Bord Gáis Energy today announced that it will continue to sponsor the GAA Hurling U-21 All Ireland Championship for a further five years. The new deal will run until the end of the 2020 season and will see Bord Gáis Energy investing over €2million to develop the Championship over that time.

As proud sponsors, Bord Gáis Energy has played a key role in developing the profile of the U-21 Hurling championship in local communities since 2009. From giving fans the chance to get closer to the action by presenting Man of the Match trophies on TG4’s live match broadcasts, epic photography of players ‘walking on water’ on Glendalough, to bespoke match statistics shared on social media, Bord Gáis Energy has shared the championship with as wide an audience as possible.

Bord Gáis Energy has always placed players at the heart of activity and, to help with today’s announcement, welcomed former Bord Gáis Energy U21 ambassadors, Declan Hannon (Limerick), Pauric Mahoney (Waterford) and Shane O’Donnell (Clare) to Croke Park.

Speaking to mark the occasion GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail said; “We are delighted to continue our successful and mutually beneficial relationship with Bord Gáis Energy.  They have shown passionate support for this championship for the past seven years and I look forward to seeing what new innovations they bring to the table over the course of the next five seasons.

“I would like to extend my thanks and that of the Association to Dave Kirwan and his hard working and committed team for all that they do to promote the game of hurling at this grade. I also wish them luck for the next five years and we will work with them to ensure the U21 championship continues to develop and improve”.

Dave Kirwan, Managing Director of Bord Gáis Energy added: “We are very proud of our sponsorship of the Bord Gáis Energy U21 hurling championship and are delighted to extend that sponsorship for a further five years. Hurling is something that our customers are very passionate about and we’re delighted to be able to bring them closer to the game. We’ve come a long way since 2009, but we have no intention of standing still.

"Planning is already at an advanced stage for the 2016 championship, and all will be revealed at our official championship launch next month. I would like to thank everyone at the GAA for their support, help and guidance and I especially want to thank Declan, Pauric and Shane for being with us today. They are here representing a long list of former ambassadors with whom we have had the privilege of working with over the last seven years. Ultimately hurling is all about the players and we are lucky to have worked with some really great players and top class individuals”.