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.
May 4, 2018
Peter Miskimmin has a wealth of experience as an athlete, coach and sports leader.
Peter was appointed Chief Executive of Sport NZ in 2008. Since then he has overseen New Zealand’s most successful Olympic Games (Beijing, London and Rio) and driven a significant step change in community sport thinking and implementation.
Prior to his time at Sport NZ Peter spent 17 years at New Zealand Post, where he held a number of senior management roles in the sales, marketing and commercial sides of the business.
A two time Olympian (Los Angeles and Barcelona), Peter has been Captain of the New Zealand Men’s Hockey Team, played 150 test matches for his country and twice won the New Zealand Hockey Player of the Year Award. He is currently a selector for the national men’s side, the Black Sticks.
Peter has coached at provincial and international level, winning national titles on several occasions. He coached the Junior Black Sticks at the 2009 Junior Hockey World Cup where the team (ranked 12th) finished 4th. He continues to volunteer as a Premier 1 coach at his local hockey club.
He has served on the Boards of the New Zealand Olympic Committee and the New Zealand Sports Foundation and SPARC. He was member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission for ten years (1992 – 2000) and was Chair for eight of those years. In 2000 Peter established the Olympic Club of NZ and was President for twelve years. He has also attended the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as Head of Athlete Services within the New Zealand Games management team.
#SportMatters
Apr 30, 2018
The Federation of Irish Sport will host Mr Pat Breen, Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market & Data Protection, along with officials from the Department of the Taoiseach and the office of the Data Protection Commissioner at the conference centre on the National Sport Campus, Blanchardstown on Wednesday May 9th at 10am to discuss and answer any queries or concerns sporting organisations may have on GDPR.
For all the members who wish to attend this event please register by clicking on
Schedule for the day:
9.15am – 10am Tea/coffee pastries
10am – Welcome Mary O’Connor CEO Federation of Irish Sport
10.05am – Minster Pat Breen
10.20am – GDPR Q&A with Minister Pat Breen, Department of Taoiseach Officials and members of Data Protection Commissioner officials
11.30am – Event ends
#SportMatters
Apr 27, 2018
Two time Olympian and current chief executive of Sport New Zealand, Peter Miskimmin, will be in Dublin at the end of May to deliver the keynote address at this year’s Federation of Irish Sport Conference, which is scheduled to be held in Trinity College Dublin on Thursday 31st May. Appointed Chief Executive of Sport New Zealand in 2008, he has overseen New Zealand’s most successful Olympic Games (Beijing, London, and Rio) and driven a significant step change in community sport thinking and implementation.
The theme of the Conference is “Sport: The New Zealand Way. Grassroots to Greats. What can Ireland learn?” Miskimmmin, and his colleague Geoff Barry who heads up Sport New Zealand’s Community Sport programme, will share the experiences that have helped to create highly successful programmes across all areas of sport in New Zealand. Full details of the Conference and how to book can be found at irishsport.ie/newzealand
Minister of State at Department for Transport, Tourism, and Sport, Mr. Brendan Griffin TD will in attendance to open the conference. Sarah Keane, who has done such a wonderful job since taking over as President of the Olympic Council of Ireland will address the topic of ” Why Olympic Sport is Important”, while Mary O’Connor chief executive of the Federation will look at what could be achieved by Irish sport with more targeted investment in people and programmes.
The success of sport in New Zealand, both in terms of participation and also at High Performance level, has been referenced by a number of Ireland’s politicians in recent years. The Taoiseach Mr Leo Varadkar TD, referenced in his election manifesto New Zealand’s haul of 19 medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics as a target that Ireland should be aiming to match. New Zealand with a population similar to Ireland has also enjoyed major success at increasing participation levels across all sports, as it uses sport to create a healthier population.
