Nenagh Hockey Club members at Casey’s Service Station, Toomevara. With them are Texaco dealer, Richie Casey (right) and Valero Area Sales Manager, D.J. Fleming (left).

Nenagh Hockey Club receives Tipperary Award in Texaco Support for Sport Initiative

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Nenagh Hockey Club has been chosen winners of the Tipperary County award in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative. €5,000 has been presented to the club to help fund pitch rental and the addition of new equipment.

A junior hockey club for boys and girls aged 4-18, Nenagh Hockey Club is based at Nenagh College. Membership has expanded rapidly, and it aims to be a successful club where success means keeping children of all ages playing sport, being active, socialising and having fun, irrespective of ability.

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 €130,000 set aside annually for allocation in equal amounts of €5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis. Previous Tipperary winners were Cullen Lattin AFC (2021) and Cloughjordan Football 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 Tipperary club as ‘a very worthy winner’, he went on to add: “Nenagh Hockey Club’s efforts to provide a sporting outlet for all shows how keen members are to ensure that their club remains an important part of community life in the town and its surrounding area.”

Entries for the 2024 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will open in the Autumn.

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