Nov 4, 2013
BACKGROUND
Established in November 2006 Monaghan Sports Partnership’s main aim is to increase participation in sport and physical activity among all sectors of the community.
It has three main functions:
WHAT WE DO
Information We provide information and support to sports clubs and volunteers in many different ways – we provide links to National Governing Bodies of sport and relevant agencies
Education We provide quality opportunities for education & training courses for volunteers locally
Implementation We developed a strategic plan for sport / physical activity in Co. Monaghan and deliver participation programmes to suit local needs.
Read More Here
Monaghan Sports Partnership
Strategic Plan
Programmes
Oct 17, 2013
Triathlon Talent Identification and Paratriathlon Information Day in AIT, Athlone on the 24th of November being run by Triathlon Ireland.
The Talent ID Day is suitable for talented young athletes who have experience of competitive swimming and running while the Paratriathlon Information Day is an introduction to paratriathlon as it was recently announced that it will form part of the Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.
About the programme:
The Triathlon Ireland Talent Identification programme has the goal of locating talented junior athletes between the ages of 14 and 23 and developing them to their full potential in the sport of triathlon. This programme is about high performance sport and developing highly talented athletes who have the potential to compete for their country..
We are looking for athletes with the following profile:
- A strong swimming background and some running experience (school cross country, community games participation, athletics club);
- Keen to represent Ireland in one of the fastest growing and most exciting Olympic sports;
- A willingness to work up to a standard to compete with the rest of the world.
Standards required
The times/points that we look at for entry to the Junior Development Program are given in the High Performance Table.
Details found here
Athletes will be selected to attend the TID day if they have a record of the required swim and run times as outlined in the table above and by their survey submission only.
Are you interested?
If you are interested in attending on the 24th of November 2013, please fill in the survey below by Friday 8th November.
—> Complete survey here <—
Not available on the 24th of November? but still interested in attending another regional talent ID Day? Please register your interest with caradh@triathlonireland.com
Further information available here
Paratriathlon Information
Triathlon Ireland will host an information day on paratriathlon on the 24th of November in AIT, Athlone. We will be joined by experts from Paralympics Ireland along with qualified coaches in order to provide information about all things paratriathlon and answer any questions you may have. With paratriathlon now part of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Triathlon Ireland recognises the medal opportunities here and we are actively seeking athletes interested in competing on the world stage. While there are opportunities to represent your country at the Paralympic Games this information day is aimed at para athletes of every level.
To register your interest in attending please contact: Caradh@triathlonireland.com
ITU Categories
There are currently six categories for para athletes to compete in:
TRI 1 – Wheelchair user: Includes Paraplegic, Quadriplegic, Polio, Double Leg Amputee. Athletes must use a recumbent hand cycle on bike course and racing wheel chair on run.
TRI 2 – Severe leg impairment including above knee amputees. Athletes must ride bicycles and run with above knee prosthesis (or similar prosthesis) or run using crutches.
TRI 3 – Les Autres: This category includes athletes with Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, double leg amputee runners or paralysis in multiple limbs. These athletes will ride a bicycle and run. They may use braces or prosthesis if required.
TRI 4 – Arm impairment including paralysis, above elbow amputees and below elbow amputees, or impairment in both upper limbs. Athletes may use prosthesis, brace or sling on the bike and/or run.
TRI 5 – Moderate leg impairment including below knee amputees. Athletes ride bicycles and run with prosthesis.
TRI 6 – Visual Impairment, legally Blind (20/200 vision with best corrective vision). A handler of the same sex is mandatory throughout the race. Athletes are tethered during the swim. Athletes use a tandem bicycle and must be tethered during the run. Athletes shall use approved “black out glasses” during the entire run portion.
Oct 15, 2013
Issued by the Federation of Irish Sport the representative body for Ireland’s Governing Bodies Sport and Local Sports Partnerships.
We are extremely disappointed with today’s announcement which sees a further 8% reduction in current funding for Irish Sport with funding to the Irish Sports Council believed to be in the region of €40 million for next year – a reduction of approximately €3 million on 2013. This is the funding that enables over 100 Irish Sports organisations to run sports development programmes essential to delivering sporting opportunities to all, provide much needed support to grassroots clubs and volunteers as well as providing assistance to our international athletes.
