Ireland to host International World Tour Beach Volleyball Tournament

Ireland to host International World Tour Beach Volleyball Tournament

The prestigious FIVB World Tour 1* event will be staged in Bettystown, County Meath over the weekend of July 17-19th. The successful bid comes on the back of the hosting of Pool C of the CEV Continental Cup at the same venue last June. The execution of that Olympic qualifying event means Ireland will make its World Tour hosting debut this year, joining the likes of Moscow, Cancun and Rome on the 2020 Tour programme.

The tournament will be Men’s only, featuring some of the best players in the World ahead of the Summer Olympics, it will also re-unite the top Irish pairing of Oisin McArdle and Alex Gibbons (pictured 1=OM, 2=AG) who are very much looking forward to the support of the Irish crowds, Gibbons said, “I’m delighted that Ireland will host the 1* event, it’s the best buzz to play in front of a home crowd I cant wait to get back on Irish Sand in July. I’ve been training hard in Australia over the winter with some top players and hopefully I can bring this form into the Irish Summer.”

The tournament will include a qualification section on Day 1 (Friday 17 July), before the main draw kicks off on the Saturday.

Volleyball Ireland president Grainne Culliton added, “These events are a key part of our strategy to raise the profile of the sport, and to inspire the next generation of players. Our volunteers really put on a great show at last years Olympic Qualifier and this success is down to them. We are grateful for the trust that the CEV and FIVB are putting in us, and we cant wait to go again. Events like this really show we are serious about developing the sport, and they allow us to build great relationships with our partners like Meath County Council and we are appreciative of their continued support.”

Volleyball Ireland will be working with Meath County Council to develop a range of development activities around the competition, including the launch of a new Social Volley programme for beginner players and a Beach Volleyball camp for juniors. Commenting on the news, Meath Cllr Sharon Tolan added, “I am delighted that Bettystown Beach will host its second International Beach Volleyball Tournament. Events like this really bring alive the area and we hope that all of our local residents, businesses and visitors can get involved in a wonderful weekend showing off a beautiful stretch of our coastline.”

Last years event drew excellent crowds to the 500seater pop up stadium and surrounding dunes, gaining widespread media interest both locally and nationally.

Securing an event of such magnitude is testament to the hard work, vision and ambition of Volleyball Ireland.

Ends

For more info contact Volleyball Ireland General Manager Gary Stewart, 0857650867, gm@volleyballireland.com

Notes:

FIVB – Federation of International Volleyball

http://worldtour.2020.fivb.com/en/news/ireland-to-make-world-tour-hosting-debut?id=90449

For context, the event will be similar in production to the CEV Continental Cup event held at Bettystown in June > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOJzz8x3BZg

Tournament format and entries to be confirmed

Federation of Irish Sport launches #GE2020 Manifesto for Sport in Ireland

Federation of Irish Sport launches #GE2020 Manifesto for Sport in Ireland

Today marks the launch of the Federation of Irish Sport General Election 2020 – Manifesto. Our manifesto follows on from our consultation survey with our members in which they highlighted their key concerns and priorities for an incoming government.

Chief among those priorities were:
1. Resource the National Sports Policy properly and effectively
2. Ensure multi annual core funding for NGB’s and LSP’s
3. Provide support for organisations working to be sports governance compliant by January 2021
4. Provide annual sports capital grants
5. Implement meaningful insurance reform
6. Provide a budget for volunteer recruitment and training

Our manifesto has been issued to all political parties, and following on from General Election 2020 we can assure all interested parties that we will continue to work diligently for Sport and Physical Activity with the new government whoever they may be because, as always Sport Matters!

Read the manifesto in full here https://www.irishsport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Federation-of-Irish-Sport-General-Election-2020-Manifesto-Sport-Matters.pdf 

Press Release: Alliance for Insurance Reform

Press Release: Alliance for Insurance Reform

Alliance welcomes analysis of general damages
Warns that minor reductions will only compound the current crisis

The Alliance for Insurance Reform has welcomed the publication by ISME of a ‘Fair Book of Quantum‘ which explores what general damages might look like following the review currently being carried out by the Personal Injuries Guidelines Committee (PIGC) of the Judicial Council.

