It was a night of celebration of all that is good in Irish sport, of the businesses making advances through it on the global stage, and of looking forward to a future that is getting ever brighter.
The Federation of Irish Sport backed Irish Sport Industry Awards took place in the College Green Hotel last night and was a chance to reflect on the amount of work that goes into the groundwork that enables sport to fly.
This is a night to shine the spotlight on those behind the scenes, delivering programmes and sporting opportunity that are the essential start point for the moments of high summer that lift the spirit through performance on the pitch, in the pool, at the track and wherever else they happen.
Minister of Finance Micheál McGrath delivered the keynote address and spoke in glowing terms of the impact that sport has every day on his busy life. He highlighted the Government expenditure that keeps on rising, the work going into applications for the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund , and the 3,000 applications currently being assessed for an Autumn announcement out of what will be a record high Sports Capital Programme.
Having chaired the diligent and committed judging panel for these awards, we got to see the quality of work that even a night like last night can only scratch the surface of.
It allows those shortlisted though to feel that the work they are doing day in, day out is recognised, and that can sometimes be enough to go that extra step, to gather yourself and go again.
It is a great event to be involved in and a great opportunity to celebrate excellence.
And so to the winners…
The Best Sports Sponsorship was won by The Olympic Federation of Ireland Dare to Believe Programme sponsored by PTSB.
A programme to inspire, created by RoisÃn Jones and RóisÃn McGettigan, this has been elevated by PTSB’s involvement and the joy of the school visits as well as the increase in sporting buy-in it generates among children will have a profound and lasting impact.
The Best Use of a Communications Platform went to the FAI Connect programme.
Against strong opposition from programmes more in the public eye, this was a win for the detail that can change immeasurably the way that sport operates, building a seamless way for teams and leagues to manage their affairs. FAI Interim CEO David Courell was there to collect the award.
I had the pleasure of introducing the two business awards with Emma Meehan and her team at Precision Sports Technology winning the best New Sports Business and Craig Bewley leading the team from SportsKey who lifted the Established Sports Business award.
Both are making a difference, creating opportunity and will follow in the big footsteps of those who have gone before them.
The Best Sports Business award was sponsored this year by Technology Ireland Digital Skillnet whose latest postgraduate course at TU Dublin will doubtless be producing winners in this category into the future.
Mark Gallagher of the Irish Daily Mail won the Jimmy Magee Sports Coverage of the Year Awards, presented by the great man’s two grandsons who told us afterwards about the 90-minute journeys it would take to cross the road from Croke Park after an All Ireland Final with everyone wanting a piece of or a picture with Jimmy.
Field of Vision won the award for the Best Initiative to promote Inclusivity in Sport and Physical Activity. Set up in Covid by four college friends in Northern Ireland this technology enabling visually impaired fans to enjoy the magic of live sport will shortly be installed in the Marvel Arena in Melbourne, as well as locally.
The Best Initiative to Promote Women in Sport and Physical Activity went to the Sports Direct Gaelic For Mothers and Others programme, still growing at a rapid rate and bringing women into Gaelic games often for the first time with a sense of joy that really has to be seen at the annual national blitz, but which is also enabling activity every week in over 500 clubs now established around the country.
The Women in Business in Sport Award sponsored by KPMG went to Sarah Keane who spoke with passion and eloquence alongside event MC Gráinne McElwain about her life so far on the cutting edge of leadership with Swim Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
The prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award drew the longest ovation of the night when presented posthumously to John Trainor, hailed as the father of the Irish Sponsorship industry and cruelly taken from us earlier this year at the age of only 52.
The work John did across sport, business, charity and in furthering the careers of so many was that of a lifetime crammed into a life too short but his legacy lives on in Onside Sponsorship, even though the gap he has left in the lives of his wife Eithne and his sons Jake, Harry and Olly is unimaginable.
Eithne accepted the award from Minister McGrath last night and hopefully, the love so evident in the room will be of continued comfort.
The Local Sports Partnership of the Year went to the team from Clare, highlighting the programme they had built and which can now be extended around the country in refereeing.
Then the final award of the night was upon us. Basketball Ireland, the IRFU and Irish Squash were on the shortlist after exceptional years but the Winner was Canoeing Ireland, and the award was collected on behalf of the sport by CEO Moira Aston, admitting to being (almost) lost for words, outgoing President Linda Byron and Treasurer Marcus McInerney.
The sport brought its World Governing Body to Ireland last year for a first-ever Symposium on Women in Canoeing. The breadth of its programming for teenagers, those with a disability, those entering the sport and those competing at the highest level with three boats qualified for the Summer Olympics was exceptional.
Great winners on a great night.
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