Electric Ireland has been unveiled as the new sponsor of the GAA All Ireland Minor Hurling and Football Championships. The deal starts with the 2012 campaign and will run for an initial five year period.
ESB sponsored the minor tournaments for six years up until 2010 and this is a welcome return under the new banner.
The benefit of player association was evident at yesterday’s launch which was attended, on a break from his Leaving Cert studies, by star of the moment Ciaran Kilkenny.  The Castleknock player appeared in last year’s Minor Championships and will be central to Dublin’s Cadbury U21 All Ireland Football final this coming weekend.  He was a natural attraction for media covering the launch and enabled the announcement to generate good coverage in Tuesday morning’s papers.
Speaking at the launch of the sponsorship in Dublin yesterday, Liam Molloy, General Manager, Electric Ireland said, “Electric Ireland is delighted to continue our strong relationship with the GAA for the next five years through our sponsorship of the GAA Minor Championships. As Ireland’s leading energy supplier, we are focused on sustainability and the future of energy in our country, much like the minor players our sponsorship will support. They are the future of the game, the raw material that keeps the game alive at senior level”
Welcoming the announcement, Paraic Duffy, Ard Stiúrthoir Cumann Lúthchleas Gael said, “ESB were outstanding partners for the GAA for a great many years, and we are delighted to renew our partnership with their recently re-branded supply business, Electric Ireland. The Minor Championship and the welfare of our minor players is of huge importance to the GAA, and we are confident that Electric Ireland will be an energetic and supportive partner to us as we continue to develop and support the championship and its young players”
Electric Ireland are main sponsors of Team Ireland for this summer’s London Olympic Games and have other strong bonds with sport through Hockey and the national Aquatic Centre.