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The annual inter-county Championships in football and hurling
capture the hearts and minds of communities’ right around the
country during the summer months. In 2009, 1.5 million people
attended championship matches whilst 808,000 people watched
the live broadcast of the football final with a further 720,000
tuning in for the hurling final.
Despite the huge following and significant commercial sponsorship
that the Gaelic Athletic Association (“GAA”) attracts, what remains
unique about the GAA is that its players remain amateurs. Indeed,
the amateur status of athletes is central to the ethos of the GAA
and despite the growing number of professional opportunities for
talented Irish athletes particularly in rugby, soccer and indeed
more recently, Aussie Rules, it is difficult to see any significant
change happening in the amateur status of GAA athletes.
The participant numbers of gaelic games which would be in excess
of 200,000 when the female sports of ladies football
and camogie are taken into account, is matched only by
soccer (and golf) which has more than 180,000 regular
participants. Indeed, girls’ and womens’ soccer is one of
the fastest growing sports in Ireland with a 57% growth
in playing numbers since 2005.
However, it is perhaps rugby, at least on the international
stage, that has captured the imagination of the Irish
public more than any other sport in recent times with
the so called “golden generation” of players finally
ending a 61 year wait for Grand Slam Success in the RBS
6 Nations in March 2009 with a 17-15 win over Wales
at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. This international
success has been matched by Heineken Cup glory for
the provinces of Munster and Leinster in 2006, 2008
& 2009. The IRFU, the governing body for the sport
of rugby in Ireland, has managed to capitalise on that
success by boosting player numbers by 24% in the 12
months between 2008 & 2009.
Golf too remains a hugely popular sport with over 53,000 women
and 210,000 men playing the game. Ireland is lucky to have some
of the world’s best courses and indeed some of the world’s best
golfers with Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley,
Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy all achieving international
recognition and success.
There are some 60 other sports played in Ireland. However, each
of these remaining sports is generally not in a position to attract
sustained commercial investment, be it through sponsorship or
the sale of television rights. Indeed, for these sports it is the
funding they receive from the Irish Sports Council that is vital
to their continued operation, the implementation of development
programmes, coach education, child protection and high
performance programmes and pathways.
It is for this reason that the current global economic downturn
has cast a few shadows over Irish Sport. Funding to sport was
reduced by some 33% from the 2008 peak of €311 million to
€195 million in 2009. This resulted in a suspension of the Sports
Capital Programme as well as a 11% reduction in the Irish Sports
Council budget to just under €52 million.
The government did establish a National Lottery in 1986 which
was designed to generate funds for good causes, one of which
was sport. Unfortunately however, the proceeds of the Lottery
which amounted to some €286 million in 2008 are simply directed
towards the central exchequer with no ring fencing for any
particular “good cause” including sport.
There is a real fear that sport may be seen as an easy target
as the Irish government addresses the significant challenge of
reigning in the budget deficit. This was heightened in July last year
with the publication of a report on government spending which
recommended a 33% reduction in Irish Sports
Council funding without any significant
analysis being completed.
There is a belief amongst
Ireland’s
sporting
organisations
that
a
simplistic view of sport
remains
amongst
our
1.
Participation in sport improves public health
2.
Sport contributes to the economy
3.
Sport builds communities
4.
Sport establishes pride in Ireland at home and abroad
5.
Sport drives tourism
6. Sport makes us feel good
policy makers and that sport is seen as just games and not
something that contributes to public health, the economy, drives
tourism, builds communities as well as projecting a positive
image of Ireland both at home and abroad. On this basis, the
Irish sporting community has come together to ensure that
there is an increasing awareness of “Why Irish Sport Matters?”
Sport is a force for good. There is a chance that much like the
environment in the 1960s that it something that we assume will
be around forever, that it does not need nurturing, protection and
development. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Irish sport, along with all the dividends it can deliver to Ireland
both economic and otherwise, has real potential to be a tool in
the recovery of our country. Here is hoping that our policy makers
buy into that vision and allow Irish sport to maintain and build on
the progress that has been made over the last ten years both in
terms of increasing the accessibility of sport to all and improved
consistency of performance on the international stage.
