Aug 26, 2013
AFL Europe Championship – Dublin 2013
Location:
DCU Sports Ground
DATE:
3rd to 10th August 2013
PARTICIPATING TEAMS/ATHLETES:
National teams representing Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and Sweden
Host:
Australian Rules Football League Of Ireland(ARFLI)
About ARFLI:
The Australian Rules Football League Of Ireland was founded in 2000 to administer the sport of Aussie Rules on the Island of Ireland and have been at the forefront of the sport internationally since foundation.
EVENT HISTORY:
The first AFL Europe Championship was held in the Oresund region of Denmark and Sweden, with matches held in Copenhagen, Farum and Malmo. Ireland’s national team won the championship, coming from behind to beat Denmark in the final.
EVENT PREPARATION:
ARFLI bid to host the event in November 2010 and were awarded hosting rights shortly afterwards having held a tender process among Irish Universities for facilities provision. Following that process DCU was selected and submitted as the facilities provider during the bid process.
Once the championship was awarded an organising committee was formed by ARFLI and corporate and state support was sought, with Fáilte Ireland become the main partner, The Score.ie becoming the main media partner, Uniphar providing medical support, Livestream Digital/Asgard Media as production partners and AerTV Sports as a broadcasting partner and the Australian Embassy as an awards partner. Several months before the championship commenced, the staff of DCU Sport began planning the facilities provision for the event and ultimately Ireland’s first full size football oval, dressing rooms for all teams, medical facilities, tournament headquarters and lecture facilities were delivered. A tournament website www.dublin2013.org <http://www.dublin2013.org> went live in September 2012, with all design and branding elements provided by Internationally renowned sports branders Lockerroom 51.
THE EVENT:
Venue
DCU Sport couldn’t have been more helpful, from their administration to ground staff. They were, from the outset in a position to provide two tournament ovals and warm up areas if required and the surface of the oval earned widespread praise as the best ever provided for an event in Europe.
Spectators/Attendees
More than a thousand people attended the four match days, with close to 400 in attendance for the final day’s play. There were also more than 160 participants in the event itself.
Volunteers
A number of volunteers were provided from within the league’s membership base and also from that of the Ireland Australia Association.
How was the event structured?
The six teams were drawn in two groups of three according to performance at the previous event in 2010, with each team playing against the other teams in their pool and one crossover match against the equal seed in the opposite group. These matches took place on Saturday 3rd, Tuesday 6th and Thursday 8th. Following the group stages, the winners of each group met in the Grand Final on Saturday August 10th, that being Ireland and Great Britain. Denmark and Sweden played off for third, while Croatia and Germany played off for fifth. Ireland came from behind to win the Grand Final with the very last kick of the game, a goal which can be seen here http://youtu.be/b5pz4jNs3OM
Where next for the Irish Team?
The Irish Team will now turn their attention to defending the sport’s World Championship, the AFL International Cup in Melbourne next August and look to extend a competitive unbeaten run, which stretches back to 2008. Those interested in taking up the sport can find details at www.arfli.com <http://www.arfli.com> . For ARFLI the next major challenge is the development of a permanent full size oval in Ireland which can be utilised by our clubs and national teams.
How the event went, Cian Quigley, President, ARFLI:
Following years of planning and months of preparation, the event was a massive success. All of the visiting teams enjoyed the experience, our sport received media attention which was a multitude greater than anything else we’ve ever received and our team continued their winning ways, but significantly in front of friends and family who would rarely have had the chance to support the team.
Aug 22, 2013
The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) and Minister for Agriculture, Marine & Food, Simon Coveney, today (Thursday 22nd August) officially launched ISA SafeTrx; a revolutionary free Smartphone app designed to save lives on the water. Developed in association with the Irish Coast Guard and DeCare Systems Ireland, ISA SafeTrx allows boat and leisure craft owners to log their voyages directly from their Smartphone which can then be accessed and monitored by their chosen emergency contacts as well as the Irish Coast Guard.
Speaking at the launch today Minister Coveney commented “The concept of safety at sea and on our network of rivers and lakes must become as commonplace as that of safety on our roads. We need to create a culture of safety first for those travelling on our waters for either commercial or recreational reasons. With loss of life continuing across the maritime spectrum, those who make their living from the sea and those who utilise the sea primarily for leisure purposes must ensure that safety becomes a top priority.”
