Limerick Olympians highlight the city as a model host for international sports events

INTERNATIONAL sporting events in Limerick over the next two years will deliver an estimated €4 million boost to the regional economy.

The Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau presented awards to 15 sports ambassadors to acknowledge their efforts in securing valuable international sporting events for the Mid-West region. 

Sports Tourism provides a massive boost to a host city and county. 

Sports event participants tend to stay on average 5-7 nights and often travel on to other parts of Ireland. 

Not only do the thousands of additional visitors provide a huge benefit to the local economy, there is also the potential for international broadcasts at some events and millions of social media views, promoting Limerick to visitors around the world.

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The University of Limerick, one of the region’s flagship venues, alone welcomed over 7,750 participants in the last two years for International events like European School Chess Championships, European Ultimate Frisbee Championships, Tag World Cup, Flag Football, World Archery and many more, delivering an economic boost of almost €5.5 million.

Eight major international events scheduled at UL in 2025 and 2026 are set to attract thousands of overseas visitors, delivering an estimated €4 million boost to the regional economy.

Ian Costello, Munster Rugby, said at the Annual Sports Tourism in Ireland conference, that the All Blacks match at Thomond Park last November was worth €3.6 million to the local economy.

Speaking at the awards ceremony during the Conference in Limerick, Danielle Devaney, Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, said: "Our ambassadors work tirelessly with us and Fáilte Ireland to bid for and win international events for the Shannon Region. Each sports delegate is worth over €700 to the local economy — that’s how valuable this segment of tourism is for the region. Without these ambassadors, we simply couldn't compete internationally, never mind achieve the success we have. Today is about recognising their incredible work and saying thank you."

Often, the ambassadors are volunteers within their local sporting organisation with full-time jobs bidding on events that can take years to deliver. 

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Among the Ambassadors recognised at the Sports Tourism in Ireland Conference included; Christy McElligott, Pat Hickey, Adam Taylor, Alice Sherratt and Gary McIlroy, Sergej Dikun, Kevin Devaney, Michelle Mulcahy, Aidan Maguire, Desmond Beatty, Barry Walsh & Liam Grant, Mike O'Connor, Pat Quigley and Daniel McCarthy, and Tamas Heitzmann.

The ambassadors come from a range of sport backgrounds including football, archery, shooting, cycling, darts, touch rugby, chess,  ultimate frisbee, and dodgeball.

David Ward, UL Events, University of Limerick, said: "We’re proud to play our part and work with such outstanding ambassadors. UL’s state-of-the-art sports campus is ideal for international events, offering everything from pitches to accommodation in one location. In recent years we’ve hosted World & European Championships for a wide variety of sports including hosting back-to-back major international events like Masters Ultimate Club Championships 2022 and EUF 2023 European Ultimate Championships and now we’re looking forward to hosting the WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships in 2026. Working closely with our Ambassadors and understanding their needs makes this possible.” 

Rob Hartnett, Director, Sport for Business, said: "The Mid-west region is incredibly fortunate to have so many world-class venues and facilities. Every year, thanks to the collaborative effort of stakeholders across the region, new and exciting events are secured. It’s a real testament to the ambition and teamwork of organisations like UL, the Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, and Limerick City and County Council. Sporting events don’t just bring excitement — they leave a legacy and deliver significant economic value to the local economy."