Echelon Data Centres and home builder Beakonshaw have committed to a five-year €1.5m joint sponsorship agreement with Wicklow GAA.
As part of the deal, the County Grounds in Aughrim will be named Echelon Park Aughrim, while both companies will become Player Development Partners of Wicklow GAA.
Wicklow GAA will receive €300,000 per year from 2023-2028. The county board said some of the funding will go towards increasing coaching hours in schools, improving competitiveness at underage county level, and driving standards to broaden the talent pipeline for senior inter-county squads.
At elite level, it will fund the county’s Player Development Pathway, the appointment of a High Performance Director for Wicklow GAA, and the ongoing development of facilities at the renamed Echelon Centre of Excellence, Ballinakill.
The sponsorship covers men’s and juvenile male football and hurling in Wicklow. Beakonshaw’s name and logo will appear on the sleeves of the Wicklow GAA senior team jerseys, and on the front of Wicklow GAA juvenile team jerseys.
In Association with
Niall Molloy, CEO of Echelon Data Centres, said the sponsorship deal demonstrated the commitment of both companies to the communities where they operate.
“Echelon is building two data centre facilities in Wicklow that will provide high quality jobs, drive the digital economy, and be a template for sustainable modern data centre development throughout Europe. We understand the responsibilities that come with that to support the people where we operate," Molloy stated.
“Beakonshaw, like Wicklow GAA, is about building from the ground up. The GAA builds community, character, and inclusiveness through sport, while Beakonshaw is building much-needed family homes that will support the commercial growth that will deliver ongoing prosperity for Wicklow.”
Martin Fitzgerald, cathaoirleach, Wicklow GAA, said the sponsorship was vital for the future success of GAA in the county.
“The continued development of our players is a key strategic focus for us. The positive impact that this investment will have at all levels in Wicklow GAA is unprecedented and may be the most important partnership for our future development as an organisation.
“It will allow us to increase support for clubs and schools at grass roots level – and it will also allow us to put in place the structures and resources required for our footballers and hurlers to compete at a national level.
“Wicklow GAA has ambitious plans for our minor and senior teams, but success takes talent, dedication, and resources. We believe we have the talent and dedication. Thanks to this sponsorship deal with Echelon Data Centres and Beakonshaw, we have the financial backing to make it happen.”
Wicklow played in Division 3 of the Allianz League this year and were relegated after finishing bottom of the division, winning only one of their seven matches.
