The Irish Greyhound Board has become one of the first major sporting bodies to reveal a year long programme of events themed around the Gathering 2013.There will be a variety of celebrations showing an imaginative approach at local and national level to riding on the back of the major tourism initiative while at the same time building events that are of significant local interest as well.
The Gathering coincides with the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Irish Greyhound Board (Bord na gCon).
A keen sense of history is present in that it is also 50 years since President John Fitzgerald Kennedy arrived in Limerick on his tour of the country. The site on which he landed is now home to Limerick Greyhound Stadium and the home of the Irish Greyhound Board. A special commemorative event will be held to mark that occasion on June 29th.
—————————————————–
[nonmember]
[stextbox id=”info”]
To read the rest of this article, including how important it is to apply imagination in the construction of a themed programme of events, you must be logged in as a member of the Sport for Business Community.
You can sign up for a full or a trial membership today and join the many leaders in business and sport that are already part of our community. From RTE, Accenture, Microsoft and Ulster Bank in business to the GAA, Paralympics Ireland, the Irish Sports Council and more than 20 sports governing bodies in sport.
[/stextbox]
[loginform]
[/nonmember]
—————————————————–
[ismember]
It is a major part of the emphasis in The Gathering that people return to their roots and learn of whence they came. Greyhound Racing has certainly grasped this and one of the first events will be a Gathering of Dublin ‘Rose of Tralee’ contestants at Harolds Cross Stadium in the spring, marking it’s own 85th birthday.
The National Greyhound Gathering will seek to attract visitors involved in the sport from around the world on August 4th.
The Rose of Tralee features again, as it will prominently in more general support for the event with the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in Tralee hosting family friends and escorts of the contestants at a special meeting on August 25th.
Social media is not left out either. Mullingar Stadium is hosting a gathering of the Clans where people can vote for their family name through Facebook. The two names that attract the greatest number of votes will be given free admission to the track as the year draws to a close over Christmas week 2013.
All in all it is an impressive calendar showing imagination and tapping well into large scale international promotion which will be taking place at national at international level.
“2013 brings with it a sense of Irish pride as Ireland joins together under the umbrella of The Gathering to try to re connect with those abroad and bring them home,” said Irish Greyhound Board Chairman Phil Meaney, launching the programme. “2013 is also an important year for the Irish Greyhound Board as we reflect on 55 fast paced years where our organisation has grown significantly and helped create tens of thousands of jobs over the past 5 decades. We are looking forward to each of our Gathering themed events and hope that those that come to support these unique occasions enjoy them.”