Speaking about the Conference Mary O’Connor said that the Federation was delighted that Sport New Zealand had agreed to participate. ” They really have been successful at all levels of sport and it is a real coup for the Federation that they have agreed to participate, and to share the plans and strategies that have made sport in New Zealand so successful. I would urge anyone with an interest in the future of sport in Ireland to attend. I have no doubt that given the similarities between our two countries that we will discover insights and initiatives that might equally apply to Irish Sport. “
The Speakers;
Peter Miskimmin, the CEO of Sport New Zealand has a wealth of experience as an athlete, coach, and sports leader.
Prior to his time at Sport NZ Peter spent 17 years at New Zealand Post, where he held a number of senior management roles in the sales, marketing and commercial sides of the business. A two time Olympian (Los Angeles and Barcelona), Peter has been Captain of the New Zealand Men’s Hockey Team. He played 150 test matches for his country and twice won the New Zealand Hockey Player of the Year Award. He is currently a selector for the national men’s side, the Black Sticks.
He has served on the Boards of the New Zealand Olympic Committee and the New Zealand Sports Foundation and SPARC. He was member of the New Zealand Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission for ten years (1992 – 2000) and was Chair for eight of those years. In 2000 Peter established the Olympic Club of NZ and was President for twelve years. He has also attended the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Geoff Barry is currently the General Manager of Community Sport at Sport New Zealand and came to the role in late 2012, after three years as Chief Executive of the Canterbury West Coast Sports Trust. Previous to that he had been chief executive of Surf Life Saving New Zealand for nine years.
As an administrator he has held positions on the national board of Water Polo, Surf Life Saving and NZ Universities Rugby League. He has also been active at committee level in international lifesaving.
Geoff has been responsible for leading the development and implementation of the 2015-2020 Community Sport Strategy. The Strategy is a material shift from a historic focus on partners and more traditional competitive sports. Sport NZ is now a ‘Participant-focused’ organisation with emphasis on understanding participation and participant decision making and influencing the system to respond. With a young person focus, Sport NZ is looking to develop a life-long love of being physically active by improving the quality opportunities, support, and experiences in sport, recreation, and play.
Sarah Keane is the Chief Executive Officer, Swim Ireland and President, Olympic Council of Ireland. Sarah is the first Chief Executive Officer of Swim Ireland – the National Governing Body for Swimming, Water Polo, Diving and associated Aquatic Disciplines on the island of Ireland. She has held this position for over ten years.
Sarah was elected (February 2017) as the first female President of the Olympic Council of Ireland. She was first elected to the Board of the Olympic Council of Ireland in 2014. Sarah represented Ireland at the European Olympic Council’s Women in Sport & Leadership Talent Event in Poland in April 2015.
Sarah is a qualified solicitor and is a Matheson Alumni having worked with Matheson Solicitors, a leading Irish law firm, prior to taking up her CEO position with Swim Ireland.
Sarah is also a member of the Board of Ireland Active (an umbrella body for many organisations involved in the leisure and fitness industry in Ireland). She is a former member of both the Board of the Federation of Irish Sport (the umbrella body for sporting organisations in Ireland) and the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel.
Mary O’Connor is CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport. She is a native of Cork and has worked in sport all her professional life and is an avid sports fan.
In 2016 Mary graduated from University College Cork with a Masters in Voluntary and Community Sector Management. Before joining the Federation of Irish Sport, Mary worked with the Camogie Association as Director of Technical Development and Participation. She excelled in this role and led the association in to an unprecedented era of growth. Under her direction as Acting CEO of the Camogie Association in 2013, she successfully guided the association through change in the form of the new affiliation model for individual members, which saw camogie ensure a more equitable membership structure for all clubs.
Mary has represented her native Cork in both Camogie and Ladies football amassing a total of 12 Senior All Ireland medals over a 16-year dual intercounty career. She has won All Stars in both codes, national leagues and provincial titles and more recently was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate from University College Cork (2012) in recognition of her amazing contribution to sport in Ireland.
For further information please visit irishsport.ie/newzealand early bird tickets are priced at €30 with general admission at €35 and a special offer of buy six get one free.
