Pavel from the Ukraine and he’s running now from Athlone forming part of what’s called the World Harmony Run, and the reason he’s running by himself this morning is that the main group of runners, about twenty in all, is visiting a school here in Coosan in Athlone. Were carrying basically an Olympic torch which symbolizes harmony and friendship between different nations, so that torch is carried from country to country, and it’s running through 45 European countries and it will finish up in Budapest later on in October of this year. So we have a core group of European runners, about 10 in total, joined by about 10 Irish runners. They arrived in Cork on Saturday went up to Limerick on Saturday, and on Sunday morning we led out the big parade competition, we were invited to lead out the parade, and from there we ran to Galway and from there, that basically explains the sightings.

GR: How many countries are taking part?

Ambarish: 45 European countries and about a hundred worldwide. Its happening in 5 different continents simultaneously and it will finish up in New York at the United Nations.......

GR: .......Now 24000km, that’s what you aim to cover to promote international friendship.

Ambarish: And harmony, exactly yes.

GR: It’s a good idea. Who came up with the idea?

Ambarish: A gentleman from New York called Sri Chinmoy, and he’s a world harmony builder plus an avid sportsman and he has put together some of the longest runs in the world, like he organises a 3100 mile race and ultra-distance runs. And they’ve been supported in the past by Carl Lewis and athletes like that, Muhammed Ali has also held the Torch. There’s some significant people like Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul, they’ve also held the Torch in the spirit of harmony and friendship. And we get great receptions when we go to schools and pass the torch to kids in classrooms, so its quite an interesting thing….

GR: It’s a wonderful idea. It’s a wonderful idea.

Ambarish: Thank you.

GR: So where should people keep a look for you and how would they get you to come along and visit them?

We have a website which gives you a list of all the events, its quite a long one it’s www.worldharmonyrun.org/ireland

GR: www.worldharmonyrun.org/ireland

Ambarish: And we’re meeting with the Minister for Education tomorrow at 9.30 at a school in Drumcondra and then later were meeting the Minister for Sport in his offices at 12.15 and the Lord Mayor is hosting a reception for us at 2 o’clock in the Mansion House before they head off to Belfast, before they head off to Drogheda and then Belfast.

GR: Well you intrigued us this morning, we were wondering what was going on, we thought somebody might have stolen the Olympic flame, but it’s something much more exalted than that. and congratulations..... Well done, it sounds like a great effort.

Ambarish: Thank you.

GR: Bringing a smile and a little joy into the world for a change.

Ambarish: That’s great. Good morning Gerry.

GR: Good morning.