#Angling - Inland Fisheries Ireland yesterday (Thursday 21 June) announced the beneficiaries of its 2018 Sponsorship Programme, which supports angling events and initiatives across the country.
The scheme will financially support 63 events to be held in Ireland, and a further 10 juvenile and women’s events to be held overseas, to the overall tune of €30,000 — with a focus on those which help grow Ireland’s angling tourism product and support novice anglers.
A number of other events around the country will receive assistance from IFI staff during the year, along with promotional support and the use of IFI biosecurity equipment to prevent the spread of invasive species.
This year, Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Sponsorship Programme will support:
- 19 international angling events which will be held in Ireland.
- 10 Irish angling teams travelling overseas to international angling events.
- 28 coaching/juvenile events/competitions aimed at novice and young anglers.
- 14 national and local angling events held in Ireland for domestic participants.
- 2 seminars which will help the exchange of information, ideas and practical experiences on fisheries management.
The angling initiatives, spanning 22 counties, will be supported through financial aid and, where possible, through resource support from Inland Fisheries Ireland staff members.
This year’s IFI Sponsorship Programme was announced in January with applications invited from anglers, angling clubs and organisations nationwide. In total, there were over 100 applications to the 2018 programme.
IFI’s head of business development Suzanne Campion said: “With Ireland having some of the best wild fisheries in Europe, this annual Sponsorship Programme forms part of our National Strategy for Angling Development, which aims to develop our angling tourism potential, while also managing and conserving our fisheries resource.
“Tourism initiatives like the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East are further boosting visitor numbers and our Sponsorship Programme for 2018 will support angling clubs and groups nationwide to offer local events which engage domestic anglers, overseas anglers and those who are about to cast for the first time.”
Recreational angling is estimated to contribute over €800 million to Ireland’s economy on an annual basis, supporting upwards of 11,000 jobs.
According to IFI, angling offers rural communities the opportunity to increase the number of visitors to the area and, in turn, support local business and create jobs by providing a sustainable source of income for both catering and accommodation services.
IFI 2018 Sponsorship Programme Beneficiaries List
Cavan
- Cootehill IFI Fishing Festival: five-day coarse fishing festival at Cootehill, organised by Cootehill Fishing Festival.
- Arvagh Breffni Seniors event: angling competition at Arvagh lakes over five days, organised by Arvagh Angling Holidays
- Arvagh International Coarse Fishing Festival: angling competition at Arvagh lakes, organised by Arvagh Angling Holidays.
- Arvagh King of Clubs: angling competition at Arvagh lakes, organised by Arvagh Angling Holidays.
- Arvagh Breffni Open: angling competition at Arvagh lakes, Arvagh Angling Holidays.
- Romanian Catch and Release Angling Association’s lure fishing competition at Lough Ramor, organised by the Romanian C&R Angling Association.
- Feeder fishing three-day event: Barnagrove Lake and Lough Sillan, organised by C/M Lakelands Feeder Club.
- Building Angling Tourism Potential in Leitrim & Cavan: workshop format event at Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, organised by Upper Shannon Erne Future Economy Project.
Cavan/Leitrim - World Pairs Angling Championships: Shannon-Erne region, organised by World Pairs Angling.
- All Ireland Championships Senior & Ladies: Shannon Erne and various locations in counties Cavan and Leitrim, organised by the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland, celebrating 60th anniversary.
Clare
- International Angling Week 2018: shore angling competition, Fanore, organised by Lisdoonvarna Fanore Sea Angling Club.
- Predator Battle Ireland: European angling competition, Lough Derg, Clare/Tipperary/Galway/Limerick, organised by Predator Battle Ireland.
- Trout Angling Competition: iuvenile angling competition, Lough Derg, Clare/Tipperary/Galway/Limerick, organised by Molamphy.
Cork
- Cork Small Boats Festival 2018: bring-your-own-boat sea angling festival, Cork Harbour area, organised by Cork Small Boats Festival Committee.
- SALC - Home Nations Boat (Seniors) 2018: boat sea-angling competition, Cobh, organised by Irish Federation of Sea Anglers.
- Defence Forces Sea Angling: boat competition, Crosshaven, organised by DFSAC.
- Tibbotstown Reservoir Initial Stocking: stocking of brown trout, reservoir, organised by Glanmire & District Salmon & Trout Anglers Association.
- Introduction to Game Angling Course: Tibbotstown Reservoir, Carrigtwohill, organised by Glanmire & District Salmon & Trout Anglers Association.
- Introduction to Angling: eight-week introductory course on angling, River Bride, Rathcormac, organised by Rathcormac Angling Hub.
- Fly-tying for beginners: eight-week fly-tying course, Rathcormac Community Centre, organised by Rathcormac Angling Hub.
- Introduction to Invertebrates and Entomology: three-week course, River Bride, Rathcormac, organised by Rathcormac Angling Hub.
Dublin
- Weekly Educational Workshops: on a weekly basis KAI hosts an hour-long workshop to help introduce youths to angling, Killinarden Community Centre, organised by Killinarden Angling Initiative (KAI).
- Monthly youth angling field trips: once a month (the last Saturday) KAI brings 20 youths on an angling trip to put into practice what they have been learning in the weekly workshops, various locations/counties (canals, lakes, rivers and beach), organised by Killinarden Angling Initiative.
Galway
- Police International Fly Fishing/Home Nations Competition: three-day trout fly fishing competition between the police forces of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, Lough Corrib, Green Fields Bay, organised by Garda Trout and Salmon Anglers Club.
Kerry
- Tag-a-Ray: a competition that encourages anglers to become involved in tagging and to increase awareness of conservation, Tralee Bay, organised by Tralee Bay SAC.
