Jul 4, 2013
A new grant giving body aimed at raising the profile and changing the profile of women’s sport has been established in the UK. The Women’s Sport Trust (“WST”) is the only grant provider focused solely on female sport and is backed by a diverse range of elite female athletes along with representatives from business and the media.
WST will provide scholarship and grants to aspiring sportswomen, fund research and public awareness campaigns as well as anything else that will facilitate the progression of women’s sport in the UK. All grants are dependent upon the generous support of individuals and organisations joining together to make a difference to women’s lives.
All grants are dependent upon the generous support of individuals and organisations joining together to make a difference to women’s lives.
Speaking at the launch, Olympic Gold Medallist in Rowing and WST Patron, Anna Watkins OBE said: “We see ourselves as much as a movement as a grant giving body focused on attracting new funding and profile for women’s sport. We’ve been amazed and delighted by the remarkable response we’ve already had to the Trust. People are clearly thrilled to have an opportunity to make a difference to women’s sport.”
As well as attracting new funding and driving sports participation, WST aims to form relationships with journalists and broadcasters – in order to increase the profile of women’s sport in the media.
More details can be found at www.womenssporttrust.com
Jul 3, 2013
Recently published research by Fáilte Ireland revealed that the golf sector provides a total overseas spend of €202m for the Irish economy. The analysis of the value and profile of overseas golf visitors to Ireland shows, with 163,000 having played golf while in Ireland in 2012, that each overseas golf tourist is worth €1,200 to the economy (two and a half times that of the average tourist).
In the wake of the successful Irish Open at Carton House, the research also shows that Ireland is hitting the mark on both satisfaction levels and value for money for our overseas guests – with satisfaction rates at 94% and value for money at 83%.
Commenting on the findings, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring said –
“Ireland has some fantastic golf courses but we want to be the best in the world. That’s why we have been working hard to raise standards even higher within the golf sector, and ensure that every single golfer who comes to Ireland has an outstanding experience. The findings show that we are getting results.
“Golf is already an important part of the tourism industry, and there’s room to increase revenue further. Ireland also has fabulous scenery, culture, some outstanding golf links with magnificent sea views, and our world-famous charm at the 19th hole. So Fáilte Ireland is working closely with the golf sector to build further on our success rate.”
Other interesting points from the research include –
- Golfing visitors are much more likely to be repeat visitors and those who return are also very likely to play again;
- Amongst overseas golfers, North Americans are the biggest spenders with an average per capita spend of roughly €1,800;
- Approximately 21% of expenditure by overseas golfers is spent on green fees or other golf-related expenditure. This means that ancillary spend by golf tourists to Ireland benefits many other sectors, including accommodation, bars, restaurants and attractions;
- As well as being a valuable sector, Golf tourism has also been outperforming the general tourism market in recent years, averaging 6% growth per annum between 2009 and 2012;
- Overseas golfers are overwhelmingly male and affluent, with 90% being men and belonging to the affluent, white collar ABC1 socio-economic group;
- In terms of age, 93% of golfers are over 35 years old, with half aged between 45-64 years old;
- Golfing visitors to Ireland are more likely to be travelling with friends (44%) or as a couple (28%);
- North Americans and mainland Europeans are more likely to travel in groups of peers, while British golfers are more likely to travel with a spouse or partner;
- Ireland’s golfing tourists are also avid golfers, with nearly almost 90% describing golf as important and over 60% claiming that golf was ‘extremely important’ in their choice of holiday.
Crucially considering the last point, Ireland continues to utilise high-profile events to showcase its golfing product.
As part of the lead-up to the Irish Open, Fáilte Ireland developed a digital and social media campaign promoting the Irish Open and the wider golf experience available in Ireland. This included a specially commissioned ‘Greening in the Years’ video that highlights the great history and golden moments of past Irish Opens.(View the ‘Greening in the Years’ video here). It is hoped the video piece will evoke great memories with viewers encouraged to share their favourite Irish Open moment through a one-liner, an image or a video across Fáilte Ireland’s social media platforms.
