Oct 29, 2015
The inaugural Sport Industry Awards will be hosted at the Smock Alley Theatre on 5th November, we had a great response to entries and below is a shortlist of those entered, winners will be announced on the night. More information at www.sportindustryawards.ie
1. Established Sport Business
- McSport
- STATSports
- Teamer
Sponsored by: 
2. Emerging Sport Business
- GourmetFuel
- KitmanLabs
- Nutritics
Sponsored by: 
3. Best Mass Participation Event
- Kellogg’s GAA Cul Camps
- Run in the Dark
- SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon
Sponsored by: 
4. Best International Sports Event
- Croke Park Classic
- ICC World Twenty 20 Qualifier- Cricket Ireland
- SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon
Sponsored by: 
5. Best Activation of a Sport Sponsorship
- AIG & PSG Sponsorship- Dublin GAA
- Continental Tyres FAI Women’s League
- Vodafone National Series- Triathlon Ireland
Sponsored by:
6. Best Sports Facility
- DCU Sport
- Fota Island Resort
- National Sports Campus
Sponsored by: 
7. Excellence in Media Coverage
- Business of Sport- Sunday Business Post
- Off the Ball
- the42.ie
Sponsored by:
8. Best Use of a Social Media
- Cabinteely FC
- Cricket Ireland #backinggreen
- Great Dublin Bike Ride – TITAN
- IRFU #shouldertoshoulder
- LGFA #bethediff
Sponsored by: 
9. Best Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in Sport
- eir- Special Olympics Ireland team
- FAI- IPB Late Night Leagues
- GAA Healthy Clubs
- IRFU & Pieta House
Sponsored by: 
10. Best Sports Club
- Castleblaney Faughs GFC
- Glanmire Basketball Club
- Wicklow Swimming Club
Sponsored by: 
11. Best Innovation in Sport
- Jumping in the City- Horse Sport Ireland
- Pledgesports
- Sportswomen.ie
Sponsored by: 
12. Best Global Sports Campaign
- #thisgirlcan
- Pure Sport – SKINS
Sponsored by: 
A huge thank you to everyone who entered, the standard was extremely high in the inaugural year of the awards and the judging panel had some very hard choices to make. Best of luck to the shortlisted entrants and we look forward to the awards night on the 5th November!
Oct 28, 2015
The end to a glittering junior career occurred in Daugavpils, Latvia at the Junior European Championships where South Dublin Taekwondo [SDTKD] athlete Jack Woolley competed in the youth section for the last time. Jack who fought in -55kg Junior, had 5 matches in this event with the best in Europe attending. With no seeding in Junior events, the draw is always a bit of a lottery. Jack faced local Daniel Likovs of Latvia in what proved to be an easy warm up match for the Tallaght based 17 year old. Jack saw off his opponent clinically with a 37-2 score line, with the match being brought to a halt at the end of the 2nd round as the score gap exceeded 12 points. Jack proceeded into the round of 16 against Bulgarian Martin Garkov and kept up his previous momentum, once again closing out the match before the end of regulation time, with a 12 point gap winning 14-2. In the quarter finals, Jack now faced Spain who always prove to be a tough test on the international circuit. To get a place on the podium Jack needed to bypass Juame Torrens Guardia, which he did in fine fashion, once again without the match seeing out the final round, winning 14-2 again. With the rest time between matches now becoming much shorter with less time to recuperate, Jack & Coach Robert Taaffe returned to the holding area to prepare for the Semi Final challenge of Oleksly Malyeyev from Ukraine who like Jack had been defeating his previous opponents with substantial points differences. The semi-final was a nail biting affair for all Irish and the fast growing group of adopted Irish supporters watching. A closely contested match ended 19-15 in the favour of Team Ireland as the Ukranian appeared to run out of steam. With Woolley now in the final, he was drawn head to head with Russian Kirill Kuchyanov who had clinically made his way through the opposite side of the draw. The match was a complete roller coaster, with Jack falling behind, the re-gaining a 6 point lead, coach Taaffe lost his video replay card to what appeared to be an obvious appeal for a score after ‘kalyeo’ [break]. With the 2 very similar kickers racking up points against each other, Woolley found himself 3 points behind in the last 10 seconds, and pulled it back to an agonising 25-24. The whole room held there breadth at the last second of the match when Woolley landed a strong punch, but it was not to be, the punch did not register before the clock stopped, and it was to be silver. Both players were given a rapturous applause for what was one of the matches of the tournament and brought the curtain down at the end of the 4 day event. A brief moment of tears soon turned into smiles as Woolley realised what he had achieved. He managed to get to the 2nd step of a European Podium, and was so very close to winning the Gold against a player from the Russian Federation who would be one of thousands of athletes trying to get into the national team. Jack’s performance would not have been possible if he were not joined by his Team Mate & sparring partner Conor Deery from Junsa Taekwondo who also competed in the -45kg division under the watchful eye of Irish Team Coach Stuart Russell. Conor who fought on the 1st Day of the tournament got off to an excellent start in his first round match, forcing his Ukranian opponent Mark Volyno to withdraw after a heavy contact. Conor proceeded into the quarter finals where he also faced a stern Spanish opposition of Joan Jorquera Cala in another high paced action filled match. Conor went out in his match with major momentum and took a strong lead. As the match progressed to the end of the third 2 minute round, a final kick from the Spaniard regained the lead 10 points to 9 which proved to be the final score. This was Conors first major event as a Junior and he was one point away from the possibility finishing on the podium, which at this level is a fantastic achievement. Also on the agenda in Latvia was the European general Assembly attended by ITU President & European Taekwondo Union Committee Member Martin Fleming. Master Fleming was also a member of the Competition Supervisory board for the Junior European Event.
