Jan 15, 2014
Beyond Limits: The Next Generation follows winning Irish Paralympic athletes in the year post the ground-
breaking London 2012 Paralympic Games, and looks at the legacy of those results and the impact on the next generation of athletes coming forward. With sixteen medals brought home from London, the documentary takes up the story begun in Beyond Limits, which was broadcast just before the 2012 Games started, and finds out what happens next for our heroic champions. It looks at the impact of the London 2012 achievements in changing public attitudes to disability sport as well as the inspiration it has given to the next generation as they look to compete in 2016 at the games in Rio.
The show will be screened for the first time ‘free to air’ on Setanta Ireland on January 23rd at 10pm. Two further repeats have been confirmed for January 26th at 10pm and January 29th at 8pm.
Presented by Mark Pollock, key elite athletes and mentors to the next generation featured include Jason Smyth, Michael McKillop, Darragh McDonald, Catherine Walsh, Orla Barry and Helen Kearney.
The show focuses on the support by elite athletes to the new generation of potential Paralympic athletes seeking to compete at the Rio2016 Paralympic Games. The next generation of athletes learn that regardless of the sporting discipline, many of the same principles apply and in the context of Irish Paralympic Sport after the London Games, the great success achieved will hopefully breed similar success in Rio. The next generation of athletes featured in the programme include Niamh McCarthy, Peter Ryan, Garreth Greene, Ailbhe Kelly and Heather Jameson.
This documentary has been produced by Athena Media with support from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s Sound and Vision Scheme and Paralympics Ireland.
Viewing times on Setanta Ireland:
10pm on January 23rd
10pm on January 26th
8pm on January 29th
For more information on Athena Media go to www.athenamedia.ie
For more information on Beyond Limits: The Next Generation please contact Rob Hope at (01) 4883352 or at rob@athenamedia.ie.
Paralympics Ireland’s High Performance programme is supported by the Irish Sports Council and the Irish Institute of Sport.
Paralympics Ireland Sponsor:
Allianz
Paralympics Ireland Partners:
Bewleys Moran Hotel Group
McInerney Saunders
Expd8
Nov 29, 2013
The Federation talks to Declan O’Rourke, AIG General Manager about the company’s 5 year commitment to Dublin GAA…
What do you see as the benefits for a brand such as AIG in supporting Irish sporting bodies?
The Dublin GAA sponsorship is not the first time that AIG has invested in sports
sponsorship in Ireland. AIG has supported amateur golf in Ireland for almost 15 years and AIG is the official sponsor of the Golf Union of Ireland. In addition, we recently entered an insurance partnership with Tennis Ireland.
Sponsoring Dublin GAA is a further step towards raising our profile and boosting our business. Ultimately, we want people to
know our name and we want to improve the awareness around AIG and our core insurance products. The name on the jersey is of course great but it is about how we activate our partnership and how we bring it to life across our consumer and commercial divisions.
The sponsorship will also improve our brand. We want to be known as an insurance company that supports community based, participation sport, with all the health, personal and social benefits that brings to children and communities across the country.
This sponsorship is a clear statement that AIG is committed to both the Irish insurance market and the Irish community for the long term. It solidifies AIG’s track record of supporting amateur sport in Ireland.
Dublin GAA is one of the country’s most successful sporting brands, are there any particular aspect of their success that were attractive to AIG in developing this new partnership?
Dublin GAA has had a phenomenal amount of success over the last few years. Ladies football All-Ireland champions, Leinster and league hurling champions and of course All-Ireland football champions – this is just at senior level. When you consider underage titles at provincial and national level, it really has been a time of massive on field success. The success can also be seen at Feile level at both hurling and football.
Success in sport is built on teamwork, planning, tenacity, integrity, performance and hard work. We feel these qualities of Dublin GAA are mirrored at AIG.
AIG has chosen to sponsor Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie as well as Men’s Football and Hurling, was there a particular reason behind this decision?
