Winners 2019

Irish Sport industry awards winners 2019

  • World Para-Swimming Allianz European Championships recognised as Sporting Event of the Yeaar – Irish Sports Industry Awards

  • Orreco awarded ‘best sports business’ and Uppercut awarded ‘best new sports business’

  • Garrett Fitzgerald, Munster Rugby Honoured with Outstanding Contribution Award

  • Other winners include the 20×20 campaign and SoftCo’s sponsorship of Hockey Ireland

Monday, 15 April 2019 saw the fourth annual Irish Sports Industry Awards take place in the Crown Plaza, Blanchardstown.

The sports industry in Ireland supports 40,000 jobs, stimulates €1.9 billion in household spending and generates €1 billion in tourism receipts each year. The award ceremony, hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport, seeks to recognise and reward excellence in the sporting industry, while simultaneously highlighting the contribution sport makes to the Irish economy, both directly and indirectly.

The World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships was recognised as ‘Sporting Event of the Year’. The week-long event held in the National Aquatic Centre brought over 500 athletes from 40 countries to Dublin. This was the fifth ever hosting of the competition and its first time being hosted in Ireland. It saw a total of 548 medals awarded and 22 new World Records set, with Irish athletes taking home a gold silver and bronze medal.
Thriving business innovation
Irish sports tech company Orreco received the ‘Sports Business of the Year’ award and Gary Keegan’s high-performance consultancy, Uppercut received the ‘New Sports Business of the Year’ award. SoftCo’s sponsorship of the Irish Women’s Hockey Team, who reached the World Cup Final last August, was recognised as ‘Best Sponsorship’. 20×20, an all-inclusive movement to shift Ireland’s cultural perception of women’s sport, won the Sporting Innovation of the Year.

Munster Rugby Chief Executive Garrett Fitzgerald received the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award in recognition of his leadership role in transforming Munster Rugby from newly-professionalised representative side to one of the most successful professional rugby franchises in Europe.

The Irish Times’ Mary Hannigan received the ‘Jimmy Magee Sports Journalist of the Year’ award and The42.ie was recognised as ‘Sports Outlet of the Year’.

Award winners in full

A total of 14 award categories were recognised on the night. The full list of winners is as follows:

Outstanding Contribution: Garrett Fitzgerald, CEO Munster Rugby
Sports sponsorship of the year: SoftCo and Hockey Ireland
Sporting Event of the Year: World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships
Sporting Event of the Year: World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships
Sporting innovation of the year: 20×20
Sports business of the year: Orreco
New Sports Business of the year: Uppercut
Sports Media Outlet of the year: The42.ie
Jimmy Magee Sports Journalist of the year: Mary Hannigan, The Irish Times
National Governing Body of the year: Cricket Ireland
Local Sports Partnership Initiative of the year: Cork Local Sports Partnership for Staying Fit for the Future
20×20 Award: Waterford Local Sports Partnership and FAI Soccer for Girls
Inclusivity Award: GymAble by Gymnastics Ireland
Programme to increase participation: Cork Local Sports Partnership Sports Schools Programme
Social media: AIG