May 28, 2018
Ireland welcomed a World Cup win over the weekend when Pentathlete Arthur Lanigan -O’Keeffe secured Gold in the Pentathlon World Cup Series in Sofia.
This backed up fellow Irish athlete Natalya Coyle who took Silver in the Women’s event on Friday.
Credited by the international governing body as being “One of the most progressive nations in the sport,” Ireland can now look forward to the pair competing at the Tokyo Olympics where the prospect of medals in one of the most quintessentially Olympic of sports is now a very real possibility.
The two competitors, who are partners away from the competition arena as well, have now become the first individual medallists at such a World level in the sport.
Pentathlon Ireland hosted the World Youth Championships at the University of Limerick in 2016 and won the right to host the World Laser Run Championships in Dublin later this year.
May 21, 2018
Federation of Irish Sport members, the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golf Union have joined forces to host the world’s best amateur golfers this August and September at Carton House in County Kildare.
The World Amateur Team Championships will bring 1,000 competitors and officials to Ireland for the Women’s Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy between August 29th and September 1st, and the Men’s Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy between September 5th and 8th.
It is the first time that Ireland has staged these prestigious biennial tournaments which have in the past seen such stars of the game as Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Mary McKenna, Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire take part.
Most of the competitors from the 72 participating nations will be accommodated in a ‘Championship Village’ at Maynooth University, adding to the unique camaraderie of this event.
Approximately 10,000 spectators are expected to pass through the gates at Carton during the two weeks of competition, with free admission offered to encourage as many club and junior members to attend.
“We are delighted to welcome and host such a superior event at Carton House,” said Sinead Heraty, Chief Executive of the ILGU.
“Ireland is renowned as a golfing location and has produced numerous world class golfers during both the historic and modern era. The Espirito Santo and Eisenhower Trophies promise to provide two weeks of exciting viewing and an opportunity to see some of the professional stars of the future.”
“This is the first time that Ireland has hosted an amateur golf tournament on this scale,” added Pat Finn, Chief Executive of the GUI.
“In every aspect, the World Amateur Team Championships is a spectacular event. It is a rare opportunity to see so many of the world’s best golfers in action. This momentous occasion will act as a boon to the local economy in north Kildare with restaurants, pubs and hotels in demand throughout August and early September.
The International Golf Federation which conducts the Championship, as well as the Olympic Games Golf tournaments, will also host it’s biennial congress in Ireland to coincide with the event.
Meet representatives of the GUI, ILGU and all our major sporting organisations at the Federation of Irish Sport Annual Conference in Trinity College on Thursday, May 31st. Click below for details. It promises to be a great afternoon of learning and networking.
Image(© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)
May 17, 2018
Great to see that tickets for the Dublin 2018 World Para Swimming Allianz European Championship are now on sale to the general public.
So far 37 countries and over 500 athletes are confirmed to be taking part in the event which will be one of the biggest international sports events to be staged in Ireland this year.
It is also the first time that Ireland will stage a major Para sport event on such a scale. It is fitting that this should be the case given the high level of achievement that Para athletes have maintained since the breakthrough year of the London Paralympic Games in 2012.
Paralympic swimmers, Ellen Keane and Nicole Turner were present at the National Sports Campus yesterday to launch the tickets which are available in a range of affordable prices.
Morning session tickets cost €5 for adults, €3 for Under 16s, €10 for family tickets (Two adults and Two U16) and €25 for group tickets (Two adults and Eight U16).
Tickets for the evening (finals) sessions will cost €10 for adults, €5 for U16s and €20 for family tickets. Adult competition passes, which give access to every session, are available at just €70 and Under 16 competition passes cost just €20.
There will also be an additional 10 percent ‘early bird’ discount for tickets bought before May 25th.
The two newest ambassadors for the Para Swimming Allianz European Championships were also unveiled at the National Aquatic Centre. Claire Bergin, who represented Ireland at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games was joined by popular online personality, Rory O’Connor, the creator of Rory’s Stories, to become the latest Ambassadors for #Dublin2018. Claire and Rory will join Jessie Barr, Gordon D’Arcy, Amber Barrett and Niall Quinn on the starting blocks on Friday, August 17th for the Ambassador Challenge over 50m.
