Jul 9, 2018
Ireland scored its best ever performance on the International Gymnastics stage this weekend with Andrew Smith, Adam Steele and Rhys McClenaghan qualifying for no fewer than 6 apparatus finals at the 2018 World Challenge Cup in Mersin, Turkey.
The highlight was Rhys McClenaghan’s gold medal-winning routine on Pommel-Horse but it is the growing strength in depth that perhaps bodes even better for the future of the sport here.
Having gone from one Olympian in London to two in Rio, and now the promise of more, the investment in time and energy that Gymnastics Ireland is making, as well as the added impetus of using the Sport Ireland National indoor Arena to such good effect is clearly making a difference
“This is the best-ever performance by an Irish delegation at a FIG World Cup Event, 6 finals between 3 gymnasts and a gold medal gives us all so much to be proud of in Gymnastics Ireland,” said Ciaran Gallagher, CEO for the national governing body.
“While it was a superb achievement for Adam and Andrew to qualify for finals, their performances throughout both qualification and the finals themselves demonstrate they are both capable of podium finishes on the World Cup Circuit.”
“For Rhys another World Cup Pommel Champion title to his name and further evidence that he is one of the Worlds best on this apparatus.”
“The Irish team has made history with all three gymnasts qualifying in six finals,” added Gymnastics Ireland Performance and Technical manager Sally Johnston speaking from Turkey.
“Special congratulations to Adam making four finals and a personal best on the floor.”
Andrew Smith, Adam Steele and Rhys McClenaghan have all been selected for the European Championships in August and World Championships in October so their exploits in the international spotlight are not over yet.
The European Championships take place in Berlin during the first week in August.
Jul 2, 2018
The Olympic Council of Ireland is to make €200,000 of funding grants available across 16 sports to assist with Olympic focused projects.
The grants are being made available to member National Governing Bodies with €20,000 going to Boxing, Cycling, Horse Sport, Rowing, Sailing and Swimming.
€10,000 in grants will go to Badminton, Judo, Ladies Golf, Rugby and Taekwondo with lesser amounts for Athletics, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey and Triathlon.
This allocation marks the first year of the programme, the purpose of which is to support specific Olympic based projects and programmes in addition to the scholarship programmes and funding that the OCI provides to support athletes and teams to compete in Olympic events.
The Discretionary Funding was aimed at providing support for projects across three main areas of development support, supprt in performance coaching and projects under a ‘Make a Difference banner.
Each application was reviewed and marked in line with weighted criteria set out as part of the application process, with direct correlation from scoring to funding.
A five-person review panel chaired by Chief Executive Officer of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Peter Sherrard, with Independent and Sport Ireland members, assessed and scored the applications before presenting these applications to a four-person sub-group from the OCI Executive Committee, which was independent to any of the applications.
“The number of applications clearly showed that there is a big need for increased funding for sport,” said Sherrard.
“This is being expressed by National Governing Bodies across the board. While the OCI support fund is relatively small, its targeted funding is intended to top-up or leverage existing high-performance funding going to NGB’s from Sport Ireland and other sources.”
“We intend to maintain this initiative next year and will continue to work closely with our member sports, their High-Performance programmes and athletes as we move through the Olympic cycle.”
The OCI received 34 applications from 22 sports, 10 for Performance Coach Support, 15 for Make a Difference Projects, and 9 for Olympic Development Support, for a combined total funding request of €800,000.
19 of the 34 applications were supported with grants ranging from €5,000 to €20,000 per National Governing Body. The Committee has contacted the 22 National Governing Bodies which applied to give feedback on the applications or to discuss implementation and planning for each of the projects.
Due to a specific Youth Olympic Games focus, the OCI will also be supporting Gymnastics Ireland and Tennis Ireland with Olympic Solidarity funding that they are eligible for.
The background to some of the specific projects which are aimed at helping Irish athletes maximise their potential will be featured in the coming months across the OCI’s web and social channels as they move towards implementation.
Jun 27, 2018
Meetings of influencers looking to contribute ideas on the next stage of development for Women in Sport in Ireland have been taking place across the country over the past few weeks.
The National Indoor Arena at the National Sports Campus was the first venue for around 50 leaders from the wider world of sport at NGB, local authority, sport Ireland and media level to talk, listen, share and perhaps inspire ‘what next’.
This was followed by events in Limerick and Sligo and one for younger girls to contribute their thoughts back at Abbottstown this week.