Peter Boland, Director of the Alliance said “We welcome this publication by ISME as a way of prompting reasoned debate on this critical issue.  Insurance premiums in Ireland are too high. They are costing jobs, closing SMEs, damaging charities, sport and cultural organisations and community groups; they are shrinking Irish society.

“According to the Central Bank, the cost of claims accounted for 75% of motor insurance premiums over the last 10 years. So clearly any initiative to reduce insurance premiums must address the cost of claims among other things. The primary element of claims is compensation payments and according to the landmark reports of the Personal Injuries Commission, these are 4.4 times higher than in England and Wales for the minor soft-tissue injuries that account for over 80% of personal injury claims in Ireland.

“As it stands, not only do general damages for minor injuries act as a punishment for defendants in negligence cases but they reward being injured. As they currently stand, they bring the entire system of compensation for negligence cases into disrepute and need to be re-balanced in a way that is fair, just, reasonable and proportionate as outlined by Court of Appeal judgements and the principles established by the higher courts in recent years.

“We have a serious concern that the current review process will merely implement small-scale reductions and give the impression that the issue has been addressed whereas nothing short of a very substantial reductions in the rewards for minor injuries is necessary in order to address this issue.

“Finally, it should be noted that the Alliance’s issue is with general damages for minor injuries. We have no issue whatsoever with special damages that compensate for loss of earnings or medical costs. The specific reform we have asked political parties to endorse in the general election campaign is:

  1. Reduce unfair general damages to reflect international norms and the principles already established by the higher courts – including that ‘minor injuries attract modest damages’

The other three reforms we urgently need are:

  1. Review and re-balance the ‘common duty of care’ to require occupiers to take a duty of care that is reasonable, practical and proportionate
  1. Support a fully-resourced Garda Insurance Fraud Unit
  1. Insist on insurers committing to a schedule of forecast reductions for planned reforms”

ENDS

CONTACT: contact@insurancereform.ie

Statement from Federation of Irish Sport on Sport Ireland funding announcement

Statement from Federation of Irish Sport on Sport Ireland funding announcement

The Federation of Irish Sport welcomes today’s announcement by Sport Ireland of €36 million in core 2020 funding allocations . This is a significant commitment to ensuring the continued work of NGBs, LSPs and High Performance Departments.

The funding which sees a €1m increase for core operations in NGBs and €9.4m in high performance is particularly important in what is of course an Olympic and Paralympic year. It is to be welcomed given that 45 athletes have already qualified for Tokyo2020.  The further €8.3m announced to support the work of the 29 Local Sports Partnerships will be key as we strive to create a more active and healthy Ireland.

The Federation are pleased that the work of sport and physical activity in Ireland continues to be recognised by government through the funding provided by Sport Ireland. In 2019, the Federation continued to dedicate its own work to advocating on behalf of our members and highlighting the many benefits sport and physical activity bring to Irish society – from health to economic and social inclusion. As a positive voice for Irish sport we strive to showcase the work of our members to government and wider society in a bid to encourage continued funding to benefit all.

The National Sports Policy, launched in 2018, provides a strong direction for the growth of sport and physical activity and the Federation, through its presence on the Sport Leadership Group, looks forward to continuing to advocate for the proper resourcing of the policy to ensure the actions are successfully achieved.  Today’s announcement is a further positive step for all those involved and committed to the successful enactment of the National Sports Policy and the growth of sport and physical activity.

#SportMatters

National Rowing Centre – Corporate Events

National Rowing Centre – Corporate Events

Rowing Ireland is now offering companies the unique opportunity to use the National Rowing Centre for meetings and events.

The National Rowing Centre is home to Irish Rowing and hosts national and international competitions. The centre serves as the centre of excellence for the Irish rowing’s high-performance programme from the junior ranks right through to the senior stars.

Services Available:

• Board Room – 15 People or 40 People Theatre Style
• Function Room – 100 people
• Motivational Talks – High-Performance Coaches & Athletes
• Full Catering Service Available
• On the Water Sessions with qualified coaches

This opportunity allows your event to be held in a High-Performance environment of one of Ireland’s most successful Olympic sports.

This will be an unforgettable experience for your team as we countdown to the 2020 Olympics, and your team will feel part of Rowing Ireland’s success this year.

For more information on how to book the National Rowing Centre for your event, please contact, sales@rowingireland.ie or phone 01 658 3021.