An Post Cycle Series launched for 2012
The 2012 An Post Cycle Series was officially launched in Dublin yesterday.  The five events in the Series take place across the country between May and September. The Series is a joint initiative between An Post and the Irish Sports Council, encouraging people to get back on their bikes and out into their communities.
Cycling legend Sean Kelly, Cork hurler Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and model Sarah McGovern are ambassadors for the series and will participate in tours of Sligo, Clare, Meath, Waterford and Cork, starting in Sligo on May 6th.
Over 13,500 people took part in last year’s series, which provide a variety of routes from a family 10k spin to the more challenging 50k, 60k, 100k and 160k distances, ensuring the events cater for every type of cyclist, from families to serious amateurs.  Numbers have grown from 5,500 participants in 2009 and over 10,000 the following year.
“The An Post Cycle Series has been a great success and underlines the potential of events to boost participation and bring visitors to beautiful parts of Ireland,” said Minister of State for Sport Michael Ring, launching the event.  “The Series is a great example of a governing body working with the Irish Sports Council and sponsors in providing exciting new participation opportunities in sport”.
Each county’s event is organised by the Irish Sports Council’s Local Sports Partnerships in conjunction with their city, county and cycling club partners.
FBD to sponsor All Ireland Sevens in September
FBD has replaced O’Neills as title sponsor of the Kilmacud Crokes Sevens tournament played across South County Dublin in September.  The event has been renamed as the FBD All Ireland 7’s and adds to the company’s existing involvement in GAA through the FBD Connaught Football League in January.
“As an Irish company with a presence all over the country, we are delighted to be involved with this national tournament,” said FBD Broker Development Manager Sean Fox. “We know the important role the GAA has played in both the rural and urban life of Ireland.”
 
Irish Triathlete staying on track for Olympics
Triathlon Ireland’s Olympic hopeful Gavin Noble and Irish international colleague Ben Shaw will line out at the ITU Mooloolaba World Cup in Australia this Saturday.
Noble from Enniskillen currently holds the 42nd slot out of 55 on the Olympic simulation ranking after an excellent 5th place finish in Barbados in mid February followed by a solid top 20 finish a week later in Cape Town.
68 athletes take to the beach at 3pm local time for the 1500m open water swim, 40km bike and 10km run. Among the starters is 3 time winner Brad Kahlefeldt, world no. 6 David Hauss, world no. 7 Laurent Vidal and the man most likely to join the Brownlee brothers on the GB Squad for London, Will Clarke.
 
Taylor faces week of fists
Katie Taylor leads an Irish International Women’s Boxing team at the National Stadium this evening.  This is the first of two matches against the Netherlands, the second being in Cavan on Sunday night.  There will be five bouts on each of the nights.
Taylor will then take on two top American fighters in Cork on Friday 30th and Dungarvan the following night as she continues her preparations for the World Championships and Olympic Qualification tournament in China from May 8th.
 
Grand Canal Cycle Way is opened
Cycling is one of the country’s most popular participation activities and getting around Dublin on two wheels became easier yesterday when a new 3.6 kilometre off road cycle path was opened along the Grand Canal between Portobello and Sherriff Street.
Government Minister Alan Kelly said that €5.5 million in funding had been put towards this path and that it was part of a wider plan to complete 14 kilometres of paths linking and along the Grand and Royal Canal’s.
The Dublin Bike scheme, championed by Lord Mayor Andrew Montague was introduced as part of a deal with advertising company JC Decaux and has proven to be a great success with 450 bikes now available from 40 stations.
Teams close in on dates with destiny
The Irish Women’s Hockey team beat Spain 3-2 to set up an all-or-nothing final match qualifier for the Olympics against Belgium on Sunday.  The two sides will meet before then in the final round robin game in the Road to London tournament being staged in Kontich in Belgium.  Electric Ireland has been the official sponsor of women’s hockey in Ireland since 2005.
In Dubai the Irish cricket team recorded a 10 wicket win over Canada.  They must now beat the Netherlands and then Namibia if they are to join Afghanistan as the final qualifiers for the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in the autumn.
 
Real Madrid to build Emirates Theme Park
It may be a little ambitious for Shamrock Rovers yet but Real Madrid announced yesterday it was to build a $1 billion theme park on a man-made island in the United Arab Emirates.
The resort will feature hotels, sports facilities, a marina, a 10,000 seat stadium open on one side to a view of the ocean and a club museum in the northern Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah.  The move is seen as a consolidation of the clubs reach into the lucrative Asian football market.
The complex, with $1 billion (758 million euros) of investment and backed by the government of the Emirate, is scheduled to open in January 2015.
Real Madrid ranked top this year in the Money League of richest football clubs published by consultancy Deloitte, with revenues of €480 million in the 2010-2011 season.