By the end of July this year, Irish Coast Guard statistics showed a 45% increase in the number of emergency missions bringing the total figure of individual incidents to 1,572. Throughout the history of the Irish Coast Guard the record of annual incidents has never surpassed 2,000 but it is anticipated that this number will be exceeded by as early as the autumn. ISA Chief Executive Harry Hermon remarked “Last year over 1,000 people were assisted from difficulty by the Coast Guard and the RNLI with over 160 lives saved. Unfortunately not all seafarers returned safely. I believe that ISA SafeTrx, which has been designed by Coast Guard professionals and built right here in Cork, will help to reduce the number of fatalities on the water even further. I have no doubt that this will save many lives”.
In no fewer than five out of the ten MCIB reports published so far in 2013, it has been recommended that “Details of an intended trip be left with a responsible person ashore along with the latest time of return and that the person ashore should contact the emergency services shortly after the expected time of return has passed”. ISA SafeTrx will not only facilitate this recommendation, but will also help the Coast Guard to identify the location of the stricken vessel, assess details such as craft description, contact details ashore, previous activity, where the boat was last visible to the network and where headed, persons on board and other information all targeted at reducing the time that seafarers spend in the water waiting for a lifeboat or helicopter.
Chris Reynolds, Director of the Irish Coast Guard commented “SafeTrx helps take the search out of search and rescue. It encourages all sea users to plan and execute their trips better, safer and gives assurance to friends and partners ashore”.
Available for both Android & Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad), ISA SafeTrx logs position reports every kilometre (or every 5 minutes if stationary). Should the user fail to return on time their emergency contacts will be automatically alerted via SMS and advised to initiate the appropriate action. Voyage position reports are displayed on the SafeTrx Monitoring Console so where an emergency contact calls the Irish Coast Guard concerning an overdue trip, the Irish Coast Guard will have access to the user’s location and SafeTrx trip data through a secure SafeTrx server. As the ISA SafeTrx app periodically sends location data back to the servers, the Coast Guard’s response team can get help directly and quickly. Whilst the app is not intended to be used as a replacement for statutorily recognised safety devices (marine radios, marine emergency positioning beacons, AIS etc), it is a resource that in some instances may help to raise an alarm earlier and assist emergency services to locate casualties more accurately. The majority of small crafts particularly sea kayakers, anglers, jet-ski users, powerboaters and small sailing boats do not carry the AIS tracking device.
ISA SafeTrx is free and simple to use. Just follow the 4 easy steps:
- Download the app for free
- Register your boat and emergency contact details
- Enter your trip details and ETA. Tap ‘Set Sail’
- Arrive at destination. Tap ‘End Trip’
For more information and to download the app for free go to www.sailing.ie/SafeTrx.
Aug 22, 2013
Competitors, families, friends and diplomats descend on Kinsale in advance of the Cork County Council
IFDS World Championships 25-30 August 2013
Over 500 people have arrived in Kinsale for the start of the Cork County Council IFDS World Sailing Championships on Sunday 25th August and this number will be boosted by the arrival of more supporters over the coming days.
This event is one of the Irish Sports Council – The Gathering funded events and in the spirit of the national tourism initiative all competitors were invited to bring family and friends to Ireland for the event. This drive was led by John Twomey, 10-time Irish Paralympian and current President of the International Federation of Disabled Sailing.
“Over the years fellow sailors have listened to me talking about Ireland and the beauty of Kinsale and the west cork region so when Kinsale won the bid to host this event, friends from all over the world committed to travelling” Stated John Twomey, Paralympic sailor for Providence Team IRL.
In addition to the participants and families, Kinsale has been visited by a number of Diplomatic delegations from Russia and the Czech Republic with further visits planned from other Ambassadors including the Australian and Dutch delegations over the coming week. Carlo Croce, President of ISAF (International Sailing Association Federation) will visit Kinsale for the final days racing, as will a number of international TV crews who are filming documentaries on the event.
The event will be officially opened on Sunday 25th August at 6pm in the James O’Neill Memorial building in the centre of Kinsale by Mayor of Kinsale Cllr Tony Cierans and Cork MEP Brian Crowley. A parade to Kinsale Yacht Club to present nation’s flags will follow the official opening.
There will be a practice race on Sunday 25th August at noon and racing will commence on Monday 26th August with two races scheduled daily starting at 12 noon until Friday 30th August.
The organising committee, led by Regatta Director John Stallard, have been working solidly for over two years to host this major event. Kinsale Yacht Club was redeveloped in the last year without grants and public funding and €800,000 was invested through fundraising by the members and a bank loan that was secured.
