Sport Ireland reveals €27m funding

Funding of almost €27m was announced by Sport Ireland yesterday, with hockey, modern pentathlon, Community Games, gymnastics, and golf among the big winners.

The announcement took place in Westport, hometown of sports minister Michael Ring — a case of “the mountain coming to Muhammad”, as Sport Ireland chairman Kieran Mulvey put it.

Though he had suffered a dog bite while canvassing the previous evening, Ring was in ebullient form as he announced what Sport Ireland chief executive John Treacy hailed as “a huge investment in sport”.