2010 Texaco Sportstars Bursaries Presented
TWENTY-FIVE IRISH SPORTS CLUBS BENEFIT FROM €120,000 FUND
DUBLIN, THURSDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2010 - Twenty-five Irish sports clubs chosen to receive this year’s Texaco Sportstars Bursaries were presented with their awards at a ceremony held in Dublin today. Presentations were made by legendary Kilkenny hurler, Eddie Keher.
From the Republic of Ireland, twenty successful clubs received a bursary of €5,000 each. They included four clubs from Dublin – Donore Harriers Athletic Club, Drimnagh Celtic FC, Clondalkin Special Needs Club and Trojan Swimming Club, Blackrock. Cork had three winners – Bandon Rugby Club, Passage West GAA Club and Midleton Cricket Club.
Other recipients were Ballygunner GAA Club (Waterford), Inis Eoghain CLG (Donegal), Castlebar Mitchels GAA Club (Mayo), Cavan Celtic FC (Cavan), Clonaslee Wheelchair Basketball Club (Laois), Erin’s Own GAA, Castlecomer (Kilkenny), Kinnegad Juniors AFC (Westmeath), Larkspur Park Tennis Club, Cashel (Tipperary), Sligo Rovers FC (Sligo), St. Coca’s Athletic Club, Kilcock (Kildare), St. Patrick’s GFC, Tullow (Carlow), Tommie Larkin’s GAA Club, Woodford, Loughrea (Galway) and Tralee Rowing Club (Kerry).
From Northern Ireland, five clubs each received a bursary of £3,500. Of these, two were from Co. Antrim - Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club and Mossley Ladies Hockey Club, Newtownabbey. Others were Dungannon Rugby Club (Tyrone), Ridgeway Rovers FC, Dundonald (Down) and Twisters Gymnastics Club, Derry.
A record 923 sports clubs submitted applications, an increase of almost 60 per cent on last year. Entries came from clubs in each of the 32 counties, the largest being Dublin (182) followed by Cork (105), Antrim (60), Wicklow (40), Galway and Kildare (38 each). Of the total, 83 per cent (773 entries) came from the Republic with 16 per cent (150 entries) coming from clubs in Northern Ireland.
Some 33 sporting disciplines were represented, soccer accounting for the highest number (232) followed by GAA (182), rugby (53), basketball (49), athletics (37), hockey (32) and martial arts (29). Minority sports represented included water polo, American football, adventure sports, volleyball, kayaking, ice hockey and diving.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Chevron (Ireland) Country Chairman Enda Riney said:”The huge increase in the number of entries and the wide range of sporting disciplines from which applications were received together underlines the popularity of our Texaco Sportstars Bursaries scheme and the urgent need that sports clubs have to raise finance in the difficult economic climate that exists today.
“In the four years since the scheme was launched, Chevron through itsTexaco brand has distributed close on €450,000 – a contribution to the development of Irish sport of which our company is extremely proud,” said Mr. Riney.
Launched in 2007, the scheme is open to all sports clubs, north and south. A fund in excess of €120,000 is allocated annually from which 25 sports clubs stand to benefit – 20 from the Republic of Ireland in amounts of €5,000 each and five from Northern Ireland in amounts of £3,500 each.
