Clare Comets Basketball Club, in Ennis, has been chosen winners of the Clare County award in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative.
€5,000 has been presented to the club to help fund new kits, balls, training equipment and an all-inclusive summer camp.
Founded some 15 years ago, in Clarecastle, Clare Comets Basketball Club is now an Ennis-based club located at St. Flannan’s College and Ennis National School. Training under 10 to 18s boys and girls, it has won multiple league titles across all age groups, representing County Clare in the All-Ireland Club Championships on numerous occasions.
Now in its third year, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative – organised by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand – sees a fund of EUR130,000 set aside annually for allocation in equal amounts of EUR5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis. Previous Clare winners were Shannon Jets Basketball Club (2021) and Ennis Hockey Club (2022).
Congratulating the winners, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited referred to what he called ‘the important contribution’ that sports clubs make within their communities and throughout Irish society as a whole. “Our initiative provides vital funding to clubs that have an important place in, and seek to enhance their contribution to, their local communities. Since its inception, we’ve distributed almost €400,000 to a wide variety of sports clubs throughout the country which has greatly helped them to continue to play an essential and positive role in their communities, something of which we are very proud,” Mr. Twohig added.
Overseeing the judging process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, former Irish rugby international and broadcaster, Donncha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he said, “As adjudicator, the most uplifting aspect of the Texaco Support for Sport initiative is that it gives clubs rare access to funds which are not linked to popularity, membership size or success.”
Describing the Clare club as ‘a very worthy recipient’, he went on to add: “The success which Clare Comets has achieved under this initiative is an indication of how much the club values its role and the position it holds within its community”.
Entries for the 2024 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will open in the Autumn.
