Membership Login Club Mail Login
Share article on whatsapp Share article on twitter Share article on facebook Print
May 08

Members Update – 8th May 2020

We’ve all been affected by Covid-19 and the restrictions caused by social distancing since we had to suspend all AIRC activities on the 19th March.  During this time we’ve all had to adapt to these restrictions, and it looks like these, along with social distancing will be with us for some time yet.  

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank those on the front line, in particular our members, who have been helping with the national effort against this virus which has unfortunately claimed many lives across the country.

As the picture has become clearer following the announcement of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Ireland last Friday, we felt it was important to update you on the work, the Board of Directors and our staff have been doing during this time.

Finances

We are doing all we can to protect the financial position of our Association by reducing our costs where possible.  Much of this has happened organically but following consultation with our staff, we have reduced our costs and availed of government subsidies where possible, while much of our insurance has been parked since our activities were suspended in March.

The Board of Directors will explore all options available to us in the coming months in terms of offering a refund or credit in respect of the lost months of membership.

Sport resumption

There is some light at the end of the tunnel as work continues on the resumption of our activities.  The Board and our staff are putting in place a plan for their reintroduction over a phased basis over the coming months in line with the Governments roadmap which was announced on 1st May.

It is hoped that we will be able to resume club training activities from the 8th June in a limited capacity but this will be contingent on the Government moving to Phase Two and allowing travel up to 20 kilometres.  There are also a number of other issues that need to be resolved in the coming weeks in order for us to be able to resume our activities then.

Once our club training activities are permitted to recommence this will be followed, on a phased basis, by regional training activities and then competitions.  This will, of course, be dependent on how the Government progresses along with its roadmap and when they lift their travel restrictions.  

What is certain at this time, is when we resume our activities, there will be additional protocols to implement as social distancing will be with us for some time to come.  There is no doubt that this will look and feel different from what we are used to, but this is preferential to not having any sport at all!  Maintaining standards and safety will be our key priorities.

A club training grant will also be made available to encourage clubs to resume their training activities at a local level and details of this will be made available in the coming weeks.

National Championships

Unfortunately, we lost the AIRC Riding Clubs Festival in June whilst we rescheduled the Hunter Trials to September.  However, since the Government announced its roadmap last week, it has now become apparent that more of our National Championships will be lost.

As travel restrictions continue until the 20th July, at the earliest, we will not be able to run the show jumping championships in July while it may not be possible to run our other championships in their current format as we may have to adapt them to conform with the ‘new norms.’  Inevitably, there will remain a level of uncertainty for some of these until it becomes clearer as to how we can operate these events with an inevitable reduced entry from a smaller membership pool.

We will provide updates on these in the coming weeks and months.

Keep in touch

Please do keep in touch with us during this time by following our social  media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.  You can also subscribe to our eNewsletter via our website to receive regular updates each week.

If you need to contact National Office during this time, we ask that you email the office using the ‘Contact Us’ facility on our website, as these are checked regularly.  In any case, there may be a delay in responding to your query at this time but we will get to them as quickly as possible.

Conclusion

Our aim is to get our members back riding, training and competing as soon as it is safe to do so but in the meantime, please ensure to follow the government and health authorities guidelines.

There is light at the end of the tunnel but we are not there yet.  

For now, stay safe, stay at home and take care of yourselves and your loved ones (including your four-legged friends!).

Tony Ennis (Chair of the Board of Directors)

Related Posts

December 01

Registration fees confirmed for 2024

November 30

Nominations sought for 2023 Volunteer in Sport Awards

November 30

Ireland’s third equine census to take place tonight

Horse Sport Ireland
November 03

Former Ireland rugby international appointed as acting head of sport at HSI

Association of Irish Riding Clubs, 1st Floor, Beech House, Millennium Park, Osberstown, Naas, Co. Kildare, ​W91 TK7N
045 854 555
[email protected]
Membership Login
Club Mail Login
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
We made this!
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our Committees
    • Our Regions
    • Our Awards
    • Our Charities
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Member
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Set up a Club
    • FAQs
    • Commercial Opportunities
  • Latest News
  • Events Calendar
    • Events Calendar
    • National Events
    • Results Archive
    • International Opportunities
    • Show Officials
  • Clubs
  • Downloads
  • Horses
  • Education
  • Safeguarding & Vetting
  • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Athlete Health & Safety
    • Photo Gallery
    • Issuu Publications
    • Videos
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT