Senior figures from across sport, business and governance will gather in Dublin this morning for Judging Day of the 2026 Federation of Irish Sport Industry Awards, one of the key moments in the annual recognition of excellence across the sector.
Organised by the Federation of Irish Sport, the awards programme continues to serve as a benchmark for commercial innovation, effective partnerships, and meaningful social impact in Irish sport.
Chaired by Jill Downey, Chief Sponsorship and Sustainability Officer at Core, the judging process will bring together a panel reflecting the breadth and depth of expertise now shaping the industry. Downey, who leads Core’s sponsorship practice and ESG strategy, will guide discussions across what is a highly competitive field of entries.
Among those joining the panel will be Rob Hartnett, Founder and CEO of Sport for Business, whose organisation has become a central meeting point between sporting bodies and commercial partners.
The governance and policy dimension will be represented by Shane Califf, Head of Organisational Development and Change at Sport Ireland, alongside Geraldine McTavish, Disability in Sport Lead, both of whom bring deep experience in organisational development, funding and inclusion.
That perspective will be complemented by Brenda O Donnell, whose work continues to advance opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport and physical activity.
Commercial and sponsorship expertise will be a strong feature of the panel. Stephen Bradshaw, Founder of Bradshaw Global Consulting, Ronan McCormack, Group Marketing Manager at Dalata Hotel Group, and Catherine Tiernan, Commercial Director of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, will each bring extensive experience in building and activating partnerships across the sports landscape.
From an international and strategic perspective, Maeve Buckley will add a European and global lens, informed by her work with major organisations including FIFA and UEFA, as well as leading football clubs.
Club and participation insight will come from Anne McCormack, whose leadership experience spans Golf Ireland and Hockey Ireland, and who now oversees operations at Edmondstown Golf Club.
Innovation and digital engagement will also be represented, with Tom Fox bringing a background in sports marketing and social media partnerships, and Ronan Donagher contributing extensive experience in delivering technology systems at Olympic Games and Rugby World Cups.
Throughout the morning, the panel will assess entries spanning sponsorship, media, digital, participation, ESG, and community impact, reflecting the increasingly multidimensional nature of success in the sport industry.
As in recent years, a strong theme is expected to be the alignment between commercial ambition and wider societal contribution, with many submissions demonstrating how sport is being used as a platform for inclusion, sustainability and community engagement.
The outcome of today’s deliberations will be the selection of a shortlist to be announced in the coming days, ahead of the awards ceremony taking place in Dublin on Tuesday, May 19th.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
Image Credit: Sport for Business
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