€1.5m funding for Olympics feels ‘like winning the Lotto’

Ireland women’s hockey team member Yvonne O’Byrne felt it was “like winning the Lotto” when Sports Minister Shane Ross announced there would be an extra €1.5m for teams preparing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.

“On behalf of the Government, I want to say thank you very, very much. It is a very rare occasion to have such undiluted good news and you are bringing that home with you today,” said Mr Ross when he greeted the team members at Dublin Airport.