Oct 8, 2015
Download here :
Federation of Irish Sport Launches Manifesto for Irish Sport &
Outlines 5 Point Plan Needed for Ireland’s Sporting Future
- Bernard Brogan Calls for New National Vision & Strategy for Sport
- Appeal for Restoration of Funding Levels & Widening of Tax Reliefs
- New Agency Needed to Attract Major International Sporting Events
- Mandatory Two Hours’ PE Urged in Secondary Schools Each Week
The Federation of Irish Sport, which represents 76 national governing bodies and 27 local sports partnerships countrywide, has today launched its Manifesto for Irish Sport setting out a 5 Point Plan for the next Government if Ireland is to deliver on its sporting potential. The launch, which took place in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin 2, saw various speakers from across the sporting world, led by Federation President Bernard Brogan, urge all public representatives to recognise the importance of investing in sport.
In its Manifesto for Irish Sport, the Federation is calling for action on the following five points:
- Development of a National Sport Strategy. The creation and implementation of a sports strategy would ensure joined-up thinking across Government departments and agencies in terms of sport’s economic, social and health benefits. This should include ring-fenced funding for sport and the appointment of a sports “tsar” who would have overall responsibility for bringing stakeholders together, securing commitments and delivering on objectives.
- Restoration of Sport Funding. There has been a 26 per cent reduction in funding levels for sport since 2008, from €57.2 million to €42.5 million in 2015[1]. If Irish sport is to compete on the international stage, as well as increase participation and retention levels, funding levels must be restored to where they were before the country’s economic collapse.
- Extension of Tax Reliefs. It’s time for sport to have a level playing field with other areas of the not-for-profit sector. While donors to sporting bodies can take advantage of tax reliefs for capital funding, this amounts to a fraction of the costs incurred by sporting organisations, and it is only fair that tax relief currently afforded to charities on minimum €250 donations in any year—which can apply to both current and capital spend—should also apply to sports bodies. This was a recommendation of the Commission on Taxation in 2009[2] and would bring Ireland into line with its international competitors such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
- Provision of Two Hours’ Mandatory PE Each Week. All the indicators point to an obesity epidemic in this country, yet according to the last research conducted, only ten per cent of post-primary students are meeting the minimum Department of Education & Skills’ recommendation of two hours sport and physical activity each week in secondary schools[3]. Not only would making this a mandatory requirement greatly assist in enhancing the health and well-being of our young people, but it also has the potential to create a new generation of sporting leaders.
- Leveraging Ireland’s Sport Host Credentials. Ireland, with its state-of-the-art sporting facilities and venues, excellent transport links, track record of successfully hosting major international sports events and the “can do” and welcoming attitude of its people, has the potential to tap into a €450 billion sports tourism market[4]. The Federation strongly advocates the setting up of a national sports event bidding agency which would compete head-on with other countries in attracting significant international sporting events to our shores. We only have to look to Denmark, where a joint venture between sport and government—Sport Event Denmark—now sees the Danes win four out of every five sports bids[5].
Bernard Brogan, President of the Federation of Irish Sport, is calling on all political parties to recognise the value of sport and to pledge support for its Manifesto for Irish Sport.
