Sports Partnership

Donegal Sports Partnership is one of 33 Local Sports Partnerships established by the Irish Sports Council in Ireland under the 1999 Irish Sports Council Act. Established in 200, it has been responsible for promoting and supporting a broad range of sports development in County Donegal with a particular emphasis on the participation levels in sport.

This emphasis has resulted in many programmes being introduced to attract those of all ages and abilities who do not normally take part in sport and physical activity to participate in order to reap the benefits of sport and a healthy lifestyle.

The DSP places particular emphasis on education and training initiatives for volunteers, teachers, sports leaders and coaches in sport to ensure a high standard of sports training provision and supports the development of participation initiatives that allow greater participation of people of all ages and abilities in sport and physical activity. These leadership programmes are now also available to our young leaders of 14 to 17 years of age through a link developed with the Sports Leaders franchise in the UK and will be of great benefit to developing the leaders of the future.

In all its programmes the DSP promotes an ethos of partnership where agencies can work together by using sport as a tool to promote more integration in the community and to engage all people in Donegal from all backgrounds and nationalities. Donegal Sports Partnership is currently nearing the end of its second strategic plan ‘Active Donegal 2006 – 2010’, this plan has served the partnership well and has guided the DSP to attract new opportunities to support sports development in County Donegal. It is hoped that the significant developments achieved by the DSP since its establishment will be continued and that more of the population will be attracted to the pathway of sport.