Cork SportsAbility Month

Cork Sports Partnership today announced that the inaugural Cork SportsAbility Month will take place throughout Cork City and County during the month of September. 

The month-long celebration aims to showcase the many opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sport and physical activity throughout Cork. There are over 20 different activities scheduled with clubs, groups and organisations coordinating open sessions for all ages and abilities to get involved in. 

An estimated 500 people with disabilities and their families are expected to get involved in activities with pathways and opportunities for continued participation being provided where possible. 

Speaking at the announcement, Maurice O’ Sullivan, Sport and Marketing Manager with Cork Sports Partnership said ‘We are delighted to be working with so many clubs, groups and organisations to put together this impressive calendar of inclusive events and sessions for the very first Cork SportsAbility Month. The appetite to promote inclusive sport and physical activity in Cork is strong and we are delighted to be able to play our part in supporting more people with disabilities to participate and get involved’. 

Included in the events schedule are a number of FREE public flagship events which are all aimed at introducing more people to sport as well as increasing awareness of what is available. 

Commenting about the flagship events, Cliona Horan, Sports Inclusion Disability Officer with Cork Sports Partnership said. ‘We have teamed up with a number of partners to organise a variety of flagship events including an inclusive Splash and Dash, a Watersports Inclusion Day, Cork SportsAbility Day, as well as a number of new programme and training opportunities’. 

The first flagship event of the month is an inclusive Splash and Dash in Fermoy Leisure Centre on Sunday 4th September. The event organised in conjunction with Triathlon Ireland which will see participants swim a short distance and walk//run or roll around Fermoy Town Park. 

The following weekend, on Saturday 10th September, the Cork Watersports Inclusion Day returns to Kinsale with free kayaking, sailing, surfing and powerboating trips throughout the day. The event is organised by Cork Sports Partnership in conjunction with Kinsale OEC, Surf 2 Heal Garretstown, Sailing into Wellness, SailAbility Kinsale and Kinsale Yacht Club.  

‘Watersports have so much to offer people of all ages and abilities. Last year, over 130 people with disabilities and their families got involved in the inaugural watersports inclusion event and we are really looking forward to heading down to Kinsale again for this year’s event,’ said Cliona. 

The ever-popular Cork SportsAbility Day sponsored by Blackwater Motors also returns to the Mardyke Arena UCC on Saturday 17th September with over 20 different come-and-try sessions including badminton, table tennis, wheelchair rugby and basketball, scorebowls, cycling and football for all, as well as demonstrations and information stands from different sport and physical activity providers. 

In closing, Cliona added ‘We are really excited for the month ahead and are confident that there is something for everyone to get involved in. Celebrations like Cork SportsAbility Month simply would not be possible without the support and dedication of all the partners we are working to promote inclusive sport and physical activity with’. 

For more information on all the events taking place during Cork SportsAbility Month see www.corksports.ie