The Angling World’s Richest Open Coarse Competition, the “Lakelands & Inland Waterways World Pairs” was launched on Tuesday 4th September by Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht at the Waterways Ireland Visitor Centre in the presence of the sponsors, Waterways Ireland & Fáilte Ireland, a representative of the organising committee Kevin Locke and Inland Fisheries Ireland who are supporting the event.
The 150 pairs of world class anglers have already started to arrive in Ireland to test fish in advance of the practice fishing which starts this weekend. Entries have been received from Brazil, Australia, Germany, the UK, Holland and Ireland with over 70% of the entries for this Erne and Shannon based event coming from outside the island of Ireland.
Speaking at the launch Minister Deenihan said:“I am delighted to be here today to launch the Lakelands & Inland Waterways World Pairs. I wish good luck to all the competitors taking part in the competition. It is wonderful to see so many competitors from both home and abroad coming here to enjoy the excellent wild fishing that is available in the Lakelands and Inland Waterways Region. Events such as this have a key role in promoting Ireland’s overall tourism product”.
The Lakelands & Inland Waterways World Pairs is taking place from the 10-14 September 2012 and will see the winning duo pocket £30,000, with second getting £10,000, third £5,000 and 4th – 18th place overall each getting £1,000, along with a raft of tackle prizes provided by DIAWA. In addition, individual matches run over the week will enable the anglers to take home up to an additional £30,000.
Speaking on behalf of the sponsors, Éanna Rowe, co-chair of Ireland’s Lakelands & Inland Waterways said “the World Pairs is an excellent way of putting Irish fishing at the forefront of wild angling worldwide and in particular by using both lakes and the Erne and the Shannon River. The variety and strength of the angling product in this region is of international significance and the caliber of the anglers fishing this event will ensure them message is taken worlswide”
Two practice opens will take place on the 8-9 September before the main action begins. For more information about the event, check out www.worldpairsangling.com, or contact organiser Kevin Locke on +44 (0)7736 129627. The closing date for entries is Friday, August 17.
The event is sponsored by Lakeland & Inland Waterways, a marketing and product development initiative of Waterways Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Fermanagh Tourism, NITB and Shannon Development.
The organisers would like to acknowledge the work of DCAL Inland Fisheries Northern Ireland and Inland Fisheries Ireland in facilitating the event.