We are the first sponsor to unite the four codes of Gaelic football, hurling, ladies football and camogie under the one jersey. The opportunity to unite all four codes was one we could not turn down. To hear Sinéad Goldrick and Louise O’Hara, both prominent players in football and camogie respectively, talk so passionately at the launch about what a sponsor like AIG does for their sport has vindicated our decision.
Dublin GAA is a huge organisation, boys and girls, ladies and men, supporting 92 clubs, 100,000 associated members, 320 active primary schools and organises 4,000 adult club games every year. As a passionate GAA supporter myself, I understand how important sponsorship revenue is to ensure that these structures are supported and to ensure GAA is promoted at all levels from GAA nurseries to the stars who appear in Croke Park.
AIG has committed to a 5 year sponsorship, do you believe it takes time for this type of partnership to be successful?
Yes – the traditional sponsorship model has changed in the last few years. It is no longer enough to put a name on a jersey for
a short period. We want to build an affinity with Dublin GAA players, clubs, management, supporters and county board. This takes time. With a five year deal we hope to have shown Dublin GAA and its fans, that same level of commitment so that they can plan for the next five years in the knowledge that they have a committed partner on board. From our side, it also means that we can build steadily. I think Dublin fans are going to be very excited by what AIG have planned over the next few years.
Has AIG’s approach to commercial partnerships changed in recent years?
AIG has traditionally sponsored major global brands like Manchester United and the All Blacks. While AIG in Ireland has sponsored golf and tennis, this is the first time we have sponsored GAA and the first time we have AIG branding on a major GAA team. This takes our sponsorship activity and awareness in Ireland to a new level.
What advice would you give to any sports organisation looking to secure sponsorship in the current environment?
I would suggest the sporting organisation put together a comprehensive document outlining all the assets, including exclusivity, naming rights, signage, TV viewership, newspaper, other media, customer database, team apparel, web exposure, websites, social media, player access, CSR, hospitality, etc. Dublin GAA put together an excellent document that made the process much easier.
I would also advise the organisation to look for a company with experience in sponsorship that wants to build its brand and customer base.
Finally, while a lot of media focus on the money aspects of sponsorship, this was not our sole focus. We were looking for a good fit for AIG and a good working relationship. I believe the sponsorship will not just support the Dublin GAA players and underage system, but will also bring enjoyment and pride to our business partners, brokers, clients and staff.
Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us, finally what was your personal highlight of the sporting year 2013 and anything you are particularly looking forward to in 2014?
As a Tipperary man, we had a disappointing year. However, the All Ireland Hurling Final replay was very special, especially as two of my kids were involved in the half time game.
It was fantastic to see Dublin hurlers win Leinster in style after so many years. The All Ireland Semi Final Football was a fantastic spectacle, full of drama and the final was a great occasion.
Finally, the Ireland v All Black game was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. It was great to see the fight back in Irish rugby.
For 2014, I am optimistically looking forward to a Dublin v Tipperary hurling final. I look forward to seeing the Dublin mens footballers having another great year and expect the ladies to also perform well at both codes. I think the Dublin Ladies have a great chance of winning the All Ireland football in 2014. Bring on tomorrow.
Nov 29, 2013
Lindsey has been with Pentathlon Ireland since October 2009 and is the founder of the High Performance Programme. As a BSc graduate in Sport and Exercises Science and MA graduate in Coach Education and Sports Development, Lindsey has secured support for the HPP from the ISC and produced impressive International and Olympic results. Representing Great Britain, Lindsey won individual Junior bronze at the Junior World Championships in 2003. Lindsey also won team medals including Gold at the Senior World Championships in 2006. Since beginning coaching with Pentathlon Ireland, Lindsey has coached athletes from Youth B to Senior and from National to International competitions. Highlights include Irish representation at the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, the 2011rld Cup Finals and the Olympic Games 2012 in London.
FIS: It has been a really busy and successful 2 years for your athletes, what have been the highlights for you?
