Displaying items by tag: Sponsorship Programme

25th December 2023

Inland Fisheries Ireland Launches €30K Sponsorship Programme for 2024

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has announced details of its €30,000 Sponsorship Programme for 2024.

The programme is one of the main funding mechanisms used by IFI to promote sustainable angling in Ireland.

IFI invested in 71 angling events and initiatives across Ireland in 2023, including national or international competitions and festivals, coaching and juvenile outreach events, public awareness events, supporting international teams competing overseas and other angling-related initiatives.

The fund will have a particular focus on promoting sustainable angling tourism in rural areas while also supporting initiatives aimed at beginners and young anglers.

Launching the 2024 call, IFI’s head of finance and corporate services Suzanne Campion said: “We have the unique opportunity through the IFI Sponsorship Programme to support a driver of rural economic growth, to assist those who wish to go fishing for the first time, and to highlight the importance of biodiversity, conservation and sustainable recreational fishing.

“Angling can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities, and one beginner’s fishing trip can turn into a lifetime recreational pursuit.”

Angling clubs, groups and associations nationwide are now invited to apply for sponsorship funding before the Friday 19 January deadline. Requests for equipment, staff support and biosecurity assistance can be made to IFI throughout the year.

Examples of teams, competitions and events that were awarded sponsorship by IFI in 2023 include:

The National Junior Boat Fishing Competition, hosted by Newport Sea Angling Club in Mayo
Lough Ree ‘King of the Lake’ International Pike Festival
The World Feeder Club Championships at Lough Muckno, Co Monaghan
Development days and coaching programmes held by fishing clubs nationwide
The Rosslare Small Boats Festival in Wexford
Irish youth international teams competing at Home Nations and World Championships in the Netherlands, Wales and Portugal

Over 327,000 adults in Ireland ‘go fishing’ (Ipsos/MRBI) while 18% of adults in Ireland that had never been fishing before said that they are “likely” to try angling in the future (Amárach Research).

Programme and application details are available on the IFI website HERE.

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26th December 2022

Support for Angling Clubs in 2023 Via IFI’s Sponsorship Programme

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has announced details of its 2023 Sponsorship Programme today, with applications open until mid January.

Angling clubs, groups and associations all over Ireland are being invited to apply for sponsorship funding before the 20 January deadline.

In 2023, the €30,000 fund will have a particular focus on initiatives aimed at beginners and young anglers, as well as events that promote sustainable angling tourism in rural areas.

The sponsorship programme is one of the main funding mechanisms used by IFI, the State agency with responsibility for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats and the promotion of recreational angling.

IFI awarded funding to 50 angling events and initiatives across the country in 2022.

These included national or international competitions and festivals that showcased Ireland’s angling resources and contribution to local economies; coaching and juvenile outreach events were also supported, to help increase participation in the sport, along with public awareness events and angling-related initiatives.

Anglers pose at a long table with trophies and prizes at an event sponsored by Inland Fisheries Ireland This could be your angling competition in 2023, if your club submits an application for sponsorship support before the 20 January deadline

Launching the call, Suzanne Campion of IFI said: “Understandably, COVID-19 has had a big impact on the staging of events over the last couple of years.

“As we look ahead to 2023 with greater optimism, our top priority is supporting projects and events that encourage more young people and beginners to try angling sustainably, as well as initiatives that help grow sustainable angling tourism here in Ireland, especially in rural parts of the country.

“Our teams are seeing greater levels of interest in angling, especially when you consider the associated health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors. For example, nearly one in five Irish adults are ‘likely’ to try angling in the future, according to Amárach Research.

“In addition to supporting those who would like to go fishing for the first time, we also have a unique opportunity through the Sponsorship Programme to highlight the importance of biodiversity, conservation and sustainable angling.”

Applications for funding from the Sponsorship Programme are now invited from angling clubs, associations or any local group organising an angling initiative in 2023.

The programme will remain open for funding applications until Friday 20 January. Meanwhile, applications for equipment, staff support and biosecurity assistance can be made to IFI throughout the year.

If your club or organisation would like to apply for support from the IFI Sponsorship Programme in 2023, you can find out more on the IFI website HERE.

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22nd December 2021

Inland Fisheries Ireland Launches 2022 Sponsorship Programme

Inland Fisheries Ireland has today (Wednesday 22 December) announced details of its 2022 Sponsorship Programme.

Angling clubs, groups and associations all over Ireland are being invited to apply for sponsorship funding before the 21 January deadline

In 2022, the €30,000 fund will have a particular focus on initiatives aimed at beginners and young anglers, as well as events that promote sustainable angling tourism.

Over 327,000 adults in Ireland consider themselves an angler, as noted in an Ipsos/MRBI poll, while 18% of adults in Ireland that had never been fishing before said that they are “likely” to try angling in the future, according to a survey by Amárach Research.

The sponsorship programme is one of the main funding mechanisms used by the State agency with responsibility for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats and the promotion of recreational angling.

Following a pause in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) awarded funding to 41 angling events and initiatives across the country in 2021. Among these, IFI supported 10 national or international competitions and festivals that showcased Ireland’s angling resources and contribution to local economies.

Meanwhile, a total of 28 coaching and juvenile outreach events were supported in 2021, to help increase participation in the sport, along with three public awareness events and angling-related initiatives.

Launching the call, Suzanne Campion of IFI said: “In 2022, our top priority is supporting projects and events that encourage more young people and beginners to try angling sustainably, as well as initiatives that help grow sustainable angling tourism here in Ireland.

“As more people enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors, mainly driven by COVID-19 guidelines, we are seeing greater levels of interest in angling. For example, nearly one in five Irish adults are ‘likely’ to try angling in the future, according to Amárach Research.

Applications for funding from the Sponsorship Programme are now invited from angling clubs, associations or any local group organising an angling initiative in 2022. The programme will remain open for funding applications until Friday 21 January 2022.

Meanwhile, applications for equipment, staff support and biosecurity assistance can be made to IFI throughout the year.

More information about the Sponsorship Programme is available on the IFI website.

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1st November 2010

Sponsorship Programme Announced for Inland Waters

The 2011 Inland waterways Sponsorship Programme has been announced. Waterways Ireland may, at its discretion and depending on the availability of funds, provide sponsorship (funding and support) to groups, associations, clubs or other appropriate bodies to assist with events which meet the aims of the Waterways Ireland Sponsorship Programme and enhance the use of the waterways principally for recreational purposes.

The Sponsorship Programme can not be used to fund or contribute towards capital projects such as acquiring or developing new or existing buildings, infrastructure development or acquiring/maintaining equipment.

The Sponsorship Programme is now open and you can apply by downloading the guidelines and application form below. Please read the Guidelines carefully to ensure that the application form is completed correctly and that the proposed sponsorship event meets the eligibility criteria.

Email [email protected] or Tel No +353 (0)71 96 50787

Closing date for receipt of completed application forms for the Waterways Ireland Sponsorship Programme is 13 December 2010 at 3pm. Incomplete or late applications cannot be assessed.

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.