Major Ramor event launched
Image 1 of 12
Moira Aston, CEO, Canoeing Ireland, Tim Burke, CEO, Irish Sailing, and Fiona Bolger, CEO, Spinal Injuries Ireland SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 2 of 12
Lorraine McTague Cavan County Local Development, Shauna Finnegan and Damien O’Reilly, Cavan Disability Network. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 3 of 12
John Wilson, Secretary, Ramor Watersports Club, Fiona Bolger, CEO, Spinal Injuries Ireland, Tim Burke, CEO, Irish Sailing, John Twomey, eleven time Paralypian and Irish Sailing President, Cllr TP O’Reilly, Dean McElroy, Senior Sports Inclusion Development Officer with Cavan Sports Partnership and Moira Aston, CEO, Canoeing Ireland SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 4 of 12
Linda and Terry O’Shea. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 5 of 12
Meabh Brady, the Lakeside Manor, Michael O’Reilly, Commodore of Ramor Watersports Club, and Helen O’Reilly, Ramor Watersports Club. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 6 of 12
The 2024 Watersports Inclusion Games were launched on at Ramor Watersports Club. Eleven-time Paralypian and President of Irish Sailing, John Twomey officially launched the event, which will take place on Lough Ramor (June 22-23). The Watersports Inclusion Games is a landmark event celebrating people of all abilities from the physical, sensory, intellectual and learning spectrums and of all ages and demographics. Photos: Sheila Marie Rooney SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 7 of 12
Joe Byrne, Stephen Maher, Mick Gillick, Sinead Monaghan and Christy Hanlon. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 8 of 12
Ramor Watersports Club members pictured at the launch. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 9 of 12
Dean McElroy, Senior Sports Inclusion Development Officer with Cavan Sports Partnership and Jane Carter, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer with Irish Sailing. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 10 of 12
Paul Carroll and Cormac Collins from Irish Water Skiing and Wakeboard Federation SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 11 of 12
Cllr TP O’Reilly, Aidan O’Dwyer, Munterconnaught GAA, John Matthews, Munterconnaught GAA and Geraldine McGrath, Maghera McFinns GAA. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYImage 12 of 12
Colm McCaffrey, Irish Sailing and Helen McQuade, Virginia Rugby Club. SHEILA MARIE ROONEY PHOTOGRAPHYThe 2024 Watersports Inclusion Games were launched on Thursday May 30 at Ramor Watersports Club by 11-time Paralympian, and President of Irish Sailing, John Twomey. The event, set to take place on Lough Ramor on June 22-23 next, is a landmark event celebrating watersports for people of all abilities from the physical, sensory, intellectual and learning spectrums, and of all ages and demographics.
First run in 2017, this year’s event will take place in the idyllic surrounds of Lough Ramor, adjacent to the Lakeside Manor, Virginia. There will be sailing, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, fast boat rides and even a little tag rugby from local clubs. Over 200 participants are expected to take part across the weekend.
The Watersports Inclusion Games is a national event which aims to make watersports a more inclusive and accessible place for all. It is organised by Irish Sailing in association with Canoeing Ireland and Cavan Local Sports Partnership along with Ramor Watersports Club and Sailability Ireland. The event is supported with activities by Spinal Injuries Ireland, Irish Waterski and Wakeboard Federation and Sailing into Wellness. Offering further support are numerous local and national organisations including Safe Haven Sailing, Sail Training Ireland and clubs and training centres from around the country who will support the event with resources, volunteers, instructors and facilitators.
The games, a regular landmark occasion kicking off the summer watersports calendar, are the product of ongoing inclusion training and awareness drives being activated by the organising bodies in line with Sport Ireland’s Policy on Participation in Sport by People with Disabilities and are enabled by grant funding from Sport Ireland Dormant Accounts Sports Inclusion Fund.
Speaking at the launch, Irish Sailing President and eleven-time Paralympian John Twomey said, “I am delighted to be here to launch the annual Watersports Inclusion Games. It is events such as this that will help to inspire people of all abilities to take part in watersports activities and perhaps even one day compete for Ireland in Paralympic sport.’
Michael O’Reilly, Commodore of Ramor Watersports Club spoke at the launch: “The Inclusion Games has become an annual landmark occasion, celebrating inclusive watersports activity. By raising national awareness of inclusive opportunities and encouraging more watersports providers to adopt an equal-access approach to watersports delivery, we aim to ensure greater accessibility on the water to enhance the lives of disabled people throughout the country; we plan to run a safe fun-filled event, it is very exciting.”
For further details and to register for the games, go to the Irish Sailing website.
You can sign up for the Watersports Inclusion Games from Sat 1 Jun - www.sailing.ie/WatersportsInclusionGames