A financial plan B is being prepared for the Rás for next year. But it seems the good news is the race will go ahead even without a new sponsor. Above, Eoin Morton wins his stage last year.
Rás Tailteann may use contingency fund for 2018
With An Post having departed as title sponsor last year and the search still on to find a replacement, the Rás will still go ahead next year.
And that’s the case even if a new sponsor cannot be found in time. Thanks to what appears prudent financial management down the years, the organising committee has a cash reserve.
As a result of that slush fund the event could be held without a sponsor in 2018.
Race director Eimear Dignam said efforts will continue to find a backer for the race next May. And she cautioned that of the reserves built up over the years are used, funding the race in that way will be a once-off.
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But that good news is that the event is definitely going ahead next year. The budget may need to be reduced but Dignam said the plans are already well advanced.
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"The (slush fund) is not enough to run the race in the format that we'd like,” she told the Irish Independent.
“But it's enough to run it as we can. There's no point us putting money aside over the last 40-odd years, or whatever, and then not using it as a nuclear option.
“If we spend it it's gone, but there's no point on it sitting in the bank."
She said all involved in the race were thankful to An Post for its backing.
However, because the company only indicated after last year’s race that it was withdrawing, the lead-in time to find a new backer was reduced.
Dignam added if they had known last year An Post was pulling out, prospective new sponsors could have been brought around last year’s race.
However, with her father Dermot having run the race for so long, she said herself and sister Brona really wanted to continue what she regarded as a family legacy.
Eimear Dignam stepped in as race director after Tony Campbell stepped down earlier this year.
Campbell had taken on the mantle, running the race five years, after Dermot Dignam’s long tenure ended.
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