Cricket Ireland has named Richard Fahey as Head of Facilities and Administration. Fahey will be responsible for the growth of a new National Facilities Strategy along with the day-to-day authority of current facilities and facility partnerships.
Richard has been present in the Irish sports industry for the past 20 years and has held several managerial positions, including CEO of Tennis Ireland, Director of Club Licensing and Facility Development at The Football Association of Ireland, and, most recently, interim CEO of Hockey Ireland.
The appointment of Fahey is intended to deliver the high-level objectives mentioned in the Cricket Ireland Strategic Plan 2021. It includes providing quality match time for the players, proper training and indoor facilities for players and staff, and ensuring that players have regular access to high-quality grass facilities.
Also, it will ensure that more cricket clubs are given the opportunity to have capital investment in facilities and supervise the local authorities in providing high-quality facilities.
Warren Deutrom, Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland, said, “This is a relatively unique role with a national governing body in Ireland, so we are delighted to have attracted a candidate of the calibre of Richard. His experience and skillset in facilities development are exactly what we need as we enter a new era in Irish cricket and will help drive forward numerous programmes outlined as priority deliverables in our Strategic Plan 2021-2023.
“Richard’s appointment is yet another sign of our determination to follow through on the Portas Review recommendations around ensuring the fitness for purpose of our facilities at all levels. In this role, he will seek to put in place high-quality playing and practice facilities in each of the major provincial unions, and also progress the National Sports Campus Stadium Project. We have furthermore asked Richard to look at the needs of the regional grounds and support local clubs with their efforts to attract grants and capital investment.
“Given Richard’s background, I don’t think there are many better qualified to deliver on our ambitious programme for growth and upgrade of cricket facilities across Ireland, and we very much look forward to welcoming him aboard.”
Richard Fahey said, “I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into this role. There is a good foundation in place from which we can, with the support of the cricket community and government agencies at local and national level, develop the necessary infrastructure to grow the game and support our high-performance players.”
Cricket Ireland recently announced a title sponsorship deal with HBV Studios Ltd. for the Ireland Women’s multi-format series against South Africa Women.