Classifieds Advertise Archive Subscriptions Family Announcements Photos Digital Editions/Apps
Connect with us

News

Nutritionists see Red over new GAA drinks deal

Published

on

The decision by Galway GAA to accept Red Bull as “the official drinks partner” for all Galway football and hurling teams has been criticized by a Government body as sending the wrong message to young people.

Red Bull announced its sponsorship deal with Galway GAA covering football and hurling teams at senior, minor and U21 levels during their training and games.

A statement from the drinks giant said “the exciting new partnership” continues Red Bull’s “long standing association with both Gaelic football and hurling through the creation of its own events and the Red Bull Athlete network”.

Red Bull Longest Day is led by Galway full forward Joe Canning, described by their marketing as a “Red Bull Athlete”.

“Red Bull’s involvement in Gaelic Games is similar to the level of support the brand has established with some of the world’s best athletes and events in a multitude of sports, ranging from field sports to surfing, triathlon and skiing. Some of the most significant partnerships include football (FC Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Brazil), ice hockey (Red Bull Salzburg & Munchen), triathlon (Ironman, official drinks partner) and running (Wings for Life World Run) to name but a few.

“Red Bull has also invested in such innovations as the Diagnostics Training Centre, based in Austria, which aids athletes in recovering from injury and achieving peak fitness and performance,” the company said.

CEO of Galway GAA John Hynes said the county’s top sporting association was “delighted to be linking with such a progressive company as Red Bull”.

“Both Red Bull and Galway GAA have matching ambitions and look forward to continued success on and off the field,” he stated.

However, the deal has left the all-Ireland food safety and nutrition promotion board with a bad taste.

“This is very disappointing news to hear given that stimulant drinks like Red Bull are not suitable for children or for rehydration purposes following sport,” remarked Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, director of human health and nutrition for Safefood.

“The consumption of energy drinks in Ireland is associated with binge-drinking and I’m unclear how this sponsorship fits with the philosophy and vision of any national governing body like the GAA which does so much positive work with children and sport, particularly at underage levels.

“Role-modelling is a powerful tool when it comes to our sports stars, especially with younger children. Safefood have always recommended that the marketing of these products is undertaken without association with sport however this sponsorship seems to be prepared to target young, impressionable consumers in the belief that stimulant drinks will help them achieve ‘peak fitness and performance’ according to their own marketing materials.”

A report released last month by Safefood into energy drinks found there was a massive increase in the number of products now on sale since 2002, with some brands containing up to 16 teaspoons of sugar in a single can.

Males aged 15-24 were the highest consumers of energy drinks (64%) and over half of those who consumed energy drinks (54%) consumed them at least once a week or more frequently.

Dr Foley-Nolan noted that energy drinks and sports drinks now comprise more than 20% of the soft drinks market in Ireland.

“Consumption can have health consequences because of their sugar and caffeine content. A typical small 250ml can has sugar levels of 6 teaspoons per can which is equivalent to a full chocolate bar.

“The caffeine content is high and drinking two small cans and one small espresso of coffee drives an adult’s daily caffeine intake above recommended levels.”

The use of energy drinks as a mixer with alcohol among young adults also has consequences in the context of Ireland’s current binge–drinking culture, she stressed.

“Safefood’s position continues to be that these drinks are not recommended as a mixer for alcoholic beverages but this is now common and part of the binge drinking culture prevalent particularly amongst our 15-24 year olds.”

Operation Transformation GP Dr Ciara Kelly described mixing an energy drink – which is a stimulant – with alcohol – which is a depressant – like “driving a car with your feet on the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time”.

“It stimulates a person so they actually end up drinking for longer as they may not be aware how drunk they really are. GP surgeries and our emergency departments have to deal with the effects of mixing energy drinks with alcohol,” she explained.

“The cheap price, easy availability, aggressive marketing and consumption of these products bluntly show how far from responsible the industry truly is and why we need to ask ourselves some hard questions when it comes to their use.”

Dr Foley-Nolan insists that energy drinks are also not suitable for children under 16 or for rehydration purposes following sport.

“The marketing of these products should be undertaken without any ambiguity or association with sport or alcohol. An awareness campaign of the potential health issues, targeted specifically at young people, is something that needs to happen.”

