St. Laurence O'Toole Athletic Club receives Carlow County award under Texaco support for sport initiative
The presentation to St. Laurence O'Toole Athletic Club assistant chairperson, Bríd Long (centre), and fellow club members, was made at the Texaco Service Station, Dublin Road, Tullow. Pictured with them were Graham Kelly, from Texaco service station (back, fourth right) and Valero Area Sales Manager, Damien Burke (front, centre right).
St. Laurence O'Toole Athletic Club has been chosen winners of the Carlow County award in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative. EUR5,000 has been presented to the Club to fund a new set of hurdles and four steeplechases – allowing it to host a full suite of athletic events.
Founded in Carlow Town in 1920, St. Laurence O'Toole Athletic Club now has over 400 members and caters for runners and athletes of all ages, abilities and social groups. In addition to providing facilities to the broader community, the Club’s goal is to nurture the existing and future talent of athletes within Carlow.
Now in its fifth year, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative – organised by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand – sees a fund of EUR130,000 set aside annually for allocation in equal amounts of EUR5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis. Previous Carlow winners were Bagenalstown Swimming Club (2021), Bennekerry’s Palatine GAA Club (2022) and Tullow Rugby Football Club (2024). (With no eligible applications received from Co. Carlow in 2023, it was unfortunately not possible to disperse an award in that year).
Congratulating the county winners on the immense contribution that they make to the heart of community life in Ireland, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited was particularly praiseworthy of the unstinting work of club officials and volunteers, and noted that “since its inception, we are proud to have distributed almost €650,000 to a variety of more than 125 sports clubs under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative.”
Overseeing the judging process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, former Irish rugby international and well-known broadcaster, Donncha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he said: “As adjudicator – and from my knowledge of sport gained at junior, senior and international level – the most reassuring aspect of the Texaco Support for Sport initiative is that it gives clubs rare access to funds which are not linked to popularity, membership size or success.” Describing the Carlow club as ‘a very deserving recipient’, he went on to add:
“St. Laurence O'Toole Athletic Club is a selfless club that looks out for its whole community rather than just its members. I hope the new equipment funded by this award will lead to an increased level of success in Irish athletics in the Southeast of the country and beyond.”
Entries for the 2026 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will open again in the New Year for all clubs, including those whose application may have been unsuccessful previously.
Further information may be viewed at www.TexacoSupportforSport.com