Natalya Coyle’s 9th place at the Olympic Games is an obvious high and Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe also placed 25th; both were fantastic achievements for such young athletes but I’d say the actual highlight was qualifying two athletes to the Olympic Games. I first approached the ISC in 2010 with the idea that we might qualify an athlete for London 2012. Thankfully the ISC had the foresight to support the idea and help me to see it through. It really was an incredible journey and I vividly remember the culmination of the qualification process; the final competition was in China and it wasn’t a competition that Natalya nailed so I was up all night calculating and re-calculating the qualification points. Receiving the official confirmation was very exciting and a big reflection of a huge team of people that had helped Natalya qualify.
FIS: What changes did you make or systems did you put in place when you first took up your role with Pentathlon Ireland?
My initial step was to put in place training programmes and try to facilitate sessions for a group of athletes who were from the Irish Pony Club and had been competing in a sport call Tetrathlon (cross country riding, swimming, shooting and running). With no permanent training base and athletes in different locations this proved very difficult. One way round this was for us to attend international training camps on a regular basis. This allowed athletes to train on site for the majority of events and also to gain greater exposure to higher standards of fencing opponents. Each year in the run up to London 2012 the programme progressed significantly.
After the successes in 2012, last year provided us with an opportunity to take stock of our progress and develop a much longer term strategic plan encompassing Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. We now have a Talent Pathway in place to allow the long term development of athletes in our sport from our Youth age groups through to Senior Internationals.
FIS: How long does it take for the success to start being seen on the podium?
Although I only began working with the athletes in 2009, both Natalya and Arthur both had good foundations and displayed characteristics of good all round athletes. For them, their performance curve has been steep and the progress they’ve made in the last few years is unusual. Traditionally pentathlon, the skills events (fencing, shooting and riding) take time to develop so as long as an athlete can maintain the physical levels (running and swimming) they can still compete at the top level. I would anticipate Natalya and Arthur to continue developing their skill events across the next Olympic cycle and improve their performances. While there are exceptions, most athletes would be involved in the sport for at least six to eight years before medalling.
FIS: With the new facilities at the National Sports Campus, is it now possible for athletes to train in Ireland and compete at the highest level?
We’re delighted with the National Pentathlon Training Center and being located on the National Sports Campus. Since being operational in mid October, the NPTC has already made noticeable improvements on our athletes training performances. They can now fence, shoot and run in the NPTC, swim in the National Aquatics Center and with the new National Horse Sport Arena on the campus are athletes are incredibly well placed to perform all their training sessions. We also work really well with the Irish Institute of Sport (also located on campus) so the athletes don’t need to travel for their support services.
The facilities we now have are on par with some of the best in Europe and we’re looking to begin inviting other nations to come and train with our squads in Ireland.
FIS: What advice would you give to any young athlete hoping to make a career or be successful at the highest level in modern pentathlon?
Athletes with a background in running and swimming and have good coordination would be ideal for our sport. That said, athletes find our sport from various pathways and it’s not necessarily the most talented athletes but those with all round capabilities who are prepared to work hard that can prosper. As previously mention, fencing generally takes the longest to master so the younger athletes start the better.
Pentathlon Ireland will be re-structuring our participation events for 2014 and be looking to host some Talent ID events during the coming year.
FIS: Many thanks for taking the time to talk to us, finally what are Pentathlon Ireland’s goals for the high performance system over the coming years?
Olympic qualification will be the initial goal and from there we’ll be looking for our athletes to produce medal zone performances at major championships and events. We’re also looking to develop our Talent Pathway athletes towards Tokyo 2020.
Social Media
Nov 28, 2013
Featured Event: Irish Squash – Irish Junior Open 2013
Location:
Sutton LTC & Aer Lingus (ALSAA) Sports Club
DATE:
November 22nd – 24th 2013
PARTICIPATING TEAMS/ATHLETES:
117 players from 6 countries – Girls & Boys from U13 – U19
Host:
Irish Squash
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About Irish Squash
Irish Squash, founded in 1935 is the National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of squash in Ireland. The Irish Squash Federation is an All Ireland Body encompassing the 32 counties with the four 
Provincial branches, each responsible for organising participation, play and Competitions in their own province. As a National Governing Body we proactively develop and promote squash. We offer a comprehensive range of support and services at national, regional and local levels including:
- Programmes to increase participation in squash and especially for children with school programmes and women
- Events and competitions for all ages and abilities
- Coaching Education Programmes
- Advice on Technical and Maintenance services
- Structured Development Programmes
- Promotion of Squash and drive awareness of the game and its health benefits to participants
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EVENT HISTORY
First played in 1974 it was one of the first Junior Open in Europe and has a long history with many title winners who have gone on to great success in professional squash over the years including our current national womens champion Aisling Blake from Sligo.