When speaking about the Irish Open, Ireland’s Official Golf Ambassador, Padraig Harrington said –
“I am eagerly looking forward to the 2013 Irish Open at Carton House for what promises to be a great weekend of golf.
“The ‘Greening in the Years’ video has reminded me of so many golden moments of the Irish Open. My most special memory is when I holed the winning putt at Adare Manor in 2007. The setting was magnificent, the atmosphere generated by the home crowd was fantastic and having my family there made it extra special.”
Tony Lenehan, Head of Golf Tourism at Fáilte Ireland added –
“Forget about ‘staycations’, we believe that there is great potential in ‘playcations’. As our research shows, golf is an important part of our tourism offering and a lucrative part at that. This year’s Irish Open will be the perfect opportunity for us to advertise to international and domestic golfers just what a great place Ireland can be to play and stay.”
Read more here
Jul 2, 2013
The Joint Committee on Transport & Communications launched their report on Sponsorship of Sport by the Alcohol Drinks Industry on Tuesday 2nd of July. The Report found that such sponsorship should remain in place until such time as it can be replaced by other identifiable streams of comparable funding.
Speaking at the launch, Committee Vice-Chair John O’Mahony T.D. emphasised that it was the Committee’s function to look at the issue from a sport perspective. The Committee had found that there was a real risk that the removal of the funding for sport sourced through alcohol sponsorship would a detrimental impact on promotion of and participation in sport. They were cognisant of the reality that in the current climate replacement funding was not available.
Fianna Fail spokesperson on sport, Timmy Dooley T.D. also emphasised the practicalities around such a ban particularly given the size of Ireland viz-a-viz the rest of Europe and the reality that much of our sports content is broadcast from the UK and other European disadvantages. The Committee felt that the introduction of such a ban was not something that was practical for Ireland to lead on given the size of our market in order, to be effective such a ban would need to be implemented at a European Union level.
Other recommendations outlined in the Committee Report included:
- A Code of Practice for the consumption of alcohol within stadia should be drawn up by all sporting organisations
- A fixed percentage of all sponsorship received by each and every organisation from the alcohol drinks industry, should be ring-fenced and paid into a central fund to be administered by an appropriate body with the funds being used exclusively for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Programmes
- Sponsorship of sport to be treated in the same way as sponsorship of arts, music and other festivals
- A code should be introduced for all brand owners and right-holders to provide responsible training in selling, advertising and marketing and to promote responsible drinking at all sponsored events
- All sporting organisations be encouraged to support programmes which contribute to social inclusion in order to reduce the abuse of alcohol, particularly among young people; and
A copy of the Committee’s Report can be accessed here
Jul 2, 2013
This Sunday July 7th will see the 1st Elite Triathlon Event take place in Ireland since the European Championships were hosted in Athlone in 2010. This afternoon, members of the Triathlon Ireland Junior High Performance Squad joined with Charles Lawn Waterways Ireland (Inspector of Navigation) to launch this year’s event.
A strong Irish Squad, led by Con Doherthy (Bronze Medallist at the Junior World Championships 2012) will be challenging for European Cup medals on home soil for the first time ever. It promises to be an exciting spectacle, with the genuine stars of the future battling it out in the River Shannon and on the streets of the Midland’s Town for European Honours.
Irish Junior Elite Squad headline Waterways Ireland triAthlone 2013
L-R: Aichlinn O’Reilly (Mayo), Kieran Jackson (Waterford), Harry Speers (Bangor), Con Doherty (Mayo), Aaron O’Brien (Limerick) ’
The Sunday event takes place in the backdrop of the ever-spectacular Waterways Ireland triAthlone series of races that includes the Kinetica Sprint Distance Championships and Irish Paratriathlon Championships for 2013.