Kinsale Marina has been closed to visiting boats for the duration of the event and berth holders were asked to relocate their boats for up to three weeks as approximately one third of the marina was required to host the competing boats and support boats.
“We are very grateful to the Kinsale Yacht Club members who have assisted the organising committee but this is also much bigger than just a sailing event. Cork County Council and every business owner in the town has worked with us so we can showcase Kinsale and so that all our visitors can enjoy our wonderful tourism product” stated John Stallard, Event Director.
Over 100 people have volunteered for the week for various roles from meet & greet, stewards, race office, administration and on the water support.
Earlier this week the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), together with the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS), announced the four ‘Ones to Watch’ athletes for the World Championships and upcoming Paralympic cycle. The IPC’s ‘Ones to Watch’ initiative showcases the top athletes around the world on the road to the next Paralympic Games, and all four of the identified sailors have won medals on the Paralympic stage with their stories have increasingly become known throughout the media. All four athletes will be competing in Kinsale next week.
Headlining the list is Great Britain’s Helena Lucas, the gold medallist in the 2.4mR single-person keelboat at London 2012. She was the only female athlete competing in her event at the last Paralympics and has become a household name in Great Britain for her performance on the Weymouth waters. Germany’s Heiko Kroeger joins Lucas on the list as another athlete in the single-person keelboat event. Kroeger finished second behind Lucas at London 2012, but the Sydney 2000 Paralympic champion is a veteran in the sport, and with Audi sponsoring him is aiming to reach the top of the podium in Rio for the first time in 16 years.
The final two selections – Norway’s Aleksander Wang-Hansen and the Netherlands’ Udo Hessels – compete in the sonar three-person keelboat event. Hessels, who won the event in London with teammates Marcel van de Veen and Mischa Rossen, has been sailing competitively since he was 25, when he took up the sport as part of his rehabilitation after suffering a spinal-cord injury due to a tumour in his back. Wang-Hansen finished with the bronze medal at London 2012 and comes from a sporting family. He is the older brother of Sebastian Wang-Hansen, who competed at the London 2012 Olympics in windsurfing, and he is the cousin a Mats Wang-Hansen, who was a world champion in sailing back in 2000.
For more information see www.ifdsworlds2013.com.
Race Schedule
Please see www.ifdsworlds2013.com for the dates and times of each race.
Opening Ceremony: Sunday 25th of August at 6.00pm
Prizegiving Ceremony: Friday 30th of August at 6.00pm
Media Accreditation
Please contact Rachel Solon at rachel@sailing.ie for the media accreditation form. Please note that accreditation is necessary to access rights free photography / videography from the event and to receive updates.
Media Boat
A media boat will be available on a daily for photography / videography. Advance booking is necessary. For more information contact Rachel Solon at rachel@sailing.ie or +353 (0)87 6245326.
Kinsale Yacht Club
Media facilities with WiFi will be available at Kinsale Yacht Club.
Daily Releases
Every evening the ISA will issue a press release as soon as results have been confirmed.
Photographs
Michael Sweeney from Provision Photography and Bob Bateman will be the event photographers. Rights free images will be available on a daily basis for media / editorial. Once accreditation has been approved download information will be issued via email.
Please contact Rachel Solon at rachel@sailing.ie or +353 (0)87 6245326 for specific requests.
TV
Racing highlight packages will be available. Details to follow in due course.
Interviews
Interviews can be arranged upon request. Please contact Rachel Solon at rachel@sailing.ie or +353 (0)87 6245326 for specific requests.
Real Time Tweeting
The IFDS World Championships and the ISA will be tweeting in real time throughout every race. Please see below for useful links.
Event Twitter: www.twitter.com/IFDSWorlds2013 #IFDSWorlds2013
ISA Twitter: www.twitter.com/ISA_Performance #IFDSWorlds2013
Social Media
IFDS Worlds Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFDSWorlds2013
ISA Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISAPerformance
For more information please contact:
Rachel Solon
ISA Communications Officer
+353 (0)87 6245326
rachel@sailing.ie
Fiona Bolger
+353 (0)86 8211030
fiona@fionabolger.com
Aug 1, 2013
Irish International Ladies Rugby player notorious No.8 Joy Neville announces her retirement after a decade of dedication to the sport. Limerick native Joy won 70 caps for Ireland and was part of the Irish team that achieved the 2013 historical Grand Slam Title.