EVENT PREPARATION
A Tournament Director was appointed in April who then set up a sub-committee who met and started preparation in earnest in August. The 2 venues were selected and agreed with the host clubs. All the detail for the entry form was decided upon including the hotel and food package for the visiting teams. The hotels, caterers and transport were booked and contracts signed. Transport had to be arranged to bring players to/from the airport and also to/from the hotel and squash venues. The preparation to live stream the event on the Irish Squash page on Aertv were also made regarding ensuring the broadband was strong enough to stream. The invitation to enter was sent to the European Squash federation who the send it to all affiliated countries. The sub committee met twice a week in the 4 weeks leading up to the event finalising the volunteers who were going to work in both venues, checking players in, organising the playing schedule, organising referees and inputting all results on-line into tournament software which is the software product being used to run the
event. There was also a welcome pack put together which had to organised with it-shirts printed and other promotional items purchased. Once all the entries were in by the closing date the final hotel bookings were made and catering finalised in Sutton and ALSAA. The seeding were then made and the draw was completed, published on the Irish Squash web site and on Tournament Software. Players were also made aware by e mail of their first round match.
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THE EVENT
Venue
Sutton LTC & Aer Lingus (ALSAA) Sports Club
Spectators/Attendees
The Open had 117 players played with supporters and family also attending. Supporters of Junior Squash generally were also at he event over the 3 days – Friday 2pm – 8pm/Saturday 9am – 8pm/Sunday 9am – 4pm
Volunteers
Volunteers were recruited from the 2 host clubs mainly, with over 30 people in total to manage both venues over the weekend. This included manning reception/registration referees, player liaison, office staff to input results and publish fixtures, draws etc
How was the event structured?
There was a Girls and Boys event in 4 age groups – Under 13, 15, 17 & 19. Events were organised into the ‘Swiss’ System i.e. In a 16 person draw the 1st seed plays the 16th seed, 2nd plays 15th and so on. All the winners play to the final but all the losers
continue to play all the other losers. When play concludes everyone is ranked from 1 to 16.
Where next for the Irish Team?
The Irish Junior Squad @ U11, 13, 15, 17 & 19 (top 6 ranked players ) have squad sessions for the next 4 weekends . There will be more sessions in January. The Junior national Championships take place in early February and the national teams at U13, 15, 17 & 19 will be selected for European Championships taking place in March/April in Finland & the Czech Republic.
How the event went, Paul Nugent, COO, Irish Squash:
“With nearly 400 matches over the 3 days everything went so smoothly and our visitors and home players had a great weekend of fun and competition. We had a very successful event which was virtually 100% organised by voluntary effort, with a superb Tournament Director who worked superbly with the 2 venues and their members. We also had over 4,000 unique views from 8 countries over the weekend watching the live streaming, which was the first time the Irish Junior Open was streamed live. All in all a very successful tournament.”
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For more information see
Website:
http://www.irishsquash.com/1st-round-irish-junior-open-2013/
Nov 28, 2013
Mountaineering Ireland
Mountaineering Ireland is the representative body for walkers and climbers in Ireland. It is recognised as the National Governing Body for mountaineering, hillwalking, rambling and climbing by both the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland. Founded in 1971, Mountaineering Ireland exists to represent and support the walkers and climbers of Ireland and to be a voice for the sustainable use of Ireland’s mountains and all the places (coastline, crags, forests) we use.
