Bid to bring Euro 2028 finals to Ireland

A bid to jointly host the Euro 2028 football finals has been lodged by the five football associations in Ireland and Britain.

This week the Irish Government agreed to support the submission of a final bid by the Football Association of Ireland for the co-hosting of the tournament with the Irish Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Welsh Football Association and the Football Association.

Hosting the tournament here will present a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland and our world-class tourism offering to Europe and the wider world. It’s also a great opportunity for both North-South and East-West cooperation on a project that will mean so much to communities across Ireland and the UK.

“I am happy that the Government has agreed to support the Ireland and UK joint bid for UEFA Euro 2028. This tournament represents a huge opportunity for Ireland to welcome Europe and the world to our shores, to display our world-class facilities and to host an event that benefits all. It is also an opportunity to ensure long-lasting benefits for League of Ireland, local and youth football,” said An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

CRITICAL has been chosen as one of the official beneficiaries for the 2023 Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle. The 170km event takes place July 1 starting and ending in Killarney.

Dr Mark Ruddy works as a GP in Arklow and has a strong background in pre-hospital emergency medicine. He qualified as a doctor in 2010 and has worked in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Dr Ruddy previously worked for the Royal Flying Doctors Service and LifeFlight in Australia as well as Essex and Herts Air Ambulance in the UK. He still travels to the UK and covers two or three shifts each month with Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance in Lincoln.

Dr Ruddy is available to respond to incidents and emergencies after hours and during his commute between North Wicklow and Arklow. He will be tasked by the National Ambulance Service and his vehicle and equipment is provided by CRITICAL but funded by events like the Ring of Kerry.

“I’m delighted to volunteer my time with CRITICAL. I developed my critical care skills in Ireland, Australia and the UK over the last decade and this is a way of sharing my expertise with my neighbours in Wicklow should they ever need it. I will be called to time-critical emergencies like cardiac arrests and skill-critical incidents like serious crashes. I can start the patient’s intensive care journey at the side of the road in Wicklow if necessary. The funds raised during the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle will help CRITICAL to expand into more communities across Ireland. The equipment we use is expensive and only really found in an Emergency Department, so effectively we’re bringing the hospital to the patient,” said Dr Ruddy.

It costs an average of €25,000 to establish an advanced level volunteer doctor in the community; and €120,000 to put a new Critical Care response vehicle on the road.

To register for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle in aid of CRITICAL visit www. ringofkerrycycle.ie/our-charities/critical-emergency-medical-response/.