Sep 9, 2020
SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2020: Swim Ireland has today released a powerful new video to mark the launch of their ‘Return to Water’ campaign, encouraging their thousands of members nationwide to return to their local swimming pools and clubs. The video is both a celebration and a reminder of the unique connection enjoyed by everyone but in particular, Swim Ireland members with the water.
Swim Ireland, like many sporting organisations, are facing a challenging season. Autumn is the key period for membership renewals. The Return to Water Campaign is a reminder to their 20,000 strong membership not only that the necessary measures have been put in place to enable a safe Return to the Water but of the unique joy derived from being in the pool.
From the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Swim Ireland have worked with Government, Sport Ireland, public health officials and aquatic facilities nationwide to develop comprehensive protocols to enable the safe return to pool-based sports including swimming, water polo and diving.
It is estimated that 80% of pools in the Republic and have now reopened in accordance with the Swim Ireland protocols and are looking forward to a full, albeit reduced capacity, for the season ahead across the breadth of Swim Ireland activities including Learn to Swim, competitive and Masters programme.
Despite the unprecedent cessation of all pool-based activity, Swim Ireland have been very successful in maintaining engagement with their members and have seen a huge increase in open-water swimming over the summer months whilst also running a very successful series of live webinars, training and coach education courses online many of which were oversubscribed.
Speaking about the Return to Water campaign, chairman of Swim Ireland, Peter Conway commented: “Never before have we faced a period where our swimming pools remained closed and inactive for such a long period of time. We are delighted that so many of our facility partners around the country are now in a position to re-open swimming pools and we are encouraging our members to get back into the water, whilst respecting the guidelines in place for their safety, in support of our sport and Swim Ireland. Now, more than ever, the support of Swim Ireland members in getting back to the pool is needed to ensure that our sport remains vibrant whilst continuing to grow and develop despite the different challenges we are all facing. The aquatic sports be it swimming, diving or water polo are more than just a sport, they are a life skill that can be called upon at any life stage to enjoy competitively or simply as a tool to enhance physical and mental well-being. We are really looking forward to reconnecting as a Swim Ireland family not just online but at last back in the water where we all belong.”
Further information on the ‘Return to Water’ campaign and the supports that are available for clubs, members and the wider swimming community is available at swimireland.ie.
You can view the video for the ‘Return to Water’ campaign here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoYhBNfhPz0&feature=youtu.be
ENDS
For more information:
Trish Mayon, Swim Ireland trishmayon@swimireland.ie / 0868094786
Sep 8, 2020
Over the past six months, we’ve seen an increased number of people out on their bikes all across the country. Through the AXA Community Bike Rides programme, there is a great opportunity for people to connect with others in their area.
The programme provides free training to volunteer leaders, so they can lead safe and social, small group rides in their local communities. Leaders get to choose the day, time, distance and route of all their rides, and through our online platform, we can track and monitor all participation on these free bike rides.
Could you be a leader in your area? As an AXA Community Bike Ride Leader, you’ll inspire others to be passionate about cycling. You’ll get the chance to develop your leadership skills and make new friends while improving your own health and fitness. You don’t need to be a cycling expert, just a confident cyclist with lots of enthusiasm to support others!
All leaders are trained and vetted and given access to our online system to create and promote their bike rides. Leaders are provided with free insurance cover for their bike rides; a starter pack of promotional materials and a leader gilet; and can access benefits and rewards for taking part.
For the safety of our tutors and potential leaders, all courses will take place at hotel venues, with the room set-up classroom style and 2m social distancing between all attendees. Rooms will have external opening windows/doors for natural ventilation and attendees will work on an individual basis throughout the day (with the exception of the bike skills assessment and bike ride) to limit the interaction within the group. Everyone attending will be required to complete a self-assessment personal screening questionnaire in advance.
These venues have been chosen as each hotel has a Covid-19 policy in place and all rooms will be cleaned and sanitised in advance. Spaces are limited so if you are interested in accessing free training and becoming a leader in your area, please check out our new website page for full details – https://www.axacommunitybikerides.com/be-a-leader and register your interest here.
AXA Community Bike Ride Leader training courses will take place on the following dates:
Saturday 5th September – Dublin
Saturday 12th September – Galway
Saturday 19th September – Athlone
Saturday 26th September – Belfast
Saturday 3rd October – Kilkenny
Saturday 10th October – Longford
Saturday 17th October – Cork
Saturday 24th October – Newry
Saturday 31st October – Mayo
Saturday 7th November – Dublin
For more information, please contact the AXA Community Bike Rides
Coordinator, Mary Corry – mary.corry@cyclingireland.ie or
Development Officer, Nicole Evans – axacommunitybikerides@cyclingireland.ie
Sep 3, 2020
Slam Dunk specialist Lorcan Murphy and fellow Irish international Hannah Thornton are urging the basketball community to continue curbing the spread of Covid-19, as they fronted the launch of Basketball Ireland’s ‘Slam Dunk Covid-19’ awareness campaign.
