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Sport in Ireland plays an important role in Irish society. The many sports played and followed in
and ), , , , , , , , , ,
and . , , , ,
and Olympic
are organised in an all-island basis, with a single team representing the whole of Ireland in international competitions. Other sports, such as
and , have separate organizing bodies in
it also sends a
to the . At the , a person from
can choose to represent either
Soccer is the most popular team sport in terms of participation. According to the Irish Sports Monitor 2015 annual report 4.8% of adults over 15 participate in Soccer. Gaelic football 2%, camogie 1.2, rugby 1.1%. Individual exercise pursuits are most popular with 43% of all sport participated by individuals on their own. Personal exercise 13.7%, running 8.2%, swimming 8%, cycling 5.5%, dancing 3%, golf 2.7%, weights 2.3%, yoga 1.5% and pilates 1.4%.
Soccer is by far the most popular team pursuit for males at 8.8% with gaelic football attracing 3.4%. Personal exercise 13.4% and running 8.9% are the most popular male activities. Team sports do not figure highly amongst females with dancing at 4.6% and yoga 2.4% are two of the highest shared activities.
Given the variety of sports in Ireland it is of interest to note how the government's Capital Sports programme 2017 allocated it's EUR56 million funds. EUR23.5 million went to the GAA which highlights the strength of the GAA lobby. EUR7.25 million to soccer, Rugby EUR3.1 million, tennis EUR2.64 million, golf EUR1.97 million, sailing EUR1.21 million, athletics just under EUR1 million, diving EUR451,000 while other sports did not fare so well.
in 2003 accounted for 34% of total sports attendances at events in the Republic of Ireland, followed by
at 23%, soccer at 16% and rugby at 8%, and Initiative's ViewerTrack study measuring 2005 sports audiences showed the sport's highest-profile match, the , to be the most watched event of the nation's sporting year. Soccer is the most played team sport in Ireland. Gaelic football, hurling, golf, aerobics, cycling, swimming and billiards/snooker are the other sporting activities with the highest levels of playing participation in the Republic of Ireland.
in Dublin is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association.
The sport may be referred to as Gaelic football or Gaelic, if confusion might otherwise arise with soccer. Though it has existed for centuries in Ireland as , Gaelic football was formally arranged into an organised playing code by the
(GAA) in the late nineteenth century. It is the most popular sport in Ireland
The game is played at underage, minor (under 18), under 21 and adult levels. All players are amateur, although players at a high level may receive income from sources such as sponsorship and grants. Every Gaelic footballer plays for a local club or parish team, and the best are chosen for the inter-county sides. County players may be chosen to play in inter-provincial
games or for the
team to face Australia. However, the main national competitions are the inter-county
and , also known as the NFL.
A Gaelic football year starts with pre-season competitions and the NFL. In early summer, the Championship begins. Each of the four provinces has its own tournament, and teams which are knocked out must do well in the 'qualifiers' if they are to gain a spot along with the four Provincial Champions in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The
is traditionally held on the third Sunday in September.
are football's most successful team, with 37 All-Ireland senior titles. There are many rivalries within the game in Ireland – an example is that between
and . Other notable derbies include
and most commonly, Kerry v Dublin
is a sport native to Ireland, organized by the . In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football. Hurling is the fastest field sport in the world.
The game has similarities to
and . However the ball (or ) is rarely played along the ground. Hurling is played on a large grass pitch.
Many aspects of the organisation of hurling are similar to football, as both sports are organised by the . Amateurism and the club/county/province structure are similar. Gaelic football has a larger footprint in terms of top-level competition, but in several counties were both sports are played, hurling very much holds precedence, and in certain parts of the country, it is by far the dominant game (Kilkenny, rural Antrim, Ards peninsula, and Clare, for example). Hurling is very well-attended at elite level and the most prestigious games fill
to its capacity of well over 82,000. The main competitions are the , the Leinster and Munster provincial championships and the
Garda vs. Defence Forces camogie match in 2012.
is similar to . The key differences are that it is played exclusively by women. Other differences with Hurling include using a smaller , the ability to hand-pass into the goal, and a dress code that requires players to wear a . The first game of Camogie occurred in 1904 in .
In Ireland, there are four main types of . These are 40x20 (small court), the traditional 60x30 Softball and Hardball (big alley) and One-wall handball. One-wall handball has become more popular in recent years and it is the most popular version internationally. It is played in over 35 countries and it is hoped that it will become an Olympic sport soon.
Handball is played with a variety of balls. Gloves and eyeguards are compulsory for some competitions. The sport is managed and promoted by , a subsidiary body of the .
(: cluiche corr) is regulated by the
(GAA) in Ireland, and is not dissimilar to baseball. Game-play centers around
where teams alternate at turns being batters and fielders. Points ("rounders") are scored by the batting team by completing a circuit around the field through four bases without being put 'out'. The earliest nationally formalised rules of play were devised by the GAA in Ireland in 1884.
is a type of traditional Celtic wrestling, similar to
and . Though its popularity waned over the 20th century, it is currently experiencing a small revival.
, the "Baby Faced Assassin"; two time
World Champion from .
, which was once one of Ireland's most popular sports is now regaining popularity. The international success of boxers such as ,
has much to do with this. 's coverage of the sport through ProBox live is also partly responsible for the surge in boxing's popularity in Ireland. Sixteen of Irelands
were won in Boxing.
