Funding Irish Chess

Eamonn Pitts (ICU Chairman)


This article part of the series: ICU Bulletins 2005-06 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14


Chess is not recognised as a sport in Ireland. Therefore the National Sports Council do not provide any public funds for administration of the Sport or for helping elite players compete abroad.

The Irish Chess Union is run on a shoestring, dependent on members fees. Annual income is only about €20,000. As a result there are only very limited funds to support players selected to play for Ireland in FIDE (world) or ECU events. Most players adult and junior who travel are supported from their own or parents’ Funds. Those with limited means miss out on some opportunities.

There is very limited training of potential elite players, unless their parents pay for tuition.

Sponsorship of chess is forthcoming for the weekend tournaments organised at local level, eg Bunratty, Kilkenny, Malahide, Galway.

Junior Chess competitions were sponsored for a five year period by The ESB from 1997 to 2002. The competitions have continued but fees have had to be raised and there has been a fall off in participation levels. The Irish junior championships and the training of an Irish squad were sponsored by a toilet roll firm, for a three year period from 2002 to 2004 inclusive. There are no significant sponsorships at present.

Objective of this paper

This paper will argue that it is time to adopt a radical new approach to funding of chess. It will set out a programme to be funded and a new approach to funding.

What does Chess need ?

The figures are only indicative but show that to do the job properly would require an annual sum of about €100,000.

While some sponsorship has been obtained historically for high profile tournaments, Nothing along this scale has ever been sought.

I believe that this degree of sponsorship would not be obtainable. Sponsorship implies that the company involved assesses the payback to itself on its sponsorship. The small chess playing base makes it unlikely that a return on sponsorship could be obtained.

In the era that we are now in with allegedly thousands of millionaires in Ireland, as a result of the Celtic Tiger, I believe we should endeavour to tap into these millions by seeking donations as a philantropic gesture.

I believe we should present a programme such as the above to potential philantropists and seek to ensure a flow of about €100,000 per annum.


Created 2006-08-09 ◦ Last updated 2014-07-23 ◦ Editor VB


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