A SPORTING CHANCE
KEVIN MOORE ON WHY IRELAND MUST COMPETE IF IT IS TO STAGE MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS

While Poland, Ukraine and Britain hosted two of the world’s biggest sports events of the year, Ireland’s recent international sporting gigs play a role in our economy’s recovery. One of the most impactful events was the Navy-Notre Dame American Football game in the Aviva Stadium.

The UEFA Euro 2012 Championship kicked off a summer of sport. Poland and Ukraine reported to be feeling the economic benefits and growth associated with hosting a major international sporting event, while many other Eastern European countries slip further into the Eurozone crisis. Local businessesbenefitedfrom the thousands of fans from all over Europe passing through their towns. While Spain won its third major tournament in a row, it seems no country made a greater impact on Euro 2012 than Ireland, karma that seems to have been repaid.

As football fever subsided in July, the world’s attention turned to England for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The high expectations were exceeded with Team GB’s largest medal haul for years and Usain Bolt providing some lightening entertainment to the masses. The athletes were not the only ones to deliver gold. Lord Sebastian Coe and his team staged an event that will be remembered as one of the greatest ever. Even the hardest of cynics seemed to soften as London was put on a pedestal for weeks on end, publicity that money simply cannot buy.

The positive sentiment is reflected in a Lloyds Bank economic impact report, which claims that the UK economy will benefit from a