“Sport is a key part of what defines us and brings us together as communities, as counties, as provinces and as a country. When we play on the international stage, and the Irish flag is raised or the national anthem played, our sense of national pride and what we are capable of, soars. With just a little effort on behalf of Government in setting out a vision and strategy for where we want sport to go in this country, linked with the required resources and ongoing monitoring, we could do so much better. I urge all political parties and candidates to sign up to the commitments contained in our Manifesto for Irish Sport. Why should we as a country settle for second best—we must be in a position to compete, and to compete to win.”
Mark Balcar, Director of Sports Think Tank in the UK, points to the development of a new Strategy for Sport in the UK that reflects current social, financial, attitudinal and technological realities, and that involves virtually every Government department. It has as key aims the importance of recognising the value of sport, of maximising participation and of creating a truly active nation—and he believes a similar approach could deliver significantly for Ireland:
“The power of sport is undeniable: sport can achieve a wide range of social, cultural and economic benefits for society. Our research in England, shows overwhelmingly that the sport sector wants strong Government leadership and a long-term sports strategy that joins up the many different interests within government. This is crucial if the sport sector is to maximise the potential of sport to help deliver in critical areas of public policy, for everyone in society.”
Newly-appointed chief executive of the Federation of Irish Sport, James Galvin, believes that with the right support, sport has the potential to pay a wide range of dividends:
“Sport supports 40,000 jobs in Ireland[6], adds an extra €1.9 billion in household spending[7] and over €1 billion in tourism receipts[8]. We know that 2.5 million people participate in sport every week here[9] and that regular participation is the equivalent of being 14 years younger[10]. We undoubtedly have a great love of sport in this country and we should capitalise on this passion. By restoring funding levels, by playing fair in terms of tax reliefs, and by creating a dedicated sports event bidding agency, we can become real contenders. Why shouldn’t we host major sporting events such as the European Cross-Country Championships or the IPC Swimming World Championships in Ireland? Let’s at least give ourselves a sporting chance.”
The Federation of Irish Sport’s Manifesto for Irish Sport can be viewed here
[1] Government Budget Estimates, 2008-2015
[2] Commission on Taxation Report, 2009
[3] Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study, 2010
[4] Tourism Insider, 2011
[5] Sport Event Denmark, 2015
[6] EU Study on the Economic Contribution of Sport to the Economy, 2013
[7] Assessment of Economic Impact of Sport in Ireland, Indecon/Irish Sports Council, 2010
[8] Activity Product Usage Among Overseas Visitors in 2013, Fáilte Ireland, 2014
[9] Irish Sports Council Irish Sports Monitor 2013 & Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study, 2010
[10] Sporting Lives: An Analysis of a Lifetime of Irish Sport, ESRI/Irish Sports Council 2008
Oct 7, 2015
Sarah O’Shea, a member of the board to the Federation of Irish Sport, is to leave the Football Association of Ireland at the end of the year to set up a Sport Consultancy Business.
Sarah O’ Shea is the head of legal and disciplinary affairs at the Football Association of Ireland (“FAI”). She works across a broad range of areas including contractual matters, sponsorship, disciplinary and disputes, rules and regulations, litigation, media and is heavily involved in the new Aviva Stadium and Europa League Final 2011.
Sarah worked as a solicitor in general practice until 2006 specialising in litigation, probate and conveyancing. Sarah was accepted onto the FIFA International Master programme in 2006 and spent one year in Italy, Switzerland and the UK undertaking the full-time Masters in business, law and humanities of Sport.
FAI CEO John Delaney said: “Sarah has made a huge impact over the past ten years and has been to the forefront of many changes and projects the Association has been involved in over that period. She has always be held in very high esteem for her skills and expertise and the excellent working relationships she has within the football family past decade.”
FAI President Tony Fitzgerald stated: “Sarah has been a huge asset to the Association and I know she will continue to be of immense benefit to our members going forward. Sarah has worked very closely and successfully with the Board and the grassroots during that period. On behalf of the Board and our members, I wish her every success”, he added.
Sarah O’Shea said: “It has been with great pride that I served the Association over the last 10 years. This has been a hugely successful period and I am privileged to have worked for Irish Football over this important decade. Together we overhauled the Association Rules, Governance and Disciplinary Processes. We successfully secured the Europa League Final and Euro 2020 bid, the construction of the Aviva Stadium, our move from Merrion Square to our new headquarters in Abbotstown and the development of our National Training Centre. I would like to thank John for his tremendous support, vision and leadership over that period and to wish John, the Board, the Staff, our International Teams and all within the football family the very best as they continue the work of promoting and developing the game. I am delighted, and honoured to have worked for the Association and I look forward to continuing to work within Irish football in the years ahead”.