Looking back on a career which began with her club UL Bohs at the tender age of 19 Joy said. “Today I announce my retirement from a sport that has given me endless challenges, great entertainment and amazing achievements none more memorable than our latest grand slam victory which was 11 years in the making. Throughout my years involved with the Irish team I can categorically state that I would not have had dedicated the last decade of my life to this sport if it were not for those whom I had the pleasure to play alongside.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone and most importantly past players who laid the foundation. All who fought for the Women’s team through thick and thin which provided us with our strong platform that we currently attain. I would also like to thank the current players who I have shared so many emotions with, all the management, medical staff, my wonderful family who were always there to support me both on and off the pitch, my friends who always understood when I could not celebrate their big moments, our wonderful supporters who always stuck in there with the Irish team through good times and hard. “
Ireland’s Ladies Rugby team coach Philip Doyle today acknowledged Joy’s outstanding contribution to the sport. “Joy Neville is an exceptional rugby player and her talent and ability had a huge impact on every game. Her selfless playing style was always for the good of the team. She has left a lasting impression not only to the squad but to Women’s rugby in general. She will be sorely missed and we wish her all the best in her career as coach and an incredible ambassador for the sport.”
Joy states “While it will take some time to adjust to my new role in the squad as a supporter I would like to wish you all the very best of luck in the coming years. So many International sides have commented on the great camaraderie, moral and craic that the Irish women’s team portrays. I am proud to have been associated with a team that has achieved so much and attained such a wonderful reputation. Now I look forward to the next chapter of my life which I hope to continue as Director of Rugby in Limerick Institute of Technology and an Ambassador for Irish Ladies Rugby with Euro Rugby tours.
I hope to look back in 10 years’ time and see a vibrant and healthy women’s Rugby Scene, with the ultimate aim of witnessing Irish Women’s Rugby becoming professional.”
Joy will play with her club team UL Bohs next Thursday in UL Bohs RFC Annacotty against Canadian side Red deer Titans in a friendly pre-season game organised by euro rugby tours @ 6.30pm for more information contact Donal on 061- 624958
Jul 31, 2013
Recent exchanges in the Dáil shed some light on the potential impact on funding for good causes to include sport from the sale of the National Lottery.
In response to questions from Mary Lou McDonald TD, Minister Howlin confirmed that under the next national lottery licence annual contributions for good causes will be set at 65% of gross gaming revenues. He clarified that gross gaming revenues would be the amount remaining when prizes and costs were deduced from the value of total sales.
Applying this formula to the €225 million generated for good causes in 2012 would have reduced the total amount available by €11 million to €214 million. Despite this, Minister Howlin stated that the terms of the licence would be well placed to reverse the recent trend which, had been declining in recent years. The increase, he said, would be facilitated both by the terms of the next licence and the National Lottery Act, 2013 which will offer the licence holder greater flexibility for growth to include, the development of new games and distribution channels.
Minister Howlin said in addition to the projected growth of the amount available for distribution to good causes, the State would receive an upfront payment part of which, would be used to fund the new National Children’s Hospital with some moneys being used to help fund Exchequer capital projects in 2013 and 2014.
He also addressed concerns that a bigger upfront payment would not be used by a bidder as an incentive for a system that might negatively impact on the constant annual flow of money for good causes. In this regard, Minister Howlin confirmed that he picked the figure of 65% for good causes despite some suggestions from the Government’s advisors that they go for a lower-figure which, would ensure a bigger upfront payment. The Minister stated that he was willing to take a smaller upfront payment if it meant there would be a good growing annual fund for the good causes that are so important into the future.
Jul 31, 2013
IS SPECIFICALLY designed for National Governing Bodies (NGBs), sports clubs and individuals and was officially launched in December 2012 after an extensive tender process. The scheme has grown rapidly since then and already has over 30% of NGBs supporting the scheme which represents a great success.
All members of the Federation scheme have benefited from premium savings with an average of between 20-25% being achieved. The reason the savings can be achieved is because of the power of group purchasing and the continued success of the scheme is dependent on the continued support of the Federation’s members. After joining the scheme an NGB is no longer alone in the insurance market, they now have the backing of the entire scheme along with all the other scheme members. This greater purchasing power ensures competitive pricing, consistency of pricing security on claims as well as quality customer service.