Speaking at the launch at the National Basketball Arena, Templeogue Basketball Club player Lorcan Murphy said: “I am really looking forward to the season starting, whenever that may be and if we all continue to take stock of the key messages launched today, it will help us get back sooner rather than later.”
DCU Mercy and Irish international Hannah Thornton added: “As a player, we can’t wait to get back onto the court and get back to the new normal. It is great that Basketball Ireland have launched this campaign and I would encourage everyone to get fully behind it and do all they can to help kill the virus.”
Watch the campaign video here: https://youtu.be/s_hWzUCiOEc
Speaking at the ‘Slam Dunk Covid-19’ campaign launch, CEO of Basketball Ireland Bernard O’Byrne said: “As an organisation Basketball Ireland will continue to adhere to government and HSE guidelines, but ultimately this battle will be won or lost by individual attitudes – of players, coaches, parents, officials and volunteers. We have come along way as a community, but we must ensure we continue to drive forward and do all we can to fight against this virus. Please be an ambassador for this campaign and spread the word – Let’s Slam Dunk Covid-19!”
As part of the campaign Basketball Ireland has launched ‘Basketball Ireland’s Covid Hero’ competition. The award is to recognise and reward inspirational, hardworking and dedicated members of the basketball community, who have done their best in managing Covid-19 within their clubs during this time. If you know a coach, player, official, volunteer, parent or other who deserves to be celebrated as a ‘Basketball Ireland’s Covid Hero’, please submit 100 words to covidhero@basketballireland.ie outlining why the person deserves this award. When restrictions allow and basketball has returned to action, a team from the winning person’s club will be invited to the National Basketball Arena for a 2-hour coaching session with a top international coach, plus a few extras. Please include the following details in your submission:
- Your name and contact details
- Nominees name, contact and club details
- 100 words maximum why this person deserves the award
- Please include COVID HERO in the subject line of your email entry
The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday October 2nd, with the winner announced on Friday October 9th. Full competition details are on the Basketball Ireland website
Interviews with Irish internationals Lorcan Murphy and Hannah Thornton and Basketball Ireland CEO, Bernard O’Byrne, are available request.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Nathaniel Cope
Media & Communications Manager
ncope@basketballireland.ie
086 174 3851
Aug 27, 2020
TG4 has announced details of its exclusive live television coverage of Tour de France 2020, the most famous cycling race in the world.
The stations live coverage of the Tour begins on Saturday morning with coverage from the Le Course Women’s Tour de France event.
All three weeks of the Tour will be broadcast live on TG4 (see times below) from Saturday 29 August to the final stage on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday 20 September.
There will be an average of five hours of live coverage each day as well as a daily half hour highlights programme every night at 9pm that will include all the action from the days racing as well as previews, results and interviews.
Commentary will be provided by Páidí Ó Lionáird and Pádraic Ó Cuinn.
The Tour will also be broadcast live on the TG4 Player on www.tg4.tv and the website will also offer updates, statistics and other Tour data.
The 2020 Tour de France is scheduled to be the 107th edition of the Tour, one of cycling’s three Grand Tours. Originally scheduled to start on 27 June 2020, it was postponed until 29 August due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France.
– Live coverage of each Stage from Saturday 29 August onwards.
– Daily half-hour highlights programme each night at 9pm
– Live coverage on the TG4 Player on www.tg4.tv
– The 7th edition of La Course Women’s Tour de France will take place on Saturday morning on a 96-kilometre course with the start and finish in Nice. Coverage begins on TG4 at 9am.
COVERAGE ON TG4 – Tour de France
DATES STAGE DISTANCE CITIES TG4 COVERAGE BEGINS
Saturday 29 August La Course 96 km La Course – Women’s Tour de France Cycling Race – Venue: NICE 9am to 11.50am
Saturday 29 August 1 156 km NICE MOYEN PAYS to NICE 12.50pm
Sunday 30 August 2 186 km NICE HAUT PAYS to NICE 11.50am
Monday 31 August 3 198 km NICE to SISTERON 11.00am
Tuesday 1 September 4 160.5 km SISTERON to ORCIÈRES-MERLETTE 12.15pm
Wednesday 2 Sept 5 183.5 km GAP to PRIVAS 12.00pm
Thursday 3 September 6 191 km LE TEIL to MONT AIGOUAL 10.50am
Friday 4 September 7 168 km MILLAU to LAVAUR 12.15pm
Saturday 5 September 8 141 km CAZÈRES-SUR-GARONNE to LOUDENVIELLE 12.20pm
Sunday 6 September 9 153.5 km PAU to LARUNS 11.05am
Monday 7 September REST DAY – LA ROCHELLE / CHARENTE-MARITIME
Tuesday 8 September 10 168.5 km ILE D’OLÉRON Le Château-d’Oléron to ILE DE RÉ Saint-Martin-de-Ré 12.20pm
Wednesday 9 Sept 11 167.5 km CHÂTELAILLON-PLAGE to POITIERS 12.15pm
Thursday 10 Sept 12 218 km CHAUVIGNY to SARRAN Corrèze 10.40am
Friday 11 September 13 191.5 km CHÂTEL-GUYON to PUY MARY Cantal 10.40am
Saturday 12 September 14 194 km CLERMONT-FERRAND to LYON 11.55am
Sunday 13 September 15 174.5 km LYON to GRAND COLOMBIER 11.15am
Monday 14 Sept REST DAY – GRENOBLE / ISERE
Tuesday 15 September 16 164 km LA TOUR-DU-PIN to VILLARD-DE-LANS 11.55am
Wednesday 16 Sept 17 170 km GRENOBLE to MÉRIBEL Col de la Loze 11.05am
Thursday 17 Sept 18 167.5 km MÉRIBEL to LA ROCHE-SUR-FORON 10.55am
Friday 18 September 19 166.5 km BOURG-EN-BRESSE to CHAMPAGNOLE 12.20pm
Saturday 19 Sept 20 36.5 km LURE > LA PLANCHE DES BELLES FILLES (Individual Time Trial) 11.50am
Sunday 20 September 21 122.5 km MANTES-LA-JOLIE to PARIS CHAMPS-ELYSÉES 2.35pm
More information:
https://www.letour.fr/en/
Information about the La Course Women’s Tour de France on www.lacoursebyletourdefrance.com/en
Aug 27, 2020
Ryan Mullen and Ben Healy represented Ireland at the UEC European Road Championships in Plouay, France on Monday, August 24th.