Mountaineering Ireland has a number of sub-committees, including an Access and Conservation Committee that supports Mountaineering Ireland’s environmental initiatives and a Mountain Training Board that supports the delivery of personal skills and leadership awards such as
Mountain Skills, Lowland Leader Award, Mountain Leader Award, Climbing Wall Award, Multi Pitch Award and others. These schemes and awards are used by both club members and as vocational awards for those working in the adventure activities and outdoor education sector.
There are ten members of staff at present based at offices in Irish Sport HQ, Dublin 15 and Tollymore National Outdoor Centre, Co. Down.
Membership: 11,509
Number of Clubs: 168
2013 Highlights:
Competition climbing is growing hugely across the globe and over the past 5 years it’s growth in Ireland has been significant. This has seen the development of new national climbing centres (Gravity and Awesome Walls) and more regional climbing centres (Cork, Belfast and Derry) opening shortly. Other local walls (Kilfinane, Upperchurch, Artane, etc.) have also developed recently. This greater access to better facilities has raised the profile of young Irish climbers and one of those, Dominic Burns, is the 2013 European Youth Cup Bouldering Champion and he is ranked number 1 in the World.Mountaineering Ireland developed a new strategic plan through significant engagement with our members. The plan (SDP 2014-2017) will see Mountaineering Ireland work to deliver on 7 key objectives:- supporting participation in our sport, improving personal skills and standards and encouraging adventure opportunities for everyone.
Get Ireland Walking is an Irish Sports Council initiative led by Mountaineering Ireland. Get Ireland Walking exists to support people to get walking in their communities for health, wellbeing and fitness. A focus of year one has been to bring all interested stakeholders together, build the base of walking groups throughout Ireland and support groups and stakeholders with appropriate services and resources. See www.getirelandwalking.ie
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Fact File
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52% of members are female
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Ireland boasts a world number 1 ranked climber
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Key Programmes that Mountaineering Ireland run:
Access and Environment
Most walking and climbing activities in Ireland take place in the natural environment, therefore access to the outdoors is absolutely fundamental to the sport of mountaineering. An appreciation and understanding of the environment can greatly enhance our enjoyment of our activities in the outdoors. Mountaineering Ireland’s work on access and conservation is focused on two core objectives:
- To secure continued access to mountain areas and crags
- To promote the conservation and responsible use of the mountain environment.
In 2013, this has involved developing, with other stakeholders, initiatives such as Helping the Hills, Club Environmental Officers’ Programme, the National Uplands Working Group, contributing to the Irish Uplands Forum, Comhairle na Tuaithe, and other regional upland forums.
Mountain Training
Mountain Training on the island of Ireland is supported by two mountain training boards; Bord Oiliúint Sléibhe, which is the training sub-committee of Mountaineering Ireland and Mountain Training Northern Ireland. Currently, a process is ongoing to integrate both training boards in Mountaineering Ireland. Mountain Training can be summed up as the provision of personal skills and leadership training schemes and awards. These schemes and awards support both participation in our sport and also those that work in the outdoor industry.
Youth and Talent Development
Mountaineering Ireland’s youth programme includes both support through Mountaineering Ireland’s affiliated clubs and also through other youth organisations, including Scouting Ireland. The Youth Climbing Series is a series of fun climbing competitions specifically for young people with the emphasis on enjoyment. It attracts hundreds of entrants across Ireland. The Aspirant Mountaineers programme focuses on students and young people between the ages of 18 – 23 and provides development opportunities in Ireland’s mountains before taking part in a winter skills programme in Scotland.
Mountaineering Ireland’s Talent Development programme provides a pathway for talented young climbers to progress into national development squads and the national climbing team.
Girls Outside and Women with Altitude
The Irish Sports Council’s Women in Sport programme has allowed Mountaineering Ireland develop the Girls Outside and Women in Sport programmes targeting long term female participation in our sport. Mountaineering Ireland’s membership is now 52% female with greater participation of women in all aspects:- leadership, competitions, etc..
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What are the key events to look forward to in 2014?
Calendar of Events
Club challenge and hillwalking events take place throughout the year and dates of those events are available closer to the event date.
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How can people get involved in ?
