“The City of Sport title is all about jobs”
LIMERICK’S title as European City of Sport 2011 is key to recovery of the local economy and the creation of jobs, according to a significant player in promoting the accolade.
Shannon Development’s Limerick Division Manager Eoghan Prendergast said that the City of Sport title, which would continue to be utilised over the next 10 years, was “all about jobs.
“ACES is the group that awards the title and they said they have assessed hundreds of cities and have never come across one so passionate for sport, that provides inclusivity across all social classes”, Mr. Prendergast told the Limerick Post.
“We are keen to capitalise on the honour to bring economic development and jobs to Limerick over the next 10 years.”
Stressing that their focus is on developing sport and the business of sport as key to the economy in Limerick, he said the recognition is an opportunity for the city to brand itself as a great place to visit, either as a spectator or a participant.
He listed four key pillars to developing the city of sport.
“The first is sport, then there is branding of the city, then tourism and finally sports science and opportunities to attract FDI (foreign direct investment). Sport meant over €60 million to the economy last year and we have been talking to the Industrial Development Agency a lot and promoting the National Technology Park as a location for business – we’ve also extended it to trying to attract sports federations to physically locate in Limerick and to host business conferences here.
“Everybody has been putting their shoulders to the wheel, which is the epitome of team sport”.
Stressing the overwhelming amount of support received from organisations in Limerick and all around the country, he said they have secured events that will take place in years to come on the back of the title.
“We published a new calendar of events today and an hour later it was out of date because other organisations had signed up”.
Among the international events taking place in Limerick this year are the European Duathlon Championship, the European Power Lifting Championship, the Single Speed World Championship and the Great Outdoor Swim to be held in Lough Derg. and among the hundreds of other events taking place are the Headless Horseman adventure race on Saturday April 23 in Lough Gur, the Great Limerick Run on Sunday May 1, the Joey Hannon Memorial Triathlon on Sunday May 8 in UL, the Limerick Bike Parade in the city on Sunday June 19 and the Get Back Challenge from Limerick to Doonbeg on Saturday July 2.
Over €5.5 million is expected to be realised for the region as a result of the sporting award.