19-year old Ben Healy was first to race in the green of Ireland taking to the start line for a 25.6-kilometre race against the clock in the U23 Individual Time Trial. Healy’s time of 32:51.22 was good enough for 16th place, averaging a blistering 46.75 kilometres per hour. The U23 Time Trial was won by Andreas Leknessund of Norway with Stefan Bissegger (Switzerland) claiming silver and IIan Van Wilder (Belgium) third. Healy’s Trinity Racing teammate Thomas Pidcock was just outside the medals in 4th place.
Ryan Mullen, a bronze medallist from 2017, was aiming for more silverware but it was not to be as he finished 8th in a time of 31:59.46. It was another strong ride from the four-time Time Trial National Champion who has consistently finished in the top-10 at major Championships in recent years.
Stefan Kung (Switzerland) was crowned European Champion and will wear the jersey in the Tour de France, due to start this weekend. Rémi Cavagna (France) finished runner-up followed by Victor Campenaerts (Belgium) four seconds behind in third.
Full Results Here
Aug 21, 2020
Guideline: Sporting events and matches can continue to take place behind closed doors
- A behind closed doors event can include: ‘Any individual involved in the participation, running, delivery, and broadcasting (if relevant) of the event’.
- The 6 indoor /15 outdoor participant restrictions do not apply to competition, events, or tournaments.
- NGBs & Clubs with competition, events, tournaments planned up to September 13th 2020 should go ahead as planned with strict public health measures and protocols in place. No Spectators should attend these events.
- Parents/Guardians attending in a safeguarding /supervisory capacity are not classified as a spectator however strict social distancing and public health guidelines should be adhered to at all times. In that context, one parent/guardian per child is permitted to attend at a sporting event, including a game or training session, should they consider it necessary. These provisions will be subject to strict protocols which will be issued in the coming days.
Guideline: Sport facilities can remain open.
Gyms/leisure centres/swimming pools/exercise and dance studios can remain open with strict distancing and other appropriate protective measures in place:
- Total Indoor Gym/Facility/Pool Use can remain at the previous maximum levels of 50 once there is sufficient space available. In addition, facilities should be extra vigilant of potential congestion points such as entrance/exit points, changing rooms and reception areas ensuring that social distancing and other public health measures are maintained at all times.
- Organised Sports training within indoor facilities can do so in multiple pods of 6 once sufficient space is available and strict public health protocols are in place.
- Swimming and indoor water based activities can do so in pod’s/lanes of 6 once sufficient space is available and strict public health protocols are in place.
Guideline: Exercise and dance classes should be limited to 6 people and observe physical distancing rules.
Groups exercising outdoors should be limited to 15 people, including training sessions. There should be no mixing between groups.
- Organised Sports training within indoor facilities can do so in multiple pods of 6 once sufficient space is available and strict public health protocols are in place.
- Outdoor Exercise & Sports training can do so in multiple pods of 15 once sufficient space is available and strict public health protocols are in place.
- Sports Summer Camps can do so in multiple pods of 6 (indoor) and 15 (outdoor) once sufficient space is available and strict public health protocols are in place.
- Indoor Exercise & Dance classes should remain at 6 only as per guidance however may operate multiple pods if sufficient space is available and strict public health protocols are in place.
Ratios: Working Example
- For Adult Activity, Coaches & Instructors should be included in the pod sizes. For example in outdoor training a ratio of 1:14 could be used. In the case of multiple pods indoors, ratios of 1:11 may be acceptable.
- For Underage Activity, Individual Safeguarding Ratio’s will depend on the nature of the activity, the age of the participants and any special needs of the group, Sport Ireland’s general guide include 1:8 for under 12 years of age and 1:10 for over 12 years of age. There should be at least one adult of each gender with mixed parties.
Information provided by Sport Ireland on 20th August 2020.