This is the sixth year in a row for cuts – investment in sport already having fallen by some 25% – and now sees Irish Sport back to 2006 levels of support. This is particularly damaging given that consistent government investment in sport only commenced in a meaningful way in 1999 and broke the €30 million barrier for the first time in 2004.
Funding for sport through the Irish Sports Council now amounts to a spend of just €8.73 per citizen. This latest reduction is particularly disappointing given the fact that investment in sport today is likely to have a significant impact in reducing the health spend in future years – a budget line that has caused continuous difficulty for the Government not just in the run up to this budget but over the last number of years.
The overall investment in sport at €40 million for 2014 represents just 0.3% of the €13.3 billion projected health spend.
We are also disappointed that our pre-budget submission in which we set out a proposal where an investment of just €1 per citizen could create 150 jobs immediately seems to have received little or no consideration. These were jobs which Irish Sport felt would be become self-sustaining over a two to three year period and for which, 2,000 graduates with sport specific training are qualifying every year.
That the potential of this proposal has not been grasped is all the more disappointing given the Government’s insistence that job creation is the way out of our current economic troubles.
Cuts to sports funding are at odds with wider government policies and counter intuitive as sporting events have proven to be key drivers in boosting tourism figures during the Gathering. As we slowly emerge from recession it is short sighted and unnecessary to target one of the performing sectors in the economy which has the potential to further create sustainable, indigenous employment and economic growth. The cuts come at a time of increasing market volatility affecting the funding models of many of our leading sporting organisations further jeopardising the future of sports development in Ireland.
We urgently request a meeting with the Minister and his officials to address our concerns and propose alternative innovative ways forward.
Sarah O’ Connor, CEO, Federation of Irish Sport 086-8048446 sarah.oconnor@irishsport.ie
Oct 14, 2013
Confederation of Golf in Ireland Formed
The Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI), the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU) and the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) are pleased to announce the formation of the Confederation of Golf in Ireland (CGI). The CGI is a new organisation, created by the GUI, ILGU and the PGA to help advance the sport of golf on the island of Ireland, for the future.
The formation of this new organisation follows some 18 months of study and preparation by the associations together with the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland. The CGI will complement the work of the associations as well as providing a necessary combined approach to certain key strategic areas in the future development of golf in Ireland.
The CGI, which is a not for profit organisation, plans to accomplish the following in the coming years:
• Create and implement a development plan for golf in Ireland.
• Respond to the investment requirements of the two Sports Councils, who are seeking one single application for golf.
• Provide an organisation to interact with the Olympic Council of Ireland which wishes to deal with only one body.
• Provide support and a “spiritual home” for aspiring Irish tournament professionals in the early years of their careers.
Specifically, there is important work to be done to stop the decline in membership of golf clubs and to start the re-building process after the economic hardships of recent years. The key to this will be to bring a new focus to the game and the business of golf clubs on the island of Ireland.
To this end, the CGI is delighted to announce the appointment of John Roche as its Director of Golf and Business Development. Reporting to the Board, Mr Roche will be responsible for drafting and implementing a plan for the promotion and development of golf in Ireland.
Mr Roche will take up the position in November and will engage with various stakeholders, including Affiliated Golf Clubs, the R&A, Irish Sports Council, Sports Council of Northern Ireland and other industry bodies before the CGI launches its plan for the promotion and development of the sport in early 2014.
John Roche is an active member of Bray Golf Club and incoming 2014/15 President. He has sat on the Provincial Council of the GUI’s Leinster Branch, has worked with the ILGU on phase 2 development of a portal to support elite golf and has a deep understanding of the golf industry. Outside of golf he built and managed a successful business employing over 30 people.
The Associations have chosen Redmond O’Donoghue to be Chair of the Confederation for the next three years. Mr. O’Donoghue has been a senior business figure in Ireland for many years; additionally, he has been close to golf through his roles as Chairman of Bord Failte (1999-2001) and as Chairman of Failte Ireland (2008 – to date).
Speaking about the newly formed CGI, Mr. O’Donoghue said: “I was very impressed by the openness and willingness of the key organisations in the sport of golf to engage in such a positive way to create the new CGI. It’s important to point out that the CGI will, in no way, dilute or weaken the autonomy of the three member organisations; it will work in a complementary way to address common objectives and challenges. I very much look forward to chairing the CGI and to working with John Roche and the Board Members to advance the cause of Irish golf in the coming years”.
