'This is first steps' - Irish athletics coaches to get financial support

10 contracted Irish coaches will have their work rewarded financially this year.

In attendance during a 2023 European Indoor Championships Team Ireland media morning are, from left, Athletics Ireland High Performance Support Coach Emmett Dunleavy, 800m runner John Fitzsimons, and Athletics Ireland Director of High Performance Paul McNamara. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Changing an entire culture doesn’t happen overnight, but as steps forward go, this represents one giant leap for Irish athletics. Through its history the sport has been propped up and powered by the work of volunteer coaches, their work and expertise typically going unrewarded, but now it’s set to be acknowledged in the best way possible: with cold, hard cash.

Athletics Ireland (AI) will offer financial support to 10 contracted Irish coaches this year, with more due to be added in the weeks ahead and a pot of €80,000 split between them. That’s been made possible by an additional €200,000 from Sport Ireland, beyond its core funding, to help Athletics Ireland achieve the aims set out in its High Performance Plan 2022-2028, with the incremental professionalisation of coaching one of its chief objectives.