This article is from page 13 of the 2014-11-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
stood to have contribute € 5,000 to the event last year with the remainder being made up from the races own cash reserves, which have now been depleted.
A spokesperson from Clare Coun ty Council conf rmed that they would meet with race organisers in the coming days to discuss the 2015 event.
Clare County Council has worked hard with all parties, including the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, to attract events to County Clare.
The Junior Tour of Ireland held in July and the Ras na mBan held in September have been successfully brought to Clare in 2013 and 2014,” said the spokesperson.
“Both of these events, which run over seven days, create strong economic activity particularly on accommodation and other services. They also help to enhance Clare’s strong reputation as a cycling destination. Both events secure TV cov erage with highlights of both races being shown on international sports channels. “A meeting has been scheduled with the race organisers for early November to discuss the situation around the 2015 event. The council cannot guarantee any support pending discussions and agreement on its 2015 budget.” Ms Sherratt said f nding a race sponsor would be “impossible” in the current economic climate. “We literally don’t have the money. I’m going to have to go out now and see if I can get more sponsors but it’s an impossibility,” she said. “I’ll have to go back to the council in Clare to see if I can get the € 5,000 for next year again, and the same with the IVCA. But I don’t know if that will happen; if it can happen every year. And even with that mon ey and the Cycling Ireland grant, we are still well, well short.”