Mr. John Treacy, CEO of the Irish Sports Council said: “This is a very welcome and very positive development for golf in Ireland. The success of the work of the associations is at its most visible in the world class performances by Irish golfers on the international stage – particularly during the past six or seven years. The CGI will build on this outstanding success story and help to provide additional strategic direction for the sport, throughout the whole island”.
Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport added: “I am delighted to welcome the establishment of the Confederation of Golf in Ireland. I commend the Golfing Unions and the Irish PGA on their vision and initiative in bringing the Confederation together. This is a major step forward in the strategic development of golf in Ireland. The CGI will support the work of the Golfing Union of Ireland, the Irish Ladies Golf Union and the Professional Golfers Association and build on the success of Irish golf across Ireland and Internationally. I wish all involved with the new venture every success”.
The Board Members of the CGI are Pat Finn (GUI), Albert Lee (GUI), Sinead Heraty (ILGU), Rosemary Hayes (ILGU) and Liam Greasley (PGA).
For further information, please contact:
Sinead Heraty, Chief Executive, Irish Ladies Golf Union, Tel: 01 2934833
Pat Finn, General Secretary, Golfing Union of Ireland, Tel: 01 5054000
Oct 10, 2013
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar officially opened the National Horse Sport Arena at the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown on Wednesday, 9th October, 2013.
The magnificent new arena has been established within the Walled Garde
n of Abbotstown House, a protected structure. It will give Irish equestrian athletes access to world-class facilities which have been developed in accordance with the High Performance training needs of equestrian riders and under the technical guidance of Horse Sport Ireland and its affiliate bodies. The National Horse Sport Arena is the first publicly owned facility of its kind in Ireland; it will be managed by the Operations Company of the National Sports Campus; and it will be available on a ‘community commercial’ basis to those who are aspiring for success in international competition.
Performing the opening of the National Horse Sport Arena, Minister Leo Varadkar said:
“This is the next major milestone in the development of the National Sports Campus. The National Horse Sport Arena is the first public facility of its kind in Ireland and will provide world-class facilities for 25 different equestrian sports.
“The National Sports Campus is now the first place in Europe where modern pentathletes can train in all five disciplines on a single campus. It’s been a real privilege to see Irish pentathletes and equestrian athletes do so well in the last couple of years. I am confident that this investment will result in more medals and trophies for Ireland in the near future.”
Horse Sport Ireland Chairman, Professor Patrick Wall, said the new National Horse Sport Arena was an exciting development for equestrian sport.
“This new facility will be extremely helpful in providing a World class surface for our top rider/horse partnerships to train on. In addition it will be great for our riders, who are also athletes, to have the opportunity to avail of all the other facilities on the National Sports Campus and to have the opportunity to use the coaching and rehabilitation services available to the other human athletes.
“Our senior and young riders are on a roll at the moment and the facilities on the campus will help to build on this success and tee us up for medals in the World Equestrian Games and the Olympics in Rio,” Professor Wall said.
In welcoming Horse Sport Ireland onto the Campus, Mr Sean Benton, Chairman of the National Sports Campus Development Authority drew attention to developments at the Campus over the past year and in particular:
- The completion of vital Infrastructure Works and an Access Roadway which open up the entire site for development;
- The allocation of sites for development by the GAA, FAI, Irish Hockey and the IRFU respectively in partnership with the Authority;
- The new Multi-Sport Synthetic Pitches and Pavilion which are nearing completion;
- The completion of a new National Diving Training Centre – a high-performance dry-land training facility;
- Completion of the National Modern Pentathlon Centre – a high-performance indoor training facility for Fencing and Pistol Shooting;
- The opening of Irish Sport HQ as an administrative base for 19 National Governing Bodies (NGBs);
- The world-class National Horse Sport Arena which was officially unveiled here today.
Supplementary Information
In parallel with the development of the core National Sports Campus facilities, NSCDA has pursued a strategy of redeveloping and refurbishing the existing buildings on the Abbotstown site for use by the wider sporting community, in particular the National Governing Bodies of Sport. It is intended that those buildings which can be cost effectively refurbished for new uses and which do not constrain the Master Plan for the Campus facilities will be retained. To date this has included the provision of office accommodation for the (FAI), the Football Association of Ireland, the Irish Institute of Sport and the 19 NGBs which are now accommodated in Irish Sport HQ.
