Ireland celebrates the European Year of Education through Sport 2004
2 February 2004

Members of the EYES delegation

A number of events are taking place in Dublin at the moment to mark the European Year of Education through Sport 2004 (EYES). Today a delegation of civil servants from the departments of health and education from 27 EU countries visited the DCU campus to look at the sports facilities available to students, and to visit the Centre for Sport Science and Health, where they talked to staff and postgraduate students about their research projects, particularly those involving the participation of young people in physical activity.

John Kerrane and Niamh Hanley took the visitors on a tour of the Sports Complex whose facilities include a sports hall, fitness suite, aerobics studio, climbing wall and squash, handball and racquetball courts. Participation in sporting activities is encouraged by the university, and there are over 44 sports clubs to choose from, including aikido, yoga, ultimate frisbee and windsurfing.

Dr Niall Moyna and Dr Catherine Woods of the Centre for Sport Science and Health then showed the visitors around the centre, which includes laboratories for carrying out research into the physical as well as psychological aspects of sport.

The exercise and sport physiology laboratories include a human performance laboratory, a clinical exercise physiology laboratory, a clinical exercise research laboratory, a biochemistry laboratory and an examination/procedure room. The exercise and sport psychology area has a fully equipped human interaction and qualitative research laboratory, where attitudinal and behavioural research is carried out under the supervision of Dr Woods.

In addition to the above visit and as part of the EYES celebration, a television programme was recorded yesterday on the DCU campus in the Helix. It was hosted by presenter Kathryn Thomas to mark Ireland's involvement in the EYES programme. The initiative is supported by EU patron and commissioner, Viviane Reding, as well as Minister for Education, Mr Noel Dempsey, td, and Minister for Justice, Mr John O'Donoghue.

The television show, which will be broadcast throughout Europe involved not only EU and Irish politicians, but also Irish sporting legend Stephen Roche and pop celebrities D-Side and Simon Casey.

The catchphrase for EYES programme is "Move your body, stretch your mind!", and sports projects around the country are being promoted and encouraged under this programme.