In recent years Ireland's amateur boxers have won medals at numerous top level competitions worldwide including Olympics, World Senior Championships, European Senior Championships, World Junior Championships, World Youth Championships, European Junior Championships and European Youth Championships. Ireland also boasts the top pound-for-pound female boxer in the world in
who has won five European Championships and four World Championships, as well as the inaugural women's lightweight gold at the .
Ireland's performance in the 2016 Rio Olympics was unsuccessful, with Ireland not featuring in any medal positions, despite having a number of seeded boxers. The Irish involvement was overshadowed by a drugs controversy, which saw one boxer sent home, and by a controversial judging decision (and the Irish reaction to it).
in Ireland is governed by , and in Northern Ireland by . The various track and field events tend to be supported by local athletics clubs rather than schools. Athletics has seen some of the Ireland's highest performers at the Olympics, with several Irish athletes performing well for both the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the games over the years.
won the Shot Putt 13 times at the , (still holding a title for greatest number of individual titles won), before emigrating to New York to (inevitably) become a policeman, where he also won many American titles. Horgan broke the world record on several occasions, and – at the tail end of his career (despite having a fractured skull) – he won the silver medal at the Olympics 1908.
(also from North Cork) won the hammer throw in 1928 and again in 1932 at the Olympic Games.
also won gold for Ireland in 1932, competing in the 400m hurdles. In more recent years, notable athletes have included , , , ,
are run annually and are two of the most popular athletics events in the country. The
in Dublin regularly gets upwards of 40000 competitors.
The various
sports have a sizeable following in Ireland. The governing body is
(formerly the ), which is composed of 15 Irish affiliate bodies, representing all facets of equestrian sport. These sports include , , , , ,
Overall administration of Irish horse-racing is carried out by . Horse Racing Ireland is responsible for racing in both the , which has 24 racecourses, and in , which has 2 racecourses. Ireland's top tracks are
and . The breeding industry (including the world's largest ) produces many top race horses every year.
played for Northern Ireland national team as a soccer player and now manages the Republic of Ireland national team.
Association football is a popular sport in the
but while international matches play before large crowds, and are passionately followed, domestic leagues are poorly attended. The national body in the Republic of Ireland is the
(FAI) while the national body in Northern Ireland is the
The domestic leagues are the
(in the Republic) and the
(or Irish League) (Northern Ireland). Some of the major teams in Ireland include ,
in the Republic,
in Northern Ireland, and , a team from the North who play in the League of Ireland. Due to the financial incentives abroad, most of Ireland's top players, such as , ,
and , play in the leagues of larger European countries, particularly in England and . This, along with the Irish media's huge coverage of the English league, is one of the reasons why Irish people tend to support leading British clubs such as , ,
and . Rarely does a League of Ireland or Irish League player make either of the national teams, despite the fact that the leagues sometimes produce some of Ireland's top players including current internationals ,
and players like
in the past.
On the international stage, the
teams have both competed in three , with the Republic also appearing in three , most recently in .
is a successful international youth tournament held annually in Northern Ireland, in which clubs and national teams from anywhere in the world may compete. Northern Ireland also played host to the 2005
Under-19 European Championships.
was set up by its sponsors, television channel
as an all-island competition featuring teams from both domestic leagues.
fans watching the
final on the streets of .
is played and supported throughout Ireland, but is especially popular in cities and urban areas such as ,
and . Rugby union is played at club, province and national levels. The
is composed of players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and the
governs the sport throughout the island. School rugby union is generally played at primary and secondary level. Notable rugby union schools include , , , , , , , , , Limerick, , Limerick, , Limerick, ,
in the south and ,
in the north. Recent success at international level and the establishment of four professional teams has increased interest in rugby union as a sport in Ireland. Also, schools who would not have played the game traditionally have started to field teams in the sport increasing the player base in the country.
Strandhill Golf Course in : just one of the many coastal golf courses throughout Ireland
Further information:
Golf is very popular in Ireland, with over 400 golf clubs throughout the island, and over 300 courses in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland was the first country to organise the sport on a national basis.
Golf is regularly televised in Ireland, with both domestic and international events broadcast. Among Ireland's most famous golf courses are , ,
and . The most prestigious tournament of Ireland is the , which is held on courses in the four provinces. Also, the
in County Kildare hosted the
from 1995 to 2007.
Ireland produced several top golfers in the 2000s, with players like ,
achieving significant success internationally. All three were part of the European team that successfully defended the
held at Kildare, with Clarke arguably being the emotional leader as he was recovering from the death of his wife from breast cancer. The
was held at County Laois and
at Killeen Castle, but no Irish golfers played.
Harrington won the
Order of Merit,
(British Open) in
and , and the . Clarke went on to win the .
Two more stars have emerged even more recently, both from the North.
has five major tournament wins, including the , setting 11 Open records. He was world number one in the
for 95 weeks.
won the , becoming the first player from either side of the Irish border to win the , as well as the first European to win that event since England's
in . McDowell also won the crucial match in the 2010 Ryder Cup at
in Wales. Paul McGinley captained the successful European team for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Ireland compete against Essex at Castle Avenue
in Ireland is a minority sport. It has been played in Ireland since the early 19th century, and the game against
(a match which has ) has been played annually since 1909. The Irish team was fairly strong