68 Sporting Bodies recently cast aside individual aspirations and put the overall needs of its sector first. In a unique submission to Government, they put forward a very convincing case to sustain funding for Irish sport and emphasised how far-reaching the benefits of sport can be in both social and economic terms. Why Irish Sport Matters is perhaps the most impressive document I have seen in recent times.
Interestingly, two of the six reasons identified in support of its case are related to Tourism & the Economy. Some examples include
- Galway Volvo Stopover - over 200,000 visitors were directly attributed to the event & the economic impact to the West of Ireland was €60.4 million
- 2009 Tour of Ireland Cycle Race - broadcast to a global audience of 20 million in 180 countries.
- 2009 Heinekin Cup Quarter-Final (Osprey's v's Munster) - estimated to have generated €10.5 for Limerick
- 2009 Athlone Triathlon - generated €3.5 million for the local area
- All-Ireland Finals in Football & Hurling - contribute more than €40 million to Dublin
- Week-end soccer internationals - contribute €35.9 to the Greater Dublin Region
- 2008 Rugby 6 Nations Championship - worth €51 million to the Dublin region (€20 million on accommodation, €20 million on food & drink and €11 million on entertainment)
- 2007 Rally Ireland - generated €48 million for the North-West Region and attracted a global audience of 68.8 million, the most watched stage in the 16 event WRC series
The return of the 3 Irish Open to Killarney in July 2010 and the securing of the Europa League Final at the Aviva Stadium in 2011 will bring further tourism benefits.
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