Red Bull – the highest-selling energy drink in the world, with 5.387 billion cans sold in 2013 – is a mix of sugar, caffeine, taurine and several B vitamins. It became a worldwide sensation after a 1987 trip to Thailand by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz who tried a traditional drink known as Krating Daeng to help his jetlag.

Connacht Tribune

West has lower cancer survival rates than rest

Published

on

Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.

A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.

For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.

These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.

“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.

In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.

Continue Reading

Connacht Tribune

Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races

Published

on

Loughrea’s Marathon Man Jarlath Fitzgerald.

On the eve of completing his 150th marathon, an odyssey that has taken him across 53 countries, Loughrea’s Marathon Man has announced that he is planning to hang up his running shoes.

But not before Jarlath Fitzgerald completes another ten races, making it 160 marathons on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

“I want to draw the line in 2026. I turn 57 in October and when I reach 60 it’s the finishing line. The longer races are taking it out of me. I did 20 miles there two weeks ago and didn’t feel good. It’s getting harder,” he reveals.

“I’ve arthritis in both hips and there’s wear and tear in the knees.”

We speak as he is about to head out for a run before his shift in Supervalu Loughrea. Despite his physical complaints, he still clocks up 30 miles every second week and generally runs four days a week.

Jarlath receives injections to his left hip to keep the pain at bay while running on the road.

To give his joints a break, during the winter he runs cross country and often does a five-mile trek around Kylebrack Wood.

He is planning on running his 150th marathon in Cork on June 4, where a group of 20 made up of work colleagues, friends and running mates from Loughrea Athletics Club will join him.

Some are doing the 10k, others are doing the half marathon, but all will be there on the finishing line to cheer him on in the phenomenal achievement.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.

Continue Reading

CITY TRIBUNE

Galway ‘masterplan’ needed to tackle housing and transport crises

Published

on

From the Galway City Tribune – An impassioned plea for a ‘masterplan’ that would guide Galway City into the future has been made in the Dáil. Galway West TD Catherine Connolly stated this week that there needed to be an all-inclusive approach with “vision and leadership” in order to build a sustainable city.

Deputy Connolly spoke at length at the crisis surrounding traffic and housing in Galway city and said that not all of the blame could be laid at the door of the local authority.

She said that her preference would be the provision of light rail as the main form of public transport, but that this would have to be driven by the government.

“I sat on the local council for 17 years and despaired at all of the solutions going down one road, metaphorically and literally. In 2005 we put Park & Ride into the development plan, but that has not been rolled out. A 2016 transport strategy was outdated at the time and still has not been updated.

“Due to the housing crisis in the city, a task force was set up in 2019. Not a single report or analysis has been published on the cause of the crisis,” added Deputy Connolly.

She then referred to a report from the Land Development Agency (LDA) that identified lands suitable for the provision of housing. But she said that two-thirds of these had significant problems and a large portion was in Merlin Park University Hospital which, she said, would never have housing built on it.

In response, Minister Simon Harris spoke of the continuing job investment in the city and also in higher education, which is his portfolio.

But turning his attention to traffic congestion, he accepted that there were “real issues” when it came to transport, mobility and accessibility around Galway.

“We share the view that we need a Park & Ride facility and I understand there are also Bus Connects plans.

“I also suggest that the City Council reflect on her comments. I am proud to be in a Government that is providing unparalleled levels of investment to local authorities and unparalleled opportunities for local authorities to draw down,” he said.

Then Minister Harris referred to the controversial Galway City Outer Ring Road which he said was “struck down by An Bord Pleanála”, despite a lot of energy having been put into that project.

However, Deputy Connolly picked up on this and pointed out that An Bord Pleanála did not say ‘No’ to the ring road.

“The High Court said ‘No’ to the ring road because An Bord Pleanála acknowledged it failed utterly to consider climate change and our climate change obligations.

“That tells us something about An Bord Pleanála and the management that submitted such a plan.”

In the end, Minister Harris agreed that there needed to be a masterplan for Galway City.

“I suggest it is for the local authority to come up with a vision and then work with the Government to try to fund and implement that.”

Continue Reading

Trending