“We are delighted to launch the ticket offering for the European Swimming Championships,” said Local Organising Committee Chair and CEO of Paralympics Ireland Miriam Malone.
“This is the first time that supporters will have the opportunity to purchase their tickets for the biggest international sporting event to take place in Ireland this year.”
“The tickets have been very reasonably priced to make this an affordable event and to give supporters every opportunity to get behind Team Ireland and to cheer them on to European glory.”
“I would also like to welcome Claire and Rory as the latest ambassadors for the event. We are all really looking forward to seeing how all of the ambassadors get on in the pool on the 17th.”
You can purchase tickets for what promises to be one of the most exciting and uplifting sports events of the year right here.
The Para Swimming Allianz European Championships will take place at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre from August 13th-19th. There will be 2 sessions per day with the heats taking place during the morning session from 10am-12: 30 pm and the finals will take place during the evening session from 6pm-9: 30 pm.
Allianz Ireland is the title sponsor of #Dublin2018 while Paralympics Ireland, Sport Ireland, Swim Ireland and Fáilte Ireland are official host partners to the event.
Meet representatives of Paralympics Ireland and all our major sporting organisations at the Federation of Irish Sport Annual Conference in Trinity College on Thursday, May 31st. Click below for details. It promises to be a great afternoon of learning and networking.
May 15, 2018
Ireland’s Cricketers may not have won their first ever Test match at Malahide, but in every other way, it has been a tremendous success for Federation member Cricket Ireland.
After the tribulations of a day lost to wind and rain on Friday, history was made in front of a large crowd on Saturday, and in a game which swung in all directions, there was enough going on to intrigue even the casually curious.
President Michael D Higgins dropped by on Sunday, as did Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and as millions of viewers around the world watched on Kevin O’Brien hit a first Test Century to secure another place in the record books.
The team will be back in Malahide at the end of June for two T20 One Day International matches against World Champions India and the capacity of the temporarily erected ground has already been nudged up to 8,200 to cater for demand.
Cricket Ireland will shortly take over a new high-performance facility at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus and with rising number of players, and growing awareness of the strong presence of the sport here, the future looks very bright.
May 10, 2018
Sport Ireland Publishes Findings of 2017 Irish Sports Monitor
- 43% of the population regularly participate in sport
- Gender gap in sports participation narrower than any point since Irish Sports Monitor introduced in 2007
- The most popular sports to participate in are personal exercise, swimming, running, cycling and soccer
- Proportion of adults meeting National Physical Activity Guidelines has increased since 2015
- Social and disability gradients in participation are still strong
Sport Ireland today published the findings of the Irish Sports Monitor (ISM) Report for 2017.
The report, written by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of Sport Ireland, measures adult participation in sport and physical activity and compares it with information published for previous years.
The key finding of the 2017 ISM is that 43% of the Irish population – approximately 1.6 million people – participate in sport at least once a week.
Overall personal exercise is the most popular activity (12.4%) with swimming (8.5%), running (6.2%), cycling (5.1%) and soccer (4.1%) the next most popular.
Speaking at the launch in Dublin today, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin TD, welcomed the findings: “The Irish Sports Monitor shows us that a significant proportion of the population is benefitting from the physical, mental and social benefits obtained by participating in sport and physical activity. While playing an important role in encouraging healthy lifestyles, sport is also vital for developing social capital and building community spirit. The Irish Sports Monitor shows that those engaging in sport through volunteering, attendance at sporting events and club membership remains strong, which is to be welcomed. It is encouraging to note that 43% of the population regularly participate in sport, and it is even more encouraging to note that the gender gap in sports participation is narrower than at any point since the Irish Sports Monitor was introduced in 2007. The scale of the challenge ahead is evident when one considers that there is more than half the population who do not participate in sport regularly. My Department will continue to work closely with Sport Ireland to ensure opportunities to participate in sport are afforded to all members of society.”
The report shows that 10.8% of respondents volunteered in sport on a regular basis, with Gaelic football (3.4%), Soccer (2.2%), Hurling/Camogie (2%), Rugby (0.6%) and Running (0.5%) the most popular sports among volunteers. Just under a fifth of respondents attended a sporting event with Gaelic Football, Soccer, Hurling/Camogie, Rugby, Swimming and Running the most popular among spectators.
