A surf club providing therapy for young people facing various physical and mental challenges, Badminton Ireland, a Western swim club, a lawn bowls club, five GAA clubs and five soccer clubs are amongst the 28 sports clubs from all over Ireland announced this morning as county winners in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards 2019 sports category.
The awards were created to honour and showcase the inspiring work being carried out by thousands of sports clubs in their local communities across Ireland thanks to National Lottery Good Causes funding.
Nearly 30 cent in every €1 spent on National Lottery games – or over €620,000 per day goes back to Good Causes all over the country in the areas of Sports, Arts, Culture, Heritage, Community, Health, Youth and the Irish Language.
Last year alone more than €226 million in funds for Good Causes was raised by participants of the National Lottery. Sporting bodies within local communities commanding a significant share of this funding.
“We were bowled over by the number and calibre of entries we received for these awards and it is proof that organisations supported by National Lottery funding are having a huge impact in their local communities,” said National Lottery CEO, Dermot Griffin.
“Recognising and celebrating this impact is what the National Lottery Good Causes Awards is all about.”
Badminton Ireland is the only National Governing Body to win in its own name, as one of four from Dublin due to the size of population.
There is a good spread across other sports with Rowing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Snooker, Golf and Special Olympics all winning an award.
“It is a privilege to be involved in these awards and to learn first-hand of the impact of Good Causes in every parish, village and town in Ireland,” said broadcaster, publisher and businesswoman, Norah Casey, who is Chair of the competition’s judging panel.
“They truly are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. With more than 480 entries, selecting the county winners has been a very tough job. I congratulate all of those who have come through the County phase of the competition and look forward to the Regional Finals later this month.”
The County winners listed below will now go forward to regional finals across six categories of Sport, Health & Wellbeing, Heritage, Arts and Culture, Community and Youth. A seventh category, Irish Language, will have a special award to be announced on the night at the Awards final in November.
Sport for business will run special features on each of the Regional winners in the Sports Category over the course of the summer. We are proud to have the National Lottery on board as one of our Members, highlighting the work they enable in sport through their funding of so many projects.
The individual winners in the County Sports category are:
Carlow – Carlow Rowing Club
Cavan – Bailieboro Celtic AFC
Clare – Lahinch Swim Club
Cork – Cork Acro Gymnastics
Donegal – Liquid Therapy
Dublin – Badminton Ireland, O’Dwyers GAA Club, Malahide Sea Scouts, Dalkey Scuba divers
Galway – Ballinderreen GAA Club
Kerry- Finuge Freewheelers Cycling Club
Kildare – Suncroft GAA
Kilkenny – Freebooters AFC
Laois – Laois Sports Partnership CLG
Leitrim – Kinlough Community Development
Limerick – Granagh Ballingarry GAA Club
Longford – St. Brigid’s GAA
Louth – Glenmuir United FC
Mayo – Ballyhaunis Golf Club
Meath – Enfield Celtic FC
Monaghan – Monaghan Special Olympics
Offaly – St. Joseph’s Hall Sports Committee
Roscommon – Oran GAA
Tipperary – Peake Villa FC
Waterford – Cappoquin Rowing Club
Westmeath – Kinnegad Juniors AFC
Wexford – St. Patrick’s Snooker Club
Wicklow – Greystones Lawn Bowling Club
Image credits: Julian Behal Photography