2012 Olympian Gavin Noble leads the field and is favourite to be crowned Champion this year, but certainly not without a challenge. With almost every county in Ireland represented and up to 15,000 spectators expected to line the streets, Athlone is gearing up for yet another great event.
The hosting of the Paratriathlon Championships places this fast developing side of the sport centre stage in Athlone. Para athletes from across Ireland and UK will take part and compete for the title of Paratriathlon Champion. Triathlon Ireland is confident many of the athletes competing will develop and represent Ireland in the 2016 Para Olympic Games in Rio.
Waterways Ireland TriAthlone have developed a free and downloadable App for 2013 event iDevices. The goal was to give triathletes all the information they need to compete in the 2013 event, with access to training tips, our twitter feed, and LIVE timing for users so they can track athletes as they make their way around the course! Just search by race number or name!
Speaking about the event, Chairman Liam Heavin said: “We are delighted to be bringing elite racing back to Athlone where it belongs! This has been a team effort and couldn’t be achieved without the support of Waterways Ireland and Athlone Town Council. We would like to encourage as many people as possible to come along and support the event this weekend – and especially to take in all that the elite races have to offer & cheer on Team Ireland!”
This year’s Waterways Ireland triAthlone event will be supported by title sponsor Waterways Ireland, with significant support also provided by Athlone Town Council. John Martin, Chief Executive Waterways Ireland said; ”Waterways Ireland became involved with TriAthlone, recognising the potential of the event to generate huge awareness for the inland waterways on the island and internationally and impact on the numbers of people using the waterways recreationally. Now one of the fastest growing sports in Ireland, I commend the committee for their dedication and hard work in bringing not only an Elite event back to Ireland but also its inclusiveness in hosting the Paratriathlon Championships”
Waterways Ireland triAthlone begins with a swim in the River Shannon, from which the competitors will then take to their bikes for a cycle through south County Roscommon before the exciting town-centre run which will see the event finish in the heart of Athlone.
For further information www.triathlone.com
EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday 5th July 2013
18.00-21.00 Registration is open for all athletes.
18.30-19.00 Practice Swim from Athlone Boat Club Saturday 6th July 2013
10.00: Registration is open for all athletes.
12.30: Registration is closed for all athletes.
14.00: Race briefing at transition for all distances.
14.15: Transition is cleared.
14.30: SuperSprint Triathlon starts.
Followed by Irish Paratri Championships
Followed by the Kinetica Sprint Distance Championships
EVENT INFORMATION
Triathlon is Ireland’s biggest and fastest growing sport.
Waterways Ireland TriAthlone will host the Paratriathlon Championships this year.
Waterways Ireland TriAthlone will host the Kinetica Sprint Distance Championships
2010 saw a records number of entries received for the competition – 4,000 participants (75% male 25% female).
In 2013 there will be over 1,500 participants.
The event generates significant revenue for Athlone and the surrounding region.
Over 15,000 spectators are expected on race site
Waterways Ireland, title sponsor for the event manages and promotes the inland navigable waterways for recreational purposes.
ROAD CLOSURES
triAthlone would like to encourage people to pre-plan shopping activities for Saturday to avoid the potential traffic disruption or alternatively access the Town Centre from the East side on during race times on Saturday and Sunday. Please note that all businesses remain open as normal. We will endeavour to have the roads reopened as soon as possible. See www.triathlone.com for full details of road closures and areas affected.
MEDIA CONTACTS
WATERWAYS IRELAND TRIATHLONE:
Emma Heavin – Press Officer
085-116 4028
emma@triathlone.com
TRIATHLON IRELAND
Scott Graham – Development & Media Officer
086-3687548
scott@triathlonireland.com
Jul 2, 2013
This summer Asgard Media in association with Livestream Digital are offering for the first time in Ireland, a sports specific broadcast training course. The course which will predominately be online, but also includes one intensive week of practical training will run for 8 weeks with online classes running on Sunday evenings and weekly assignments. The practical element of the course will run from August 3rd to August 10th in Dublin and see participants deliver a number of live online broadcasts.