To find a club close to you or to join as an individual member of Mountaineering Ireland, go to www.mountaineering.ie
Our website has lots of infiormation on accessing hillwalking and climbing, equipment and skills and the options of training schemes and awards that are available.
Also, please visit some of other sites;
www.womenwithaltitude.ie
www.helpingthehills.ie
www.getirelandwalking.ie
www.girlsoutside.ie
Social Media Channel Links:
Nov 28, 2013
Swim Ireland, ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’
This week the Federation spoke to Swim Ireland the grand prize winners of the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund 2013 about their winning project ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ …
With over 230,000 adults swimming every week in Ireland why do you think swimming is so popular?
From physical to psychological, health and social benefits, swimming is a fantastic sport available to EVERYONE; young and old, big and small, anyone can do it. You don’t have to be a great athlete for swimming to be beneficial and fun!
Once someone has learned to swim they acquire a life skill allowing them to be safer in the water and they will have gained the skill and ability to use the activity as part of a healthy balanced lifestyle.
What is your advice to someone who has not been swimming regularly but would like to sign up for the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’?
Just Do It!! The first step is to find your local pool on Swim Ireland’s Pool Locator on the website. The swimming programme is designed for those who can swim a little and builds up over the course of the 12 weeks. We have also produced a guide for adults to get back into the pool which answers questions like: what do I bring? Where can I buy a swimsuit?
What can people expect from the training programme provided to help them reach their goal?
There are 12 and 8 week programmes available. The 12 week programme is for those who can swim but it’s been a while since they have been in the pool or taken any exercise. The 8 week 
programme is for fitter members of the population. In both programmes you will get 3 sessions with direction and details of exactly what you need to do – we will also be providing free coaching sessions in the 5 flagship pools and through the Swim for a Mile website and social media sites you will be able to watch video demonstrations and ask questions.
Today FM’s Matt Cooper and former Irish International and double Olympian Melanie Nocher are both ambassadors for the programme and will be encouraging people throughout the 12 weeks. We will also follow the journey of three people taking part in the programme through Matt’s radio show “The Last Word” on Today FM.
As a qualified swim teacher, Melanie will be available through the e-mail swimforamile@swimireland.ie to answer questions and queries throughout the 12 weeks.
Swimming is for everyone! Can the whole family take part in the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge 2014’?
The ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ is open for those aged 16 and over only. Parents, grandparents, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters are all encouraged to participate as long as they meet the age requirement.
What do you hope people will gain from the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ project?
Our overall aim is to encourage participation in swimming and we hope that from taking part people will lead more active, healthier lifestyles. The mile is a set goal to strive for and we hope that people can reach this through the programmes.
Through the programme people will become more familiar with their local swimming pools and clubs and we hope that they will continue to participate in swimming. We are planning the “Swim for a Mile Challenge” as an annual event and hopefully they will return in 2015 with the goal of lowering their mile swim time.
Where and when will the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ events be taking place?
| 31st March 2014 |
Leisureworld, Bishopstown, Cork |
| 1st April 2014 |
UL Sport Limerick |
| 2nd April 2014 |
Kingfisher NUI Galway |
| 3rd April 2014 |
Bangor Aurora Leisure Centre |
| 4th April 2014 |
National Aquatic Centre, Dublin |
How will people be able to sign up to take part?
Registration for ‘Swim for a Mile’ will open through www.swimforamile.com in December 2013.
Describe what people can expect on the day of the ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge’ ?
People can expect a fun and lively atmosphere at each of the centres over the five days. Goodie bags will be given to each participant with specially designed swim hats for the event. Participants will be appointed into lanes across the pool depending on their expected mile times ensuring that everyone has an enjoyable experience in the pool.
Thanks again for your time and perhaps you have some more information on other projects and programmes that Swim Ireland are running?
Swim Ireland runs numerous projects; from ‘Swim a Song’ for babies to our Child and Adult Learn to Swim Programmes. You can find information on everything you need to know on www.swimireland.ie
For further information e-mail swimforamile@swimireland.ie or visit www.swimforamile.com from 6th December 2013.
