Six Irish sport stars will become sporting diplomats for country
Six prominent Irish sportspeople will act as global leaders raising Ireland’s profile as a sporting nation under a new sport diplomacy strategy unveiled on Tuesday.The International Sports Diplomacy Strategy was announced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee, Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue in the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday.The strategy, underpinned by a €1 million fund, sets out four overarching goals: to promote Ireland as a sporting nation; to use sport, including the GAA, to deepen the diaspora’s connection to Ireland; to support international sporting partnerships in line with Ireland’s values and interests; and to maximise the economic value of international sports diplomacy, particularly around major events.A central element is the creation of a Global Ireland Sports Leaders initiative, under which up to six current or former sportspeople will be appointed at any one time for an initial two-year term, with the possibility of a one-year extension. The participants will act as ambassadors to promote Ireland internationally and strengthen links with Irish communities abroad.READ MORE‘My sibling turns every family event into a scene where they are the star’Gordon D’Arcy: England-Ireland clash revealed a glaring difference in coaching stylesImma seeks legal advice amid escalating row with OPW over Kilmainham plans Donald Trump hails US economy, rounds on Democrats in longest state of the union addressThe Government said the initiative recognises the unique influence and credibility of elite sportspeople and the role they can play in projecting Ireland’s image overseas, while supporting trade, tourism and political engagement.Among other measures is a “Team Ireland” approach to co-ordinating State engagement at large-scale international sporting events, with the aim of advancing economic and innovation priorities alongside tourism promotion. Ireland will also host a major international sports diplomacy conference to convene domestic and international stakeholders.The strategy also commits to seeking the same international cultural recognition for Gaelic football as that given to hurling when it was awarded Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage status to hurling in 2018.Announcing the strategy, McEntee said sport offered “a powerful means of connection” between Ireland and its global diaspora, while O’Donovan described the plan as a way to ensure Ireland remains at the forefront of sports innovation and technology.Minister for Sport Patrick O'Donovan. Photograph: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Separately, O’Donovan was asked about the Republic of Ireland soccer team’s participation in an upcoming Nations League fixture against Israel, amid debate over whether Ireland should fulfil the fixture.He said the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) had made its decision and that national associations were bound by the rules of international governing bodies.“There’s an international governing authority for football in Europe, namely Uefa, which has made a decision,” he said.“The FAI might have had a particular view in advance of that decision being made, but that decision has been made, no more than in the case of the International Olympic Committee or Fifa.”He added that failure to play the fixture would primarily disadvantage the Republic of Ireland team.“The big losers, if Ireland did not fulfil its obligation to play Israel, would be the Republic of Ireland. I don’t think anybody would want to see the young Irish lads who are currently doing so well being penalised because of a political role that they have absolutely nothing to do with,” he said.
