Nov 12, 2015
Irish Sport supports up to 40,000 jobs in Ireland and contributes some 2.4% to gross domestic product (“GDP”) each year
The Irish Sport Industry awards winners were announced, by the Federation of Irish Sport, at a ceremony held at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin on 5th November. The event was hosted by broadcaster Matt Cooper and attended by over 200 guests including Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD.
The awards are designed to reward excellence in the business of sport as well as showcase both the diversity and impact of Ireland’s sports industry. There is significant potential for the Irish Sports Industry to benefit from the on-going growth in the global sports industry estimated by AT Kearney to be valued between €350 and €450 billion each year and believed to be growing much faster than national GDP rates around the world.
Winners of the 2015 Irish Sport Industry Awards were drawn from rights holders including the GAA, IRFU, Horse Sport Ireland and Cricket Ireland for initiatives on growing participation in sport, use of social media, innovation in sport with the creation of the show jumping event “Jumping in the City” and the hosting of an international event in Ireland respectively. STATSports, the leading performance analysis and monitoring company who include a number of Premier League clubs amongst their clients and Nutritics a diet analysis company were honoured as the best established and emerging sports business respectively.
Sport England’s ground-breaking and honest “This Girl Can” campaign was also honoured as the Best Global Sports Campaign of the year. The video at the heart of the campaign that was designed to get girls and women moving and active whatever their shape, size or ability has now been viewed by more than 13 million people.
Castleblaney Faughs GAA were confirmed as the sports club of the year for their innovative use of the club’s facilities to engage the wider local community, beyond the traditional Gaelic games players, for the benefit of that wider community and their health and well-being ‘Healthy Club’ initiative in particular.
The Sunday Business Post were acknowledged for excellence in media coverage for their Business of Sport section which has become a weekly feature in the publication over the last 12 months. eir’s support of Special Olympics Ireland was recognised as the best CSR initiative in sport whilst, the National Sports Campus came out on top for the best sports facility.
Speaking about the awards, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Paschal Donohoe TD, said: ‘Sport, as well as being a hobby and passion for so many of us, is now also a wide-reaching global industry encompassing areas as varied as ticketing and memorabilia, to equipment, clothing, broadcast, media, travel and sponsorships. It is fantastic to see this diversity reflected in the inaugural winners of the Irish Sports Industry who I wish to congratulate. The winners are also evidence that Ireland is a place where the business of sport is well placed to develop and thrive and we look forward to working with all involved to ensure that we maximise this opportunity into the future.’
Bernard Brogan, President of the Federation of Irish Sport said; “With such high calibre entries, each of our twelve award categories were keenly fought. We were delighted with the scale and range of the entries in our first year of the awards and we wish to congratulate the winners on the high standards that are being reached by Irish sports businesses in Ireland and around the globe. There have been an increasing number of businesses established around sport in recent years and it is great to be able to acknowledge some of that hard work through these awards. When you see companies such as STATSports who are now a key provider of performance analysis equipment and software to Premier League Clubs and professional franchises across football, hockey and basketball in the United States, you realise that is not just our athletes who can compete on the world stage, there are huge opportunities there for Irish businesses also.”
James Galvin, CEO of the Irish Federation of Sport, said; “In establishing the Sport Industry Awards, the Federation has aimed to showcase the contribution Irish sport makes to the business life of the country. We all know about the joy and fun sport brings to us as a country and to communities right across Ireland, however, the positive impact that partaking in sport has to commercial life in Ireland can be underappreciated. We feel that there are opportunities for Ireland to benefit from the significant growth worldwide of the sports industry, be it around job creation, the positive impact on a community from a club or facility reaching out beyond its traditional audience or indeed, the hosting of an international event and the knock on benefits to small businesses, restaurants and shops. We are very grateful to our sponsors and supporters, without whom this event could not have happened and look forward to building on what we hope has been a very successful first edition.”
The winners were announced and acknowledged at the Smock Alley Theatre in front of Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Mr. Paschal Donohoe T.D., industry peers, media and sport personalities. Guest speakers at the event included Professor of Management Studies at Salford University and Director of the Centre for Sports Business Chris Brady, Corporate and Commercial Sports Lawyer Ian Lynam and award winning Journalist and Author Donald McRae.
About the Awards
The Federation of Irish Sport is the representative body for Ireland’s National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships and other voluntary sports organisations. Membership is comprised of more than 100 different sporting organisations. The Federation is a not for profit organisation.
The Judging Panel:
- Matt Cooper – Presenter of The Last Word, TV3 RWC15 Presenter & Author
- Pat Gilroy – Country Director, Veoilia Ireland, COO Veoilia Industrial Customers UK
- Ray Moran – Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon & Medical Director Santry Sports Clinic
- Niall McGarry – Maximum Media Limited, Founder of Joe.ie
- Ray Nolan – Software Entrepreneur, Ultimate Rugby App
- Russell Murphy – Founder & Owner, BSI Entertainment
- Cliona O’Leary – Deputy Head of Sport RTÉ
- Rob Hartnett – CEO, Sport for Business
- Ian Talbot – CEO, Chambers Ireland
- Barry J Walsh – Wellness & Healthcare Entrepreneur
- Ian Hyland– CEO, Business and Finance Media Group
2015 Sport Industry Award Winners:
- Best Global Sports Campaign: #thisgirlcan
- Best Use of a Social Media: IRFU #shouldertoshoulder
- Best Mass Participation Event: Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps
- Best Innovation in Sport: Jumping in the City – Horse Sport Ireland
- Best International Sports Event: ICC World Twenty 20 Qualifier – Cricket Ireland
- Best Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative in Sport: eir – Special Olympics Ireland team
- Best Activation of a Sport Sponsorship: AIG & PSG Sponsorship – Dublin GAA
- Emerging Sport Business: Nutritics
- Established Sport Business: STATSports
- Best Sports Facility: National Sports Campus
- Best Sports Club: Castleblaney Faughs GFC
- Excellence in Media Coverage: Business of Sport – Sunday Business Post
Event Sponsors:
Paddy Power, JLT, Leman Solicitors, Supervalu, Lenovo, Wilson Hartnell, Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown, Fáilte Ireland and Custodian.
