Carlow Local Sports Partnership

Carlow Local Sports Partnership was initiated in 2006 and is part of a national network of 29 sports partnerships.

Sport Ireland devised the Local Sports Partnership (LSP) concept as a means to coordinate and promote the development of sport at a local level.

The LSP is funded primarily through Sport Ireland and operates as a sub-committee of Carlow County Council.  Carlow County Council, the HSE and IT Carlow also contribute significant funding and benefit-in-kind to the LSP.

The Carlow LSP Coordinator, Administrator and Community Sports Development Officer are employed by County County Council.  A Community Sports Inclusion Officer is employed through a contract for services.

The LSP steering committee meets approximately every 6 – 8 weeks.  The remit of the steering committee is to oversee the implementation of the yearly operational plan and to support and guide the LSP staff.

County Carlow Local Sports Partnership implements a wide range of actions with the aim of increasing participation rates in the local community.

The LSP leads a consultative forum which represents the views of all local groups.  The key aims of the LSP are to increase participation in sport, and to ensure that local resources are used to best effect.

Outcomes we seek:

  • Club development
  • Volunteer training
  • Enhanced planning of sport at local level
  • Local directories of sports bodies & facilities
  • School, club, community and national governing body (NGB) links
  • Increased levels of local participation, especially amongst specific target groups such as older people, girls & women, people with disabilities, unemployed people, and those who live in identified disadvantaged communities
Carlow Sports Target

Carlow Local Sports Partnership Steering Committee

Membership of the Local Sport Partnerships

Sport Ireland states that all those statutory bodies, organisations and groups operating in local areas with a responsibility for or interest in sports development should be invited to participate in the LSP. The involvement of the Education & Training Boards (ETB), city and county councils, Health Service Executive (HSE), universities, colleges, Institutes of Technology, commercial companies, sports’ clubs, national governing bodies (NGBs) and community groups in the partnership will be important.

Structure of Carlow Local Sports Partnership

Carlow Local Sports Partnership (LSP) was established as a substructure of a local authority in 2006 with its priorities decided in consultation with its constituent members.  This structure ensures that all funding made available to the LSP can be dedicated solely to work in the sports sector. The LSP Steering Committee is made up of representatives of those agencies regarded as key influencers in local sports development. Thirteen of the initial LSP’s were established as companies limited by guarantee.

Steering Committee Members

The LSP Steering Committee meets approximately every 6 – 8 weeks. The remit of the Steering Committee is to oversee the implementation of the yearly operational plan and to support and guide the LSP staff.

  • Carmel Lynch
  • Declan Doyle (Chairperson)
  • Kathryn Wall & Karen Mullins
  • Garry Coady
  • Olive Fanning
  • Tom Geoghegan
  • Donal McNally
  • Michael Brennan (Vice Chairperson)
  • Helen Rothwell
  • Ronan Dempsey
  • Denis Shannon
  • Sporting Rep
  • Sporting Rep
  • Carlow Regional Youth Services
  • Sporting Rep
  • HSE
  • Sporting Rep
  • Institute of Technology Carlow
  • Carlow County Council
  • Carlow Volunteer Centre Ltd
  • Carlow GAA
  • Sporting Rep
  • 2006
  • 2015
  • 2006
  • 2008
  • 2006
  • 2008
  • 2014
  • 2014
  • 2018
  • 2015
  • 2017

Declan Doyle

Chairperson

declan doyle - Carlow Sports Partnership

Declan Doyle is Vice-president for Development and Research at the Institute of Technology Carlow where he has responsibility for managing the Institute’s external engagement programme with particular reference to research and innovation and international relations. Prior to this appointment he was Head of Department of Sport Media and Marketing where he was responsible for the relationships between IT Carlow and sporting national governing bodies, particularly the GAA, Leinster Rugby and the FAI. 

His role includes working with Enterprise Ireland and IDA in supporting industrial policy initiatives in the South East, and representing the Institute on the South East Regional Skills Forum Management Committee, South East Action Plan for Jobs Action Monitoring Committee, the IBEC regional committee, various local community development committees and other committees as nominated by the Institute.

In addition he has responsibility for international collaborative partnerships and student recruitment, Irish and overseas. 

In his teaching career he has lectured in the School of Business and Humanities of IT Carlow primarily teaching management and marketing modules.  He has also lectured in the Department of Marketing in NUI Galway, and has been a guest lecturer in ISC Paris, FHTW Berlin, University of Voronezh (Russia) and the Technical University in Warsaw (Poland) and with various Erasmus partners.  He is on the editorial committee of a major European network of educators and has been an invited speaker at international conferences across Europe and Asia.   

He served nine years as club secretary at Carlow Rugby Club and was an active rugby referee for 16 years for the Association of referees Leinster Branch (ARLB).  He has also served on the boards of various non Profit organisations including Visual in Carlow. His personal sporting interest now is taking part in adventure races and triathlons – to complete not compete!