ANGLING BOOST FOR COACHFORD WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE WAY

COACHFORD will be an angler’s paradise in August for the National Coarse Fishing Federation’s World Youth Angling Championship.

Michael Creed, TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently launched the championships in Coachford and anglers, along with officials and sponsors, gathered on the Coachford Greenway in support of this prestigious international fishing event which is specifically for young people.

Minister Creed stressed the value of the Coachford Greenway to the local community and its economic benefit as an international angling centre of excellence.

Der Casey of the National Coarse Fishing Federation thanked the local community groups as well as sponsors Cork County Council, Inland Fisheries Ireland, ESB, Cork Convention Bureau and Failte Ireland for their commitment to hosting the championships.

This is a world championship coarse angling competition for youths under 15, under 20 and under 25, supported by Cork County Council. The event is regulated by FIPSed (Federation Internationale de Peche Sportive eau douce) and endorsed by the Angling Council of Ireland. The event itself will take place over eight days in August where 44 teams of five are expected to attend.

A similar event, the World Feeder Championships, was held in Inniscarra three years ago, which was also supported by Cork County Council in the shape infrastructure improvement works and event running costs. The event attracted 10,000 domestic visitors on one day and was worth in excess of €1m to the area.

The significant infrastructure improvements provided an international standard angling facility which enabled Inniscarra to host not only the event in 2014 but also allowed the area to bid for further world events, such

Michael Creed, TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, (right) with Cllr. Gobnait Moynihan (FF) Tommy Lawton, Event Director (left) and Frank Barry, manager, ESB Power Station, Inniscarra at the National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland, (NCFFI) official launch of the World Youth Angling Championships which will take place at Coachford, Co. Cork on August of this year.

as the upcoming World Youth Angling Championships in 2017. World Championship events not only showcase the quality angling product on offer to competitors but introduces the cultural, heritage and tourism attractions available in the Lee Valley area to families and friends of competing anglers, each of whom are potential visitors to the region.

The 2017 event is an international event which will attract both national and international visitors. It will bring a significant number of people to the region and offers a potential economic impact of €1.5million for the area. Inniscarra is currently the only angling facility in Ireland capable of hosting large coarse angling events such as this and there is strong potential for further world angling events to be held in Inniscarra in the future.

The event will be staged on Inniscarra Reservoir and include the Coachford Greenway, a 2.8km linear park in the form of a walkway, available for everyone to enjoy; walking, jogging, rowing, family days out, picnics and fishing. Development of this multi - purpose amenity continues and we are pleased to announce that a further €150,000 is to be used to upgrade Greenway to include achieving Sport Ireland National Trails status.

Works are expected to start soon with funding awarded from Cork County Council, Rob Allen Engineering, National Coarse Fishing Federation of Ireland and Inniscarra Lake Tourism Development Ltd under the REDZ scheme.

For more details of the World Youth Angling Championships please visit the dedicated website at www.ncffi. ie/wyac