The development of the Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon facilities followed this broad approach – i.e. to re-use, where possible and economical, the existing buildings to the benefit of Irish sport.
The National Horse Sport Arena has been established in the Walled Garden of Abbotstown House, a protected structure. It has been developed in accordance with the High Performance training needs of equestrian riders and under the technical guidance of Horse Sport Ireland and its various affiliate bodies (see Appendix). It is the first publicly-owned facility of its kind in Ireland; it will be managed by the Operations Company of the National Sports Campus; and it will be available on a ‘community commercial’ basis to those who are aspiring for success in international competitions.
The National Modern Pentathlon Centre has been established through the re-development of farm building which were previously used by the Department of Agriculture. High Performance training facilities in the disciplines of both Fencing and Pistol Shooting have been installed. These are 2 of the 5 disciplines which constitute the Modern Pentathlon – the other are Running, Swimming and Horse Riding – all of which can now be accommodated at the one location in the National Sports Campus. There is no other facility in Europe which can facilitate the 5 disciplines of Modern Pentathlon on one site. Irish Modern Pentathletes qualified for the Olympic Games in London in 2012 for the first time ever. These new purpose-built training facilities will be a great boost to their future efforts in preparation for international competition.
The National Diving Training Centre has been established in a refurbished farm barn and is primarily geared towards dry-land training for divers. The primary high-performance pool for Diving is located in the National Aquatic Centre which is already on Campus. This new facility will assist divers in developing an efficient world-class ‘diving-programme’ both in terms of participation and performance.
The concept of a National Sports Campus was first mooted in 1999. In November 2005 the Government approved the commencement of the development of Phase One of a National Sports Campus. A Masterplan for the site of 500 acres was drawn up in April 2008. Planning Permission for the whole development site was successfully achieved in August 2009. Due to the economic downturn it was decided that work on the Campus should proceed on a phased and incremental basis. The anchor building on the Campus, the National Aquatic Centre had already been delivered in 2003 in time for the Special Olympics World Games. As part of the overall development of the Campus on a phased basis it was agreed that the major field sports – Gaelic Games, Rugby, Soccer and Hockey – would each be granted permission to develop their own part of the Campus. The Authority has made limited “Matching funding” available to enable the works to get underway. All works will be carried out in line with the overall Masterplan for the Campus.
Appendix: List of HSI Affiliates
ARMY EQUITATION SCHOOL (DEPT. OF DEFENCE)
ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RIDING CLUBS (AIRC)
ASSOCIATION OF IRISH RIDING ESTABLISHMENTS (AIRE)
CARRIAGE DRIVING SECTION OF HSI
DRESSAGE IRELAND
EVENTING IRELAND
FEDERATION OF IRISH POLO CLUBS (FIPC)
HUNTING ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND (HAI)
IRISH HARNESS RACING CLUB (IHRC)
IRISH LONG DISTANCE RIDING ASSOCIATION (ILDRA)
IRISH POLOCROSSE ASSOCIATION (IPA)
IRISH PONY CLUB (IPC)
IRISH PONY SOCIETY (IPS)
IRISH SHOWS ASSOCIATION (ISA)
IRISH UNIVERSITIES RIDING CLUBS ASSOCIATION (IURCA)
MEDICAL EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION (MEA)
MOUNTED GAMES ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND (MGAI)
PARA EQUESTRIAN IRELAND (PEI)
PENTATHLON IRELAND
REINING & WESTERN SECTION OF HSI
RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION – IRELAND (RDAI)
ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY (RDS)
SHOWJUMPING IRELAND (SJI)
SIDE SADDLE ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND (SSAI)
TREC IRELAND (TOURISM RELATED EQUESTRIAN COMPETITIONS)
Oct 10, 2013
“Pumped” Schools’ Video Awards Competition Launched- in partnership with FIS and the Irish Heart Foundation supported by Bayer
New Teen Health & Lifestyle Survey Reveals Interesting Results
- As many as three in five teens eat fast food at least weekly
- One in three have soft drinks at least daily
- Only half of teens eat five servings of fruit and vegetables
- Only one in three identified the national guideline of 60 minutes’ physical activity every day
A survey of 500 teenagers has yielded some interesting attitudes among young people when it comes to their health. Details of the survey by Behaviour and Attitudes were revealed to coincide with the launch of the second year of the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards by Ireland and Leinster Rugby player, Fergus McFadden and Olympic Pentathlete, Natalya Coyle – for more, see www.pumped.ie.