Being part of the Federation of Irish Sport Insurance Scheme offers NGBs much more than security and premium savings alone. BHP INSURANCE, the broker for the scheme, offers each individual member tailor-made packages and ensures that the right covers are in place. Each member has a dedicated Account Handler who deals with all aspects of insurance from claims and mid-term adjustments, to presenting insurance workshops and attending relevant seminars.
The Insurance Scheme is not limited to NGBs as anew Club Scheme is currently being developed for sports clubs who will be able to avail of the benefits already received by their NGBs.
Read what our members have to say about the Federation of Irish Sport Insurance Scheme:
‘The Bowling league of Ireland were very impressed in the professional way that BHP Insurances approached our insurance needs. They managed to reduce our Insurance costs, and increase the amount of cover that we previously had. Our members were delighted with this reduction and our clubs around the country are in active talks with BHP Insurances for their own cover.’
-Brian C. Morton, Chairman of the Development & Strategic Planning Committee, and Treasurer, Bowling League of Ireland
‘We have been delighted with the service provided by BHP to date – we have generated impressive cost savings at NGB level and will shortly be rolling out an excellent club insurance offering to our member clubs; we have obtained excellent rates from BHP and have been impressed with the level of service provided.’
-Darren Coombes, Chief Operations Officer, Irish Table Tennis Association
‘Thanks to BHP Insurances appointment we have been able to institute cover for all of our members for the first time since our formation. The support of their team has meant that we were able to carry out a comprehensive audit of our insurance requirements and institute the type of indemnity we needed at a premium we could afford.’
-Cian Quigley, President, Australian Rules Football League of Ireland
“We in Irish Squash were very impressed with the service offered by BHP Insurance. That we achieved full cover at a significant discount is obviously a great benefit. Their professionalism and service was a great aid to us as a small NGB. Working together as NGB’s is also a great initiative and shows what can be achieved when NGB’s work together.”
-Paul Nugent, COO, Irish Squash
“We supported the Federation group scheme as we saw the benefit of being part of a bigger group of NGBs coming together to get a better deal on insurance.”
-Paul Ryder, Administrator, Deaf Sports Ireland
‘BHP Insurances took the time to understand Gymnastics Ireland and our activities before providing a proposal. Their expertise in providing solutions to the sport and not for profit sector has resulted in savings with no reduction in cover. I would have no hesitation in recommending BHP to other sporting bodies.’
-Ciaran Gallagher, CEO, Gymnastics Ireland
‘Swim Ireland are delighted by the appointment of BHP Insurances who have improved our levels of cover for a reduced annual premium. Their team gave us a thorough understanding of our insurance policies and we would recommend that other NGBs meet with them to see what they can deliver for their sport, clubs and members.’
-Sarah Keane, CEO, Swim Ireland
‘BHP Insurances have delivered significant savings for the ISA and have developed a club insurance scheme which we feel will have huge benefits for the ISA, its clubs and their members.’
-Harry Hermon, CEO, Irish Sailing Association
‘CPSI were impressed by BHP Insurances professional approach to our insurance needs and even as a smaller NGB they gave us as much time as we needed to ensure we had the right covers in place. BHP helped us introduce comprehensive personal accident insurance for all our members at a competitive rate.’
-Brenda O’Donnell, Director of Sport, Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland
‘Switching to the Federation of Irish Sport Insurance scheme was better from a value for money perspective and delivered an improved level of insurance cover for our organisation.”
-Cillian Smith, Commissioner, Irish American Football Association
“Choosing insurance cover can be a nightmare. ACI sought advice from 4 independent brokers before choosing the FIS recommended BHP’s policy suite. It met all our requirements and offered unmatched value. Added to that, there is the comfort of the extra security for our members offered by being part of a larger group along with other sports.”
-Der Casey, Honorary Secretary, Angling Council of Ireland
Sports Bodies that have supported the Federation of Irish Sport Insurance Scheme so far are:
Angling Council of Ireland
Australian Rules Football League of Ireland
Bowling League of Ireland
Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland
Deaf Sports Ireland
Gymnastics Ireland
Horseshoe Pitchers Association of Ireland
Ice Skating Association of Ireland
Irish American Football Association
Irish Blind Sports
Irish Sailing Association
Irish Squash
Irish Surfing Association
Irish Table Tennis Association
Just Sport Ireland
Pentathlon Ireland
Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland
Raquetball Association of Ireland
Swim Ireland
The Federation of Irish Sport
Weightlifting Ireland