Chairman of Sport Ireland, Kieran Mulvey, commented: “The Irish Sports Monitor shows strong levels of participation, not just participation in sport but also social participation through volunteering, club membership and attendance at sporting events. A key priority of the Board of Sport Ireland is increasing participation across every age group and from all social backgrounds throughout Ireland, and the Irish Sports Monitor will be instrumental in shaping the development of plans and policies at a local and national level.”
Having commenced around the same time as Ireland’s recent economic woes, the Irish Sports Monitor has acted as a barometer for the social and economic uncertainty which the country has seen during the last 10 years. One of the key messages from the Irish Sports Monitor has been the importance of these social and economic forces in shaping participation in sport and physical activity over the last 10 years.
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, John Treacy, added: “The Irish Sports Monitor shows that participation in sport has remained broadly consistent since the previous iteration in 2015. This is particularly interesting given economic conditions typically lead to lower levels of participation due to time constraints. With the more recent change in the economic environment, the Irish Sports Monitor shows reduced participation among certain groups most likely to be affected by having less time in participate. Understanding the factors behind this is important in allowing us to focus our attentions on these groups.”
The report finds that gender gap in sports participation (4.5%) is narrower now than at any point since the ISM was introduced in 2007 when it was 15.7%.
Mr Treacy continued: “Another welcome finding is that the gender gap in sports participation is narrower than any point since the Irish Sports Monitor was introduced a decade ago. Sport Ireland has invested in over €20 million through the Women in Sport Programme, which aims to increase women’s participation in sport, including non-participatory opportunities through volunteering and coaching. I would like to commend the National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships for playing an important role in getting more women active more often.”
Kieran O’Leary, Research Director, Ipsos MRBI added: “This year’s ISM also provides unique insights into public attitudes to investment in sport. Overall it shows that the investment in sport over the past few years is paying dividends with 86% feeling that there are more opportunities to participate in sport now than there were 10 years ago.”
While the report contains many positives, challenges exist particularly around the resilient social and disability gradients in all forms of participation. Sport Ireland is addressing challenges identified in the Irish Sports Monitor through working strategically with National Governing Bodies for Sport and Local Sports Partnerships to provide as many opportunities as possible for people to engage in sport and physical activity.
Among the programmes currently being rolled out nationwide are those funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund. This investment is aligned with the National Physical Activity Plan, with a particular emphasis on implementing programmes to promote physical activity and develop programmes to address transitions and drop out from physical activity. This fund has also seen the establishment of Community Physical Activity Hubs around the country, which aim to increase the number of people of all ages participating in sport and physical activity in their communities.
A copy of the 2017 Irish Sports Monitor can be downloaded here.
Key Findings Include:
- 43% of the population regularly take part in sport representing 1.6 million regular participants. This is the same level recorded in 2015.
- Gender gap in sports participation (4.5%) is narrower now than at any point since the ISM was introduced in 2007 when it was 15.7%.
- 45.3% of men and 40.8% of women take part in sport/exercise. This represents a decrease among men (from 47.2% in 2015) and a slight increase among women (from 39.3% in 2015).
- The most popular sports to participate in are personal exercise (12.4%), swimming (8.5%), running (6.2%), cycling (5.1%) and soccer (4.1%).
- There has been an increase in the proportions that are walking for recreation (from 63.6% to 66.2%), and the proportion walking for transport (from 45.6% to 46.6%).
- There has been an increase in the proportion that is highly active, with almost a third (32.6%) now achieving the minimum level of activity set by the National Physical Activity Guidelines while the proportion categorised as sedentary remains unchanged (13%).
- Almost 9 out of 10 (86%) feel that there are more opportunities now to participate in sport than there were 10 years ago.
- 28% currently use technology to measure the amount or nature of physical activity they undertake, with 43% having used one at some stage in the past.
May 9, 2018
The 2017 edition of the Irish Sports Monitor will be published in Dublin tomorrow.
We will bring you all the latest news and reaction to the largest single survey of how we as a nation participate in Sport.
The Irish Sports Monitor is published by Sport Ireland.
