Foyle Cup kicks off
Thousands of participants and spectators are expected to flock to the area over the six days ⚽
Last updated 17th Jul 2023
Londonderry’s biggest youth football tournament has kicked off as thousands of participants and spectators flock to the area.
Almost 600 teams are taking part in this year's Foyle Cup in what marks a record number of entries.
Matches will be staged in the Derry, Strabane and Causeway Coast and Glens Council areas as clubs from across Ireland, UK, Europe, and USA go head-to-head.
Over the six days around 2,500 matches are set to be played with tourism in the area expected to see a big jump.
Philip Devlin, Foyle Cup Secretary, has said the footballing tournament always boosts tourism in the area.
He said: “We’ve people staying in Walshe’s Hotel in Maghera, the glamping sites are fill, hotels, B & B’s, we’ve hotels in Donegal getting used, hotels in County Tyrone, Derry and the Universities halls of residents are filled.
“People of the city really embrace it and really get behind it. Our hospitality and catering really get behind it.”
Tomorrow (Tuesday) thousands of people will take to the streets of Derry for the annual Foyle Cup parade which has become an iconic part of the tournament as the competing teams march through the city.
The parade will set off from Ulster University's Derry/Londonderry Campus at 10.30am. The players will make their way via Northland Road, Great James Street and Strand Road before gathering at the Guildhall for an official welcome by Cllr Patricia Logue, Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council and Cllr Steven Callaghan, Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
Mr Devlin said the event is something to “behold”
He added: “We can see by the parade on Tuesday – it will be something to behold.
“There will be thousands of people obviously coaches and footballers on the parade. But the amount of people that line the streets to welcome the parade into the city centre.
“The Foyle Cup parade holds great significance, not only for the countless young players who proudly march through the city, but also for their loved ones. We urge the entire community to gather and demonstrate their unwavering support for the teams during this memorable occasion. With this year's Foyle Cup being larger in scale than ever before, we extend our immense gratitude to our incredible sponsors and partners for their invaluable contributions in orchestrating this remarkable event.”
Speaking on behalf of O’Neills Irish International Sports Company, John Murphy said: Everyone at O’Neills is very excited to welcome all the players, coaches, and parents to Derry. The parade on Tuesday will finish right beside our O’Neills Superstore on Waterloo Place and we welcome everyone to come into our store, meet our staff, who have put in huge work in preparing for the occasion, and check out the official Foyle Cup merchandise. As title sponsor of the Foyle Cup, we wish all participants the best of luck for the week and thank everyone involved in making this tournament happen.”
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