Kildare
- TAFI youth training day: training for TAFI youth anglers in Leinster, River Slate, organised by Rathangan Trout and Salmon Anglers Association.
Kilkenny
- Annual Junior Fishing Competition: fishing competition for Under-14s, The Nore, organised by Kilkenny City and County Anglers.
Leitrim
- Ballinamore Coarse Angling Festival: five-day coarse angling festival, Shannon-Erne, organised by Lakelands Angling Ballinamore.
- All-Ireland Championships Senior & Ladies, National Coarse Angling Championships - 60th Anniversary, Shannon-Erne, Cavan/Leitrim, organised by National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland.
Limerick
- Glin Shannon river fishing: shore fishing on estuary, lay-by beyond Glin Pier, organised by Glin Development Association
Shannon, Mulkear and District Anglers Association - Catch and Release Salmon Angling competition, ‘The Haunt’, Mulcair River, organised by William O'Halloran.
Mayo
- Spring International Fly Fishing Match: international fly fishing competition comprising of teams from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, Lough Mask, Cushlough Bay, Ballinrobe, organised by Irish Trout Fly Fishing Association (ITFFA).
- Newport SAC 52nd Annual Sea Angling Festival: combined shore and boat angling competition, open to all anglers, Clew Bay, Co Mayo, organised by Newport Sea Angling Club.
- Junior-branch shore angling training: teaching the younger members of the club the joys of shore angling, various shore-based locations around Clew Bay, organised by Newport Sea Angling Club.
- National Junior Competition (Daniel Peacock Memorial): 26th Anniversary of a Juniors-only sea angling competition, Clew Bay, organised by Newport Sea Angling Club.
- RBM Fisheries Petals Cup Ladies Sea Angling Competition: ladies’ sea angling competition from novice to experienced, Clew Bay, organised by RBM Fisheries.
Meath
- Boyne Valley Fishing Hub: angling for beginners, River Boyne, Trim, organised by Boyne Valley Hub.
- Summer Youth Programme: series of coaching evening sessions targeting local youth, Royal Canal at Enfield, organised by Royal Enfield Coarse Angling Club.
Monaghan
- Junior Summer Camp 2018: introducing Juniors to the basics of angling and fish care, Lisanisk Lake, organised by Carrickmacross Coarse Angling & Junior Development Club.
Offaly
- Edenderry Coarse Angling Six-Day Gala Week, Grand Canal, Edenderry area, Edenderry Coarse Angling Club.
- The Daingean teams-of-four angling festival: four-person teams event with the aim of bringing teams to the Grand Canal in Offaly from across the world, Grand Canal, organised by Daingean Angling Club.
- Junior Anglers 2018: seven-week coarse angling for under-18s, Grand Canal, Tullamore, organised by Tullamore and District Angling Club.
- Angling Awareness Competition, Grand Canal, organised by Belmont and District Fishing Club.
Roscommon
- Fishbook Open Fly Competition: first-ever meeting of members for an all charitable catch and release, fly only for trout completion, Lough Key, organised by Fishbook Ireland.
- Cuisle Angling Event, River Suck, Donamon, organised by Cuisle Holiday Centre.
- Building Angling Tourism Potential in Roscommon & Longford: workshop part of a series, Keenan’s Hotel, Termonbarry, organised by Upper Shannon Erne Future Economy Project.
Waterford
- Disability outreach programme at Ballyshunnock, organised by St Paul’s Fishing Club.
- Rinnashark Sea Angling Club Small Boats Angling Festival: small boats species hunt angling competition, at Dunmore East, organised by Rinnashark SAC.
- Junior League: six coaching and competition sessions, Ballyshunnock, River Barrow, Oaklands, organised by Waterford and District Coarse Angling Club.
Westmeath
- Introduction to coarse angling for juniors: includes tuition session in the basics of coarse angling for Juniors, venue tbc, organised by Navan Coarse Angling Club.
- Lough Ree International Pike Classic: three-day predator competition featuring 100 boats and 50 international and international competitors, Lough Ree - launching at Ballyleague & Lanesborough, organised by Lough Ree Angling Hub.
- Lanesborough International Coarse Fishing Championships: three-day international fishing competition with competitors from UK, rest of Europe and Ireland, three different locations - this year, the Royal Canal for first time, includes Roscommon and Longford fisheries, organised by Lough Ree Angling Hub.
- Lough Ree International Pike Festival and World Cup: three days of pike fishing on the fabulous Lough Ree with 100 boats taking part from Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, England and Northern Ireland, organised by Lough Ree International Pike Festival and World Cup (Athlone Anglers Association).
- Junior All Ireland Pike Fishing Championships: series of under-18s Pike fishing competitions, organised by Leinster Pike Angling Club.
Wexford
- 33rd Annual Rosslare Small Boats Festival: small boat angling species hunt, Kilmore Quay, organised by Small Boat Anglers of the UK & Ireland.
- Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival: three-day shore angling competition, Kilmuckridge, organised by European Federation of Sea Anglers.
- Dunbrody Festival: two-day coarse angling festival, organised by Oaklands Coarse Angling Club.
Wicklow
- Novice Angler Introduction to Boat Angling: practical boat angling with introduction/coaching, Wicklow Port, organised by Wicklow Bay Sea Angling Club.
- Youth Boat Angling Coaching: introduction and coaching for youth in boat angling, Wicklow Port & Kilmore Quay, organised Leinster Provincial Council.
- Angling Coaching – Shore: introduction and coaching for youth, venue TBC, organised by Leinster Provincial Council.
