The Olympic Federation of Ireland hosted a special briefing for its member federations last evening, bringing together representatives from Ireland’s national governing bodies of sport to share organisational updates and outline priorities for the coming Olympic cycle.
The session reviewed developments following the successful staging of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games while also looking ahead to preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games and a series of major Olympic events scheduled in the years leading up to LA28.
Throughout the evening, OFI leadership provided updates across a range of areas including Games operations, philanthropic initiatives, public affairs strategy and the work of the Athletes’ Commission. Members were also briefed on forthcoming ticketing processes and preliminary venue visits planned for performance directors as planning for Los Angeles begins to gather pace.
It is always good to communicate and this is a great example of a very useful way of keeping the different sports that make up the Irish Olympic family fully in the loop.
Welcoming those in attendance, OFI President Lochlann Walsh highlighted the value of engagement with the federation’s sporting partners.
“It’s important to gather with our Member Federations to share updates, listen to concerns and outline some of our longer-term plans,” said Lochlann Walsh, OFI President.
“Tonight was an opportunity, at the halfway point in our year, to highlight our direction and identify ways in which we can continue to align and work together.”
“Last night’s briefing was about celebrating our athletes’ achievements in Milano Cortina and the very positive public, media and commercial engagement,” added Peter Sherrard, CEO.
“It was also about ensuring that our 43 member federations are equipped with the latest updates on our strategic direction for the years ahead, with a large focus on philanthropic initiatives as well as public affairs work to support high performance sports and the athletes between now and LA28.”
The meeting included an update on preparations for the Los Angeles Games, with details of upcoming venue visits by performance directors to assess facilities and support athlete readiness.
A new public affairs strategy was outlined, designed to strengthen engagement with stakeholders, Government partners and the wider Irish sporting community as preparations for the next Olympic cycle continue.
Chair of the Athletes’ Commission Aifric Keogh also addressed the gathering, providing an update on the Commission’s progress since its launch last year and highlighting initiatives aimed at strengthening athlete representation and ensuring that athlete voices continue to shape key decisions across the Olympic movement in Ireland.
Image Credit: Olympic Federation of Ireland
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