The course is designed to cater for those interested in pursuing a career as a freelancer within the Sports Broadcasting industry and upon successful completion of the course participants will be afforded introductions to line managers who hire within the industry as well as a database of Sports Broadcasting contacts. Each candidate completing the course will also receive a showreel and a consultation with The Production People’s CV Service, to ensure they are ready to kick start their career in sports broadcasting.
Modules offered on the course include the following, with participants permitted to pursue two specialist modules.
Commentary For Radio, TV and Online
Presenting For Radio, TV and Online
Reporting For Radio, TV and Online
Producing For Radio, TV and Online
Directing For TV and Online Video
Course Director Ciaran Ó hEadhra a veteran of many major sports broadcasts from Formula 1 Racing to Championship GAA believes the course provides a great platform for the development of new sports broadcasting talent, ” I’ve been fortunate enough to earn a living for many years covering sport. I’ve gained a tremendous insight during that time into all aspects of Sports broadcasting, working with some of the best on air and technical talent available and this course is a great chance to develop the next generation of sports broadcasting professionals. There’s never been a course particularly targeted at catering for the sector and it can only benefit the industry to provide a resource like this”.
Course Schedule
Online Lectures & Tutorials
July 7th
July 14th
July 21st
July 28th
August 4th
August 18th
August 25th
Practical Components
Saturday August 3rd to Saturday August 10th
Tuition fees for the course are €1500 and registration forms can be obtained by e-mailing training@asgardtv.com
Read More Here
Jul 1, 2013
Irish energy provider Airtricity have become the title sponsor of the Dublin Marathon. The agreement which will see the event name being changed to the Airtricity Dublin Marathon, also includes the ‘Race Series’, a number of shorter races taking place throughout June, July, August and September, before the main marathon on the 28th October.
Dublin Marathon attracted over 14,000 runners in 2012 and is expected to generate over 10 million euro for the City and County of Dublin over the October bank holiday weekend.
Airtricity Dublin Marathon race director Jim Aughney said, “We are delighted to have Airtricity on board as our new title sponsor this year. Airtricity shares our vision and aims for the growth of the Dublin Marathon. It is a huge endorsement of what we have achieved to date, and strong support for our development plans, to have such a sponsor involved. Airtricity has a great history of supporting events in Ireland and we look forward to developing a long-term relationship with them.
Airtricity’s Managing Director Stephen Wheeler added, “As someone who ran my first Dublin Marathon in 2011, I’m delighted that Airtricity is the new energy behind this well-loved Dublin and national sporting event. Airtricity is a proud supporter of all Irish Sport at all the various different levels. Through our investment as title sponsor of the Airtricity league, as official energy partner to the FAI, and its international teams, and as a supporter of local sports clubs nationwide through our wind farm community funds, we’re doing more to give back to local and national Sporting clubs and events. Now through our sponsorship of the Airtricity Dublin Marathon, we’re helping to support the marathon and race series at this important stage in its development and growth.”
Karl Henry, well known fitness Expert and TV Broadcaster said, “It is great to see Airtricity come on board and give the Dublin Marathon a huge boost ahead of this years event. With over 14,000 participants last year, the marathon and race series is a fantastic way to get out and get fit. With today’s boost, hopefully more and more people will sign up and ensure that the 2013 Airtricity Dublin Marathon will surpass last years level and create new records.”
Read More Here
Speaking at the launch, Olympic Gold Medallist in Rowing and WST Patron, Anna Watkins OBE said: “We see ourselves as much as a movement as a grant giving body focused on attracting new funding and profile for women’s sport. We’ve been amazed and delighted by the remarkable response we’ve already had to the Trust. People are clearly thrilled to have an opportunity to make a difference to women’s sport.”