Sport Ireland has commissioned Clansult and SOS Sports, led respectively by Lisa Clancy and Sarah O’Shea to produce a report looking at what can be done.
There is an online survey which has now gone live and we would urge you to engage and have your say. You can access the survey here.
They are taking in information from best practice around the world and looking at how advances can be made in terms of governance, leadership, performance, coaching, influencing and other key areas ahead of a report to be published in the Autumn.
There will be no magic bullet solution. A quick shout out of positives and negatives at the start of the first session showed that we have a good understanding of the landscape in its broadest sense but it is in drilling down through specifics that trends will emerge.
In order to make progress, you have to be fully aware of where you are at any given moment.
This new initiative, under the heading of #WeAreSport promises to discover that and to draw a map of where we go to next. It’s important to do it, and important to get it right.
Jun 25, 2018
It was a triumphant week for Transplant Team Ireland at the 10th European Transplant & Dialysis Championships in Cagliari as they won a staggering 54 medals including 11 Gold, 20 silver, 23 Bronze. A large turnout of family friends and supporters turned out to meet the team when they come through the Arrivals’ Hall at Dublin airport’s Terminal One yesterday (Sunday 24th June).
Twenty three members of Team Ireland, including 10 women and 13 men, who range in age from 31 to 80, competed in intense heat and against strong competition this week on the sun drenched picturesque Italian island of Sardinia. The positive spirit of the Irish shone through among the 25 competing nations. At the Games athletes acknowledged their gratitude to their donors. The Games are a celebration of life and showcase the value of sport and regular physical activity for people on dialysis and transplant recipients.
Team Ireland put in strong performances at several sporting events including Mini Marathon, Swimming, Golf, Bowling, Pétanque, Darts, Track & Field and many more.
The Irish Golf Team of five swept the decks winning 3 Gold and 2 Silver medals. Eldest Team Ireland member and eldest competitor overall at this year’s Championships, John Mc Aleer (from Newtownabbey, Antrim) was one of these successful Golfers, taking the Silver for his net score. A day before the retired university lecturer won a Bronze medal in Petanque event. John, a retired university lecturer, was also given a special recognition award at the closing ceremony gala dinner for his most senior competitor status.
At the closing ceremony Gala dinner last night (Saturday) Chikoyo White from Balbriggan, Dublin was awarded with a trophy for being the best athlete in the Female Dialysis category. Chikoyo, a long term dialysis patient, won two silver medals in Petanque and 10-pin bowling.
Following the games closing ceremony Team Manager Colin White reflected on the week saying, “I’m so proud of Team Ireland for all of their successes but most importantly I am tremendously proud of the team spirit that I have witnessed here. The bonds that have been made here will endure the years. I also would like to give special mention to Team Captain Harry Ward, he has played a blinder, he is so well recognised by everyone and a friend to all. Heather Gunning, the team doctor, has ensured everyone remained hydrated, safe from the sun and generally well throughout the week. We can now look forward to Dublin hosting of the next European Games in August 2020.”
Team Ireland Swimmers, Deirdre Faul (Dalkey, Dublin), Shelia Gregan and Orla Hogan Ryan (both from Nenagh), and Peter Heffernan (Skerries, Dublin) saw huge success in the Pool on Wednesday with each Irish athlete securing medals. The total medals haul from the swimming event was 3 Gold, 4 Silver and 3 Bronze. Champion Swimmer Deirdre Faul (age 50), a liver transplant recipient from Dublin, kept up her stellar success record scooping three Gold and two Silver medals in her five races at the swimming event.
The youngest member of the team Rachel Eagleton (31), from (Bettystown, Co. Meath) won a Silver medal in her Tennis Singles event.
Retired urologist Ron Grainger, aka The Flying Doctor, from Castleknock, Dublin proved to be unbeatable winning Gold medals in three events – the 200m sprint, 100m sprint and the Golf Event for his gross score. Ron said, “I feel blessed to have been able to compete at this level and with this achievement. I think if my donor and how this would not have been possible without them.”
Kieran Murray from Ramelton in Donegal, was victorious at the track and field events. On the final day of competition, Kieran won a Bronze in the 800m race, the kidney transplant recipient’s fourth medal at the Games. During the course of the week-long games Kieran also won a Gold medal for Golf, a Silver in the 1500m sprint and Bronze in the 5km walk. Kieran said, “I am delighted with my medal and indeed the medal haul I achieved throughout the week. I would like to thank my donor who is always in my thoughts. My main aim at the Games is to promote organ donation and show how it transforms and save lives.”.