Nov 12, 2015
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD, are today (Thursday 5th November) holding a consultation conference to seek the views of sports stakeholders on the issues and challenges facing Irish sport in the years to come. This is with a view to developing a National Sports Policy Framework, which will be the first of its kind for 20 years.
The new National Sports Policy will provide the framework for sport in Ireland over the next ten years and will set the agenda for the newly established Sport Ireland. Among the topics to be discussed today are: increasing participation in sport, volunteers in sport, high performance sports, the future development of the National Sports Campus and regional and local facilities, among others. In developing the framework, consideration will also be given to where the focus of Government spending in sport should be and the wider cross-sectoral role of sport in the economy, education, health, tourism and other areas.
Following today’s discussions, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will develop a public consultation paper, to which the sports sector, stakeholders in the public and private sector and the general public will be invited to respond. This will feed into the National Sports Policy’s development.
Speaking at the consultation today, Minister Donohoe said: ‘Today’s discussions are all about hearing the views of those who are at the heart of sport in Ireland and finding out where they think the challenges and, indeed, the opportunities in sport lie in the years ahead. My priority, as Minister for Sport, is to promote maximum participation in sport, including among smaller sports and disadvantaged groups and women. We are making progress in these areas but we can, and we will, do more. This year, Budget 2016, saw an increase of 40% in our overall sports programme allocation, to €126 million. This will allow our elite athletes to be better supported, a new National Physical Activity Plan to be implemented, sports programmes to be targeted where they are most needed and our Sports Capital and Local Authority Swimming Pools programmes to allocate resources that will better serve our communities’.
Minister Ring said: ‘One of the topics for discussion here today is on increasing participation in sport, across all ages and groups. Last week I hosted a very successful Women in Sport Conference which highlighted the good work that is happening through Sport Ireland’s Women in Sport programme. We must be resilient in our efforts to close the gender gap in sport and to make sure that everyone, from all walks of life, knows the benefits, both body and mind, of getting involved in sport’.
“As funding becomes available, we are proceeding with the development of additional facilities at the Sports Campus on an incremental basis. A whole range of facilities have opened in recent years at the Campus and when complete, it will provide a first-class environment in which athletes at all levels from over 20 sports will be able to train and compete. This is especially key to supporting our elite athletes, such as those preparing for the Rio Games 2016, as they train to compete on the world stage. This policy, which is being developed, will also allow us to look at the existing structures, programmes and infrastructure that are in place for recreational and high performance sport and to consider if there are ways to administer these more effectively so that we can deliver the very best for sport in Ireland over the next ten years.”
Minister Donohoe continued: ‘We will also have an opportunity to explore how sport is financed in the future and to look at where the focus of future Government funding for sport should be targeted to best effect. We will be looking at how we can better encourage organisations to generate additional commercial investment, be that through philanthropy or other fundraising means. I am very keen that all of us who are involved in Irish sport continue to work together and engage productively on matters that are important to sport in Ireland. We have a mutual interest in seeing sport develop to its full potential and this process will guide us in that direction’.
Note:
Following the Sports Policy consultation today, Ministers Donohoe and Ring will attend the first meeting of the new Board of Sport Ireland.
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 22, 2015
| Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical Insurance, along with Mazars, are proud sponsors of 2into3’s Fifth Annual Fundraising Performance Report.
The Report will examine the accounts of over 1000 Irish not-for-profits in order to establish the total fundraised income from philanthropic sources in 2013, the fundraising performance of the sector, the fundraising mix in 2013 compared to 2012 and the cost of fundraising by method.
Three events will be held to launch the Report in the following venues
1) Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin: Tuesday 24th November, 08.00 – 10.30
2) St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork: Wednesday 25th November, 09.30 – 12.00
3) St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway: Thursday 26th November, 09.30 – 12.00
Lucy Masterson, Chief Executive Officer of Fundraising Ireland, will preside as Master of Ceremonies in Dublin.
The launch of the report will be followed by a panel discussion. The participants on each panel are as follows:
Dublin – Christ Church Cathedral – 08.00
- Mairéad Divilly: Partner, Mazars
- Martin Nugent: Chair of Fundraising, Clongowes Wood College Foundation
- Catrina Sheridan: Director of Fundraising and Marketing, Trócaire
- Fiona Clark: Head of Development and Fundraising, Irish Film Institute
Cork – St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral – 09.30
- Micheál Sheridan: Chief Executive Officer, The Mercy University Hospital Foundation
- Rachel Stevenson: Head of Fundraising, Cork Simon Community
- Lorraine Maye: Executive Director, Cork Midsummer Festival
- Jack Gleeson: Chief Executive Officer, Irish Sailing Foundation
Galway – St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church – 09.30
- Eugene McMahon: Partner, Mazars
- John Crumlish: Managing Director, Galway International Arts Festival
- Christopher Massi: Director of Development, Croí
- Tom Joyce: Executive Director, Galway University Foundation
For more information and to reserve your tickets click HERE. |
| This event is free of charge. Please RSVP by Friday 13th November 2015 to confirm your attendance as places are limited.
Please be sure to take note of the time and venue of the event you wish to attend. We look forward to seeing you there. |
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
