An increase to €27 million in high performance funding in the first year of the new Olympic cycle is the headline amount highlighted by Sport Ireland, although there is still some moving and shaking to be done before final figures are realised.
Up €2 million on the last of the Paris cycle amount, in all 16 National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) will benefit from high-performance programme funding worth €12.7m this year as they turn their attention towards Los Angeles in 2028, with another €4.85m announced in direct athlete support, including €3.8m under the international carding scheme.
The 16 NGB’s are down three on the 19 who benefited in the Paris four-year cycle, and the international carding amount is also reduced slightly, with 129 athletes plus 11 relays/pool funding named across 15 sports, with 29 athletes receiving the maximum podium amount of €40,000/€30,000, compared to 33 last year.
These still include boxer Kellie Harrington, who defended her Olympic title in Paris and declared that her last competitive bout, but has yet to formally announce her retirement to Sport Ireland. Thus, Harrington remains on €40,000, Sport Ireland acknowledging that formal announcement is pending, after which she will still be entitled to 50 per cent of the allocation under the athlete career transition programme (ACT).
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Several other athletes are set to move up a grade, given these amounts were signed off weeks several weeks ago: boxer Aoife O’Rourke is also on podium funding of €40,000, having also qualified for Paris, her sister Lisa not yet listed even though she also won a silver medal at the World Boxing Championships earlier this month.
In athletics, five athletes are now on podium amounts, including Sharlene Mawdsley and Sophie Becker, both rewarded on the back of their contribution to the relay medal successes last summer, while Kate O’Connor and Sarah Healy are on world-class amounts of €25,000. Given O’Connor’s medal double this month, bronze at the European Indoors and then silver at the World Indoors, she’ll also move to the podium class, and the expectation is Healy will too.
Rowing Ireland again tops the overall high-performance investment with €1.1m for 2025, and is joined at the top by Swim Ireland, also on €1.1m. However Rowing Ireland’s full four-year cycle amount is not yet agreed as they still have to appoint a new high performance director, and a four-year plan has also to be agreed with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, who are on €1.05m.
Athletics Ireland has also increased its amount from €841,666 to €1.05m, with Paralympics Ireland getting €1m, again for one-year only, as para swimming and athletes are currently transitioning to Swim Ireland and Athletics Ireland respectively.
Last year, Rowing Ireland had 16 athletes on top-tier podium funding, that reduced to nine this year, including Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney and Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen, who each received a special “one-off” podium amount of €30,000, agreed between Rowing Ireland and Sport Ireland, in recognition of them making their Olympic final in Paris.
Speaking at the announcement in Trinity College, Sport Ireland high performance committee chair Olive Loughnane said it wasn’t all about the money: “It’s not just the funding,” said Loughnane, the 2009 World Champion in the 20km walk. “It’s also the practical stuff. Such as access to the Institute of Sport, and all the support and back up.
“Back when I was university in Galway, I didn’t even have anywhere to train. There was a track there, but I used to climb over the gate to get in. I’ve gone past the statute of limitations, but I was basically trespassing.
“So I’ve been involved in Irish sport firstly as a recipient [of funding] from 2000 to 2012, and after retiring I took a role as a member of the high performance committee initially, and latterly as the chairperson.
“I have seen first hand the different money makes, but if you want that sustained success, you also need that strong leadership and systematic approach. I’ve seen that system evolve, and it is driven very much by investment in people, and also in processes.”
High Performance coaching support will increase also from €1.2m to €1.5m in 2025, with additional high performance operational funding going to the Olympic Federation of Ireland (€600,000) and Paralympics Ireland (€450,000).
Six more NGB’s also received funding via the Performance Development Programme: Irish Judo Association (€200,000), Pentathlon Ireland (€150,000), Taekwondo Ireland (€75,000), Basketball Ireland (€200,000), Weightlifting Ireland (€50,000), Squash Ireland (€50,000) and Winter Sports (via OFI €50,000).
High Performance Programme Funding – 2024/2025/2025-2028
Rowing Ireland €1,093,333/€1,100,000/One year only
Swim Ireland €756,666/€1,100,000/€4,400,000
Athletics Ireland €841,666/€1,050,000/€4,200,000
Irish Athletic Boxing Association €965,000/€1,050,000/One year only
Paralympics Ireland €1,000,000/€1,000,000/One year only
Irish Sailing Association €800,000/€1,000,000/€4,000,000
Hockey Ireland €856,666/€950,000/€3,800,000
Horse Sport Ireland €803,333/€900,000/€3,600,000
Cycling Ireland €520,000/€725,000/€2,900,000
Gymnastics Ireland €506,666/€725,000/€2,900,000
Golf Ireland €516,666/€650,000/€2,600,000
IRFU €416,666/€600,000/€2,400,000
Cricket Ireland €333,333/€600,000/€2,400,000
Badminton Ireland €346,666/€500,000/€2,000,000
Canoeing Ireland €216,666/€475,000/€1,900,000
Triathlon Ireland €250,000/€280,000/€1,120,000
