Barry Phelan, General Manager of the Kingfisher Club, NUI Galway has been named ‘ILAM Manager of the Year’ at the White Flag Awards which were held in the Breaffy House Hotel in Castlebar. ILAM is the industry body which represents sports, fitness, aquatic facilities, spas and wellness in Ireland. As his prize, Mr Phelan has won a trip to the 29th Annual International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA ) Convention and Trade Show which takes place from March 10-13 at the San Diego Convention Centre, California.
With almost 20 years’ experience in the fitness industry in the UK, France and Ireland, which includes management positions with both the Living Well group in the UK and the City West Campus in Dublin, Mr Phelan was appointed to the Position of General Manager of the Kingfisher Group Galway in July 2007.
The Kingfisher Club NUI Galway is now one of the biggest sports complexes in the country, comprising over 6,400m2 of indoor sports facilities. The facilities include a 25-metre pool with a movable floor, gym area comprising over 100 pieces of cardio vascular equipment and resistance area, relaxations area, indoor sports hall, two racquet sports courts. Kingfisher recently added outdoor facilities to their portfolio which include two astro pitches and all weather tennis courts.
At Kingfisher NUI Galway, Mr Phelan is directly responsible for 30 staff who cater for more than 5,500 members and looked after nearly 300,000 visits last year. Kingfisher NUI Galway also cater for teams and competitions including Super League and National League basketball, swimming and water polo competitions, and intervarsity competitions with over 40 university sports clubs.
