CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport James Galvin has described Gary Keegan’s resignation as a “huge loss” to Irish sport, while also wishing him all the best in his new business venture.

Sport Ireland announced today that Keegan will be stepping down as the Director of the Irish Institute of Sport in September to take up a new business venture after eight years in the role.

Speaking about the news, Galvin said: “Gary Keegan’s vision in developing high performance sport has been a revolutionary development that has really put Irish sport on the map.

“His commitment and passion in his pursuit of developing the Irish Institute of Sport was outstanding. The facility is now a state-of-the-art, national sporting asset, and it has significantly enhanced our reputation internationally. Indeed, the Irish Institute of Sport is now a world leader for producing high performing athletes and coaches, and this is largely due to Gary’s hard work.

“There is no doubt that Gary Keegan will be a huge loss to Irish sport. Nonetheless, I would like to wish him the best of luck in his new business venture.”

During his tenure, Keegan established the Irish Institute of Sport as one of the world leaders in the preparation and development of not just high performance athletes, but also high performance coaches.

The Institute has grown to become a significant catalyst in driving the evolution of high performance sport in Ireland and now supports 20 sports and over 250 athletes.