More than 30 countries have sent teams or athletes to Ireland for pre-Olympic training, while Irish companies have already benefited from contracts worth €300 million – and counting – Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring has confirmed.
Speaking following the Morton Games in Dublin, in which 16 Olympians took part before travelling to London, Minister Ring said Ireland has done better from the Olympics than even he expected.
“I took over the Chair of the London 2012 Coordinating Group when I was appointed Minister of State for Tourism & Sport. I took a decision to make the most of every opportunity within the 18 months, given the limited resources available to us. I’m delighted to say that we have more than exceeded our expectations,” Minister Ring said.
“We have known for some time that the biggest benefit to Ireland from the Olympics was likely to be in terms of enterprise and tourism. The €300 million in contracts secured through Enterprise Ireland is a significant achievement. Early signs are that the tourism benefit will also be positive. So our extra success in attracting teams or athletes from more than 30 countries to Ireland for training is an added bonus.”
Teams and athletes from more than 30 countries have visited Ireland for training or participation in Olympic and Paralympic events before the London games:
The athletes have been using facilities like the National Aquatic Centre, the University of Limerick, and Morton Stadium. This is well ahead of expectations, given that Ireland was competing directly with towns across the UK which were offering cash incentives to attract teams. The US Synchronised Swimming Squad is using the National Aquatic Centre for three separate periods, including using Ireland as its training base throughout the Olympics.
Irish companies have already secured contracts worth €300 million, and the final figure is expected to be much higher:
Contracts included full construction of part of the athletes’ village, setting up an on-line payment system for tickets and merchandise, and work in hospitality, retail and leisure infrastructure and operations. Some of the Irish companies which secured contracts include:
- John Sisk & Son, the largest Irish-owned contractor in the UK market which won a significant contract for the Athletes' Village;
- Leinster Reinforcements, Athy, which secured a significant contract for the Aquatic Centre and Handball Arena.
- Banagher Concrete, Co Offaly which secured a contract for terracing at the Handball Arena on the Olympic Park.
- Anord Control Systems, Dundalk which was one of the first companies to win a contract worth over €1.2 million for cabling works.
Irish companies have also secured repeat orders or non-Olympic work. Many are now well-positioned to bid for work on the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the World Cup and Olympics in Brazil in 2014 and 2016 and UEFA 2016. Enterprise Ireland is working with the Olympic Park Legacy Company to ensure Irish companies will be competing for work into the legacy phase of the Olympics, where venues will be modified.
Tourism Ireland has spearheaded a €0.5 million campaign to attract Londoners to Ireland in order to ‘Escape the Madness’:
Hotels.com has already reported a surge of interest in Ireland by UK residents. The campaign included a new short film featuring a cameo appearance and voice-over by Chris O’Dowd, star of the IT Crowd and Bridesmaids. It’s already gone viral with more than 65,000 views. Tourists visiting London have also been notified of the special visa arrangement which allows them to travel on to Ireland.
The Escape the Madness also used 200 ads in tube stations highlighting the open spaces and lack of congestion in Ireland, while the Evening Standard newspaper highlighted attractive air fares to Ireland. Tourism Ireland is also working with hostelbookers.com, promoting B&B and hostels stays in Ireland this summer.
The London 2012 Coordinating Group which I chaired also co-ordinated an extensive Irish cultural campaign in London involving big names like Druid Theatre, while extensive efforts have also been undertaken in promoting Ireland as a business venue.
Ends
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Press Office: 01 604 1087/01 604 1090
Further information
Sport
Countries which sent teams or athletes to Ireland to train, or as a base for the Olympics include the following:
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Country
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Sport
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Australia
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Athletics
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Austria
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Pentathlon
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Canada
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Athletics
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Cayman Islands
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Aquatics
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Chile
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Hockey
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Croatia
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Aquatics
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Czech Republic
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Athletics, Badminton
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Egypt
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Athletics, Badminton
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Finland
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Badminton
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Germany
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Pentathlon
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Hungary
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Aquatics
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Iceland
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Badminton
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India
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Boxing
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Jamacia
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Athletics
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Korea
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Hockey
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Lithuania
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Pentathlon
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Malaysia
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Hockey
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Montenegro
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Aquatics
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New Zealand
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Athletics
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Poland
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Aquatics
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Portugal
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Badminton
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Romania
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Aquatics
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Russia
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Pentathlon, Hockey
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South Korean
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Aquatics
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Suriname
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Aquatics
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Sweden
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Athletics
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Tunisia
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Boxing
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UK
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Aquatics, Athletics
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Ukraine
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Hockey
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US
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Aquatics, Athletics
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Venezuela
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Aquatics
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Vietnam
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Paralympic
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Zambia
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Paralympic
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Pre-London 2012 Training and Events in Ireland
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National Aquatic Centre
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The Dublin Cup Water Polo competition, which took place in the National Aquatic Centre between 5th and 8th July 2012, included international teams from Hungary (current Olympic Champions), Croatia, Montenegro, Romania and the UK. The final between Hungary and Croatia was an exciting match and could well be a rehearsal for London.