Games Veteran Charlie Ryan, a liver transplant recipient from Cobh, Co. Cork retained his decade-long title as European Transplant & Dialysis Champion in Darts, winning Gold. Charlie, a retired skipper, who competed in the 70+ age category defended and won his six in a row Champion Darts title having won Gold at every biennial European games since 2008.
Another Team Ireland athlete who also successfully defended a European title was Marie O’Connor (Lahinch, Clare). Marie remained the undefeated European champion in the female golf event securing the Gold in the Golf Gross category. Marie has won Gold in Golf at every World and European Championships since she began competing with Team Ireland with the exception of the World Games when they were held in Argentina which she didn’t attend. Marie also enjoyed success off the golf course by winning a Silver in the 100m sprint, Bronze in the Darts triples event and Bronze in the Petanque Singles event. Marie reflected that her donor is her true “gold prize”.
Team Captain Harry Ward, from Baldoyle, also commented on the team spirit that he witnessed amongst Team Ireland, he said, “I am very proud of how the team has gelled this year. Everyone has supported everyone else and the Team has been like one big family. It’s been a truly fantastic week.”
Jamaican Champion sprinter Travane Morrison, who is understood to be one of the fastest 100m sprinters in Ireland, attended the Championships this year with Team Ireland to observe the Irish team for his Masters Research at IT Tralee. At the end of the week, Travane said, “the European Transplant Games is no different from regular sporting events. It is governed by the same rules and the standard is very high despite the health challenges that the athletes have faced. It’s been a really fun week, the team are great people to be around, the way they appreciate life and have fun is inspirational.”
The Irish Kidney Association is the charity organisation which manages Transplant Team Ireland’s participation at British, European and World Transplant Games events.
The Irish Kidney Association is looking forward to bringing the biennial European Games back to Ireland in 2020 after it successfully hosted the 6th European Transplant & Dialysis Games in Dublin in 2010 which attracted over 500 participants and supporters from 23 countries. The Irish Kidney Association is looking forward to welcoming new members to Transplant Team Ireland for the Games which will be held in August 2020 and securing the support of sports’s national governing bodies, recruiting volunteers and offering excellent sponsorship opportunities for businesses.
Jun 25, 2018
The Government has published the specific elements relating to Sport as part of the Project Ireland 2040 review of Capital Spending Projects.
The programme outlines an expected spend of €200 Million between 2018 and 2021 with further expansion over the period of 2022 to 2027.
€100 Million has been pledged towards maintaining the Sports Capital Programme with a further €100 Million being set aside for the establishment of the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund.
The Government has also committed to the continued development of the National Sports Campus with investment being made to complete the National Indoor Arena and a new National Velodrome and Badminton Centre.
“Across the country, both tourism and sport have an important role to play in developing, and sustaining economic and social progress,” said Minister of State for Tourism and Sport speaking at the launch of ‘Linking People and Places’.
“‘Linking people and places’ will see almost €108million invested in tourism between now and 2021 and around €200million in sport over the same period.”
“This investment will benefit all regions of the country and deliver jobs and improve sports facilities in every county and we’re committed to maintaining or improving, that level of investment out to 2027.”
This document and the commitments within are related only to capital as opposed to current spending. It is the strong view of the Federation of Irish Sport that increased spending on people and programmes will be required in order to maximise the value of this welcome investment in infrastructure.
Jun 15, 2018
Teamer, the leading sports technology company for amateur sport, has today announced a 3 year partnership with the Federation of Irish Sport as the preferred supplier of team, club and league management software to National Governing Bodies in Ireland.
The partnership follow’s the recent launch of Teamer’s new integrated club and team application, launched in February 2018. The company now has over 10,000 sports clubs using it’s products including the recently acquired competition management platforms, League Website and FixturesLive.
Robert Mattar, CEO of Teamer, said “Teamer has rapidly been expanding it’s product set to simplify how sports teams, clubs and leagues of all sizes manage themselves. Increasingly we are now working directly with National Governing Bodies to provide support to their members and work with them on how they can grow participation in their sports. We’re excited to be working with, and supporting, the Federation of Irish Sport and their NGB and Local Sports Partnership members.”
Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, said “Sport and Physical activity plays a vital role in the vibrancy of communities all over Ireland. We believe that our partnership with Teamer will provide the over 12,000 clubs involved in Sport with the tools they need to manage and organise their activities in an effective way. We are delighted to welcome Teamer as a partner to the Federation of Irish Sport”
