O'Neills Sportswear to sponsor Irish Paralympic team through to London 2012

Irish Paralympic Games team’s road to Beijing 2008 and London 2012 boosted by O’Neill sponsorship deal and €478,000 Sports Council funding

Funding to support national and international training camps

The Paralympic Council of Ireland has received a significant boost as it prepares for the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games having agreed its first major sponsorship deal while also securing investment of €478,000 from the Irish Sports Council.

The sponsorship deal with O’Neills provides significant in-kind support to the Irish team and has taken care of what is ordinarily a big financial and logistical burden for the PCI. It is hugely significant in that it will provide athletes with specially designed competition clothing well in advance of the Games in 2008 and 2012.

The Irish Sports Council will provide the Paralympic Council with a core grant of €478,000 which will help meet the cost of administration and training camps in what is a vital year for the Paralympic Squad as it prepares for the Beijing Games.  Training camps will take place in Limerick in April and November and also in China during June and August (full details attached).

Speaking at a special launch held in Dublin today (February 15) where details of the sponsorship and grant package  were announced Tony Guest, President of the PCI said: “This is a major advance for the PCI and we are delighted  with the relationship with O’Neill’s.  Getting the right competition, leisure and parade kit for the team and officials was one of the biggest financial and logistical burdens for the Paralympic team. In one agreement those burdens have been lifted.  We are also delighted with the ongoing financial support that we have received from the Irish Sport Council”.

Ossie Kilkenny, Chairman of the Irish Sports Council has also announced that Paralympic sport will receive additional funding in the coming weeks under the Performance Planning and the International Carding Scheme.  Speaking at today’s event he said: “The PCI are doing excellent work in an increasingly competitive environment. Their planning for 2008 is ahead of many of their main rivals and we are happy to support their progressive plans for the organisation and their athletes.”
 
For O’Neill’s Marketing Manager Cormac Farrell commented “As an Irish company we are the natural partners for the Paralympic Team. They are outstanding athletes with an increasing profile and we are delighted to supply them with specially designed, top quality kit that reflects their status as elite Irish competitors”.

Ann Ebbs, Secretary General of the PCI commented “Ossie Kilkenny, John Treacy and the Council have always been very supportive of Paralympic sport. We have some outstanding athletes who are at the top of the sport globally but we have to acknowledge that without the Council it would be very difficult to remain competitive”.  

For further information contact
John Fulham  Paralympic Council of Ireland  087-2709182
Ian McClure  O’Herlihy Communications  01-6602744