International matches between the UK and Hungarian Water Polo men’s senior squads took place in June 2011. The UK Water Polo team was based at the NAC for a two-week training session between 9th and 24th July 2012.
The UK Paralympic Swimming Team participated in a week’s training at the NAC in November 2011.
The South Korean Olympic Swimming Squad consisting of 30 swimmers and 8 coaches was based at the NAC from 10th to 20th March 2012.
The US Synchronised Swimming Squad with over 20 swimmers and team officials was based at the NAC for three separate periods – a pre-Olympic training base camp (2 weeks in April 2012), a pre-Olympic training base camp (2 weeks in July 2012) and as its training base throughout the Olympics (August 2012).
Individual swimmers from Poland, Venezuela, Suriname and the Cayman Islands will train at the NAC during July 2012.
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Badminton
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Badminton Ireland hosted a pre-Olympic training camp in Dublin with representatives from Portugal, Iceland, Finland, Czech Republic, Egypt and the UK (July 2012).
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Boxing
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The Indian and Tunisian boxing squads participated in training camps with the Irish team at the National Boxing Stadium last month.
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Hockey
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A Men’s Hockey Olympic Qualifying Tournament was hosted at the National Hockey Stadium in UCD between 10th and 18 March 2012 with teams from Chile, Korea, Malaysia, Russia and the Ukraine.
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Athletics
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Morton Athletics Stadium in Santry hosted a Pre-Games International Athletics Event on 25th July 2012 with athletes from the US, Canada, the Czech Republic, the UK, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica. The field will include over a dozen London bound Olympians.
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Pentathlon
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A Training Camp was held in Ireland with athletes from Austria, Germany, Lithuania and Russia (June 2012).
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Paralympic
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The Vietnam and Zambia Paralympic teams accepted invitations from us to avail of pre-Games training camps. The teams are being facilitated under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Irish Aid Programme, in partnership with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Irish Sports Council.
The Zambia Paralympic Committee will be based in Dublin at Morton Stadium from August 6th to 27th. The team will comprise five athletes and three support staff, engaged in athletics and powerlifting.
The Vietnam Paralympic Committee will be based in the University of Limerick from July 20th to August 10th. The delegation of 17 includes athletes and support staff, participating in athletics, swimming and powerlifting.
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Enterprise
ABM Precast, Swords, Co Dublin secured work on and around the infrastructure development of the Olympic Park for pre-cast concrete providing a 375 metre tunnel enclosure and a number of other civil pre-cast structures.
Anord Control Systems, Dundalk Co Louth was one of the first Irish companies to win a contract worth over £1m when it secured the package for the supply of switchgear to the site as part of the infrastructural cabling works.
Banagher Concrete, Co Offaly secured the order for pre-cast concrete terracing for the Handball Arena on the Olympic Park. This followed success at stadiums across Ireland including Lansdowne Road.
Clearpower, Co Wicklow was commissioned to provide the renewable heating equipment for the Olympic Park complex in Stratford, East London.
Donseed, Co Kerry provides web-based workplace management solutions to the construction, retail and energy sectors. Donseed's solutions enable customers to track real-time attendance, eliminate time leakage, reduce costs by reducing administration, track health and safety compliance, and enable the contract teams to share project information in a secure environment. Donseed's product is being deployed on the Stratford site.
Heneghan Peng Architects, Dublin won the contract to design the Central Park footbridge in the Olympic Park.
John Sisk & Son is the largest Irish-owned contractor in the UK market and the company won a significant contract award on the construction of the Athletes' Village.
Leinster Reinforcements, Athy, Co Kildare secured the contract for the manufacture and supply of reinforced steel cages for piles to the Aquatic Centre and Handball Arena.
Techrete, Co Dublin secured a series of successes in the Athletes' Village for their pre-cast concrete external facades.