THE Launch of the Dublin International Sports Council's Olympic discussion document yesterday was another example of how sport in Ireland is changing. We are definitely seeing a new dynamic in sport.
The sector has traditionally been one of the political minefields of Irish life. Each sporting organisation has jealously guarded its jurisdiction, seeing other sports bodies as competitors, mainly due to the small financial pot available.
This factionalism and the resulting lack of a strong single voice for sport has probably been the main cause of the lack of priority given to sport by successive governments since the foundation of the state.
Minister Allen's Sport Strategy Group, chaired by John Treacy, offers Ireland the first real opportunity to plan for the long term future of sport. For the first time a consensus strategy will emerge which I feel, will in turn positively affect public and private sector support.
Minister Allen has made the point that DISC's Olympic document complements the work of the Sports Strategy Group in that we should be looking forward to the possibilities of the future rather than be restricted by the past lack of policy or rather the lack of implementation of the policies suggested by the sports sector.
This theme is the basis for the Olympic project. In 1996, we lack the facilities, the infrastructure and the experience of hosting international events needed to hold the Games. However, DISC's 12 Working Groups, comprised of some of Ireland's top business and sports persons, are saying that we can have the facilities, we can have the resources, but the most important ingredient, the will to host the Games, must now be measured.
DISC has drawn up a "shopping list" of sporting venues of international standard which Ireland should aspire to regardless of whether we bid to host an Olympics or not. We should have an international standard aquatic centre, athletics stadium, rowing/canoeing centre, tennis centre and a multi purpose arena.
There are currently existing proposals for each of these. For example, there is a proposal before the government for the ISHOF (Irish Sports Hall of Fame) aquatic centre, which would incorporate the hall of fame and a sports museum/library, would generate 20,000 bed nights a year, and would have a perpetual endowment fund to cover any operational costs. It would bring with it world class aquatic coaching and administration expertise. The government is expected to rule on this in the next six weeks.
The inclusion of an athletics track in Croke Park may seem controversial, but is feasible and could save the taxpayer up to £100 million while still providing a first class athletics stadium. ,Also, DISC has been approached by an international consortium who wish to build a 15,000 seat multi purpose arena in Dublin before the year 2000.
On top of this, DISC advocates the refitting of existing sporting facilities where possible and the use of temporary venues. These strategies have been successfully employed by previous host cities.
Barcelona's 1920s Olympic stadium originally held 35,000 spectators, but was refitted to hold 65,000. Cape Town's bid includes the conversion of a stadium into two indoor arenas. Barcelona used temporary seating, most notably in the Aquatic Centre in Mont Juic, as did Munich during the 1972 Olympics. The Atlanta velodrome and archery venue are both temporary.
Venues built to host the Olympics must be sustainable and leave behind a positive legacy. New venues should therefore be construed with both their potential contribution to the region and their subsequent use in mind. DISC has proposed that the Dublin Olympics really be the Irish Olympics, that the benefits of hosting the Games be dispersed around the country, most obviously in Olympic standard venues being built in regions outside Dublin.
It is this type of thinking which forms the basis of the Olympic project. Sport can bring tremendous benefits to a region, something which Ireland has been slow to understand. As well as the social benefits, such as its effect on crime rates, health and education, there are enormous infrastructural and economic dividends.
An example in point is the project in St Denis in Paris. This is to host the 1998 Soccer World Cup. St Denis is perhaps one of the more distressed areas of Paris. Devastated by the worst effects of the collapse of heavy industry in the 1950s, this area is bone of the most poignant examples of urban decline. Le Grand Stad, the stadium being constructed in this region, is being used as a catalyst for regeneration. The public and private sectors and the community have joined forces to change St Denis by using the stadium as a focus for employment, transport development, education and training, spin off industry and cultural festivals.
In the same way, Barcelona used the Olympics as a means for integrated planning, for completing 25 years of infrastructural development in the six year run up to the 1992 Olympics. Barcelona converted areas of wasteland into sports and leisure facilities, created a new urban residential area; remediated five kilometres of beach and catapulted the city 20 years ahead of schedule.
The benefits of hosting the Games have been tremendous, tourism has increased, as has inward investment. The developments which were completed for the Olympics have been used as the base for a second development plan which is now underway. So it can be seen that sport has more to offer than just an afternoon's entertainment.
One of the strongest arguments of hosting international events is the affect they can have on the global image of a region. For example, think of Barcelona and most people will immediately recall the Olympic Games, the culture, Catalonia, the city's beauty, and would maybe even describe it as a major European city.
From a city's announcement of its intention to bid for an Olympics to, if successful, actually hosting the Games, a region benefits from nine years of media coverage. The Games themselves are viewed by a cumulative broadcast audience of 16.6 billion. This offers a tremendous opportunity for selling a region which no budget from a national promotions agency could cover.
It is in this bigger context that I believe an Irish Olympics should be given serious consideration. DISC's discussion document is designed as a "platform for rational public debate" rather than a blue print for hosting the Games. The document puts the concept of Irish Olympics in the context of the possibilities it can bring to Ireland.
The 12 Working Groups established by DISC have investigated Olympic requirements and previous host city experiences and have compared these with Ireland's present capabilities and future trends, from transport to accommodation to culture. They have all stated that not only could, Ireland make a credible bid in the early part of the next century, but that it would bring great social, economic and infrastructural benefits to the country.
The "once off" economic impact of an Irish Olympics is estimated to generate £925 million and provide 19,000 jobs. This does not include the spin off benefits or the long term potential addition to the economy in terms of increased tourism, international image and inward investment.
The post Olympic period is just as important as the years leading up to hosting a Games. Ireland hosting the world's largest cultural and sporting event must be used as an opportunity to create a positive legacy to the region in the post Olympic period. Therefore it is vital that the Olympic strategy is part of a larger, far reaching vision of Ireland stretching well into the next millennium.
DISC are asking that the concept of an Irish Olympic Games be given serious consideration, that all sectors of the community debate the concept openly and explore how it could be of benefit to them. I believe it is possible.
Although this article really only explores the sporting side of hosting an Olympics, I would urge people to participate in the debate. DISC has stated that the Irish Olympic project will not continue if it does not have popular support. Now's the time to get involved.