The awards, supported by Bayer in association with the Irish Heart Foundation and the Federation of Irish Sport, seek to encourage young people to get creative about science and health and produce 90-second videos on a heart health topic. With obesity a huge public health issue in Ireland, and too many young people not active enough and eating the wrong foods, the idea behind these innovative awards is to get teenagers interested in science from an early age, in particular the science behind heart health, and the impact of diet and exercise on their lives. The awards come with a first prize of €5,000 to the winning school and a tablet computer for each team member, along with a number of exciting runner-up prizes. One entry is allowed per school and team members must be under 16 years of age.
Amongst the key highlights from the research survey were:
Diet
- Three in five (58%) eat fast food at least weekly, yet just one in ten (12%) teens feel that they don’t eat sensibly, while just 7% believe that they may not be the correct weight
- Three in ten (31%) say that they eat a lot of junk food and slightly more (34%) that they have soft drinks at least daily. Boys fare slightly worse on both counts (34% and 38% respectively)
- Just half of teenagers (52%) eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables daily (evenly split male to female)
Exercise
- 34% identified the national guidelines of 60 minutes’ physical activity every day while only 21% were aware that they should be getting two hours of physical education in school each week
- Males continue to display higher physical activity levels (46% daily) than their female peers (39% daily)
- Three quarter of boys (76%) and just over half of girls (54%) take part in team sports with only hockey, camogie, GAA and basketball being participated in by girls on a significant scale. Many girls’ physical activity is confined to walking with 39% saying that this was their main source of physical activity
Feelgood factor
- The good news is that the vast majority of teens feel happy (97%), feel great mentally (93%) and feel great physically (88%)
- However, when asked whether they would prefer to look good or feel healthy, 16% said that they would prefer to look good
- Specifically, in relation to their heart health, 14% of teens surveyed indicated that they were concerned about this
Ireland and Leinster Rugby player, Fergus McFadden, commented: “It’s so important that we get the message out to young people about the need to take a close look at what they are eating and how much exercise they are taking. No one is better placed to communicate health messages to their peers in a language that they understand, and in a way that will have real “staying” power, than teenagers themselves – they are their own best role models. That’s why the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards are a really good opportunity to get teens thinking at an early stage in their lives about the science behind heart health, researching it for themselves, and seeing how even small lifestyle changes can have real long-term health benefits. Plus, with some really great prizes on offer, teams could be bagging some pretty cool merchandise too.”
Maureen Mulvihill, Health Promotion Manager, Irish Heart Foundation said: “These findings show that teenagers have a lot on their plate not only at school but literally as well, because many are eating too much unhealthy food. The high consumption of fast food and soft drinks – both high in calories – is of particular concern, especially as 1 in 5 young people is overweight or obese. Projects like Pumped are part of the mix to help educate our young people on how to live a healthy lifestyle. We know that an obese adolescent is more likely to become an obese adult and already show early signs of cardiovascular disease such as elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as having an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle and prevention education at school through innovative projects like Pumped is key, because our young people are more likely to carry lifestyle habits learned during their younger years into adulthood.”
Sarah O’Connor, Chief Executive, Federation of Irish Sport, noted: “We would be concerned that only 34% of teens are aware that they should be getting 60 minutes of exercise per day necessary for optimum health as set out in international as well as domestic guidelines on physical activity. The survey results also indicate that there is much work still to be done around ensuring teenage girls remain involved in physical activity and in particular, partake in team sports which can provide very beneficial social and team-building skills for later life as well as a sense of belonging.”
Sinead Duffy, Head of Communications, Bayer, added: “We are delighted to launch the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards and to start a fun conversation with young people about the contribution of science to heart health. For over 150 years, Bayer has been a world leader in developing science for a better life and enhancing people’s health. With these awards, we want to encourage that sense of flair and innovation among teens by asking them to use all their incredible creativity and ingenuity in producing videos that hook their peers, cause them to sit up and take notice of the issues, and to take control of their health for a better future.”
More information on the Pumped Schools’ Video Awards competition can be found at www.pumped.ie and the closing date is December 2 2013.
Pumped Poster