Total €10,223,327/€12,705,000/€38,220,000
International Carding Scheme 2025
Athletics Ireland
Ciara Mageean Podium €40,000
Rhasidat Adeleke Podium €40,000
Sharlene Mawdsley Podium €40,000
Sophie Becker Podium €40,000
Christopher O’Donnell Podium €40,000
Sarah Lavin World Class €25,000
Sarah Healy World Class €25,000
Katherine O’Connor World Class €25,000
Mark English World Class €25,000
Andrew Coscoran International €18,000
Brian Fay International €18,000
Efrem Gidey International €18,000
Eric Favors International €18,000
Luke McCann International €18,000
Sophie O’Sullivan International €18,000
Nicola Tuthill International €18,000
Cathal Doyle International €18,000
Nicholas Griggs International €18,000
Fionnuala McCormack International €18,000
Hiko Haso International €18,000
Darragh McElhinney International €18,000
Israel Olatunde International €18,000
Mixed 4x400m Relay Relay/Pool €60,000
Women’s 4x400m Relay Relay/Pool €60,000
Total €645,000
Badminton Ireland
Nhat Nguyen World Class €25,000
Rachael Darragh International €18,000
Joshua Magee International €18,000
Paul Reynolds International €18,000
Moya Ryan International €18,000
Total €97,000
Canoeing Ireland
Liam Jegou World Class €25,000
Ronan Foley International €18,000
Alistair McCreery International €18,000
Jake Cochrane International €18,000
Noel Hendrick International €18,000
Madison Corcoran International €18,000
Total €97,000
Cycling Ireland
Lara Gillespie Podium €40,000
Mia Griffin World Class €25,000
Erin Grace Creighton World Class €25,000
Cycling Ireland (Para) Josephine Healion Podium €40,000
Linda Kelly (Pilot) Podium €40,000
Katie-George Dunlevy Podium €40,000
Richael Timothy International €18,000
Christopher Burns International €18,000
Mitchell McLaughlin (Pilot) International €18,000
Damien Vereker International €18,000 Pilot & Pool Funding €40,000
Total €322,000
Gymnastics Ireland
Rhys McClenaghan Podium €40,000
Adam Steele International €18,000
Dominick Cunningham International €18,000
Emma Slevin International €18,000
Halle Hilton International €18,000
Eamon Montgomery International €18,000
Pool Funding €80,000
Total €210,000
Irish Athletic Boxing Association
Kellie Harrington Podium €40,000
Aoife O’Rourke Podium €40,000
Shannon Sweeney Podium €40,000
Jack Marley World Class €25,000
Niamh Fay World Class €25,000
Adam Hession International €18,000
Kelyn Cassidy International €18,000
Martin McDonagh International €18,000
Dean Clancy International €18,000
Daina Moorehouse International €18,000
Jennifer Lehane International €18,000
Gráinne Walsh International €18,000
Aidan Walsh International €18,000
Jude Gallagher International €18,000
Michaela Walsh International €18,000
Pool Funding €80,000
Total €430,000
Irish Clay Target Shooting Association
Ian O’Sullivan International €18,000
Total €18,000
Irish Judo Association
Joshua Green International €18,000
Rachael Hawkes International €18,000
Bearach Gleeson International €15,000
Total €51,000
Irish Sailing Association
Finn Lynch Podium €40,000
Robert Dickson Podium €40,000
Sean Waddilove Podium €40,000
Eve McMahon International €18,000
Total €145,000
Paralympics Ireland
Pool Funding €80,000
(Para Athletics) Orla Comerford Podium €40,000
Greta Streimikyte World Class €25,000
Shauna Bocquet International €18,000
Mary Fitzgerald International €18,000
Jordan Lee International €18,000
(Para Swimming) Roisin Ni Riain Podium €40,000
Barry McClements World Class €25,000
Dearbhaile Brady World Class €25,000
Deaten Registe International €18,000
Total €307,000
Rowing Ireland
Paul O’Donovan Podium €40,000
Fintan McCarthy Podium €40,000
Philip Doyle Podium €40,000
Daire Lynch Podium €40,000
Fiona Murtagh Podium €40,000
Ross Corrigan Podium €30,000 *
Nathan Timoney Podium €30,000 *
Aoife Casey Podium €30,000 *
Margaret Cremen Podium €30,000 *
Zoe Hyde World Class €25,000
Alison Bergin World Class €25,000
Eimear Lambe World Class €25,000
Emily Hegarty World Class €25,000
Imogen Magner World Class €25,000
Natalie Long World Class €25,000
Brian Colsh International €18,000
Adam Murphy International €18,000
Konan Pazzaia International €18,000
Ciaran Purdy International €18,000
Donnacha Keeley International €18,000
Siobhán McCrohan International €18,000
(Para) Katie O’Brien International €18,000
Tiarnan O’Donnell International €18,000
Steven McGowan International €18,000
* One off podium funding of €30,000 in recognition of making Olympic final
Total €632,000
Swim Ireland
Daniel Wiffen Podium €40,000
Mona McSharry Podium €40,000
Ellen Walshe World Class €25,000
Danielle Hill World Class €20,000
Tom Fannon International €18,000
Shane Ryan International €18,000
Eoin Corby International €18,000
Charlotte Cullen International €18,000
Ellie McCartney International €18,000
John Shortt International €18,000
Darragh Greene International €18,000
Nathan Wiffen International €18,000
Jake Passmore International €18,000
Conor Ferguson International €18,000
Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay €100,000
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay
Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay
Total €423,000
Table Tennis Ireland
(Para) Colin Judge World Class €25,000
Total €25,000
Taekwondo Ireland
Jack Woolley World Class €25,000
Programme Costs €15,000
Total €40,000
Triathlon Ireland
James Edgar International €18,000 Triathlon Ireland (Para)
Chloe MacCombe World Class €25,000
Catherine Sands (Pilot) World Class €25,000
Judith MacCombe World Class €25,000
(Para) Eimear Nicholls (Pilot) World Class €25,000
Tom Williamson World Class €25,000
Donnacha McCarthy International €15,000
Sean Husband (Pilot) International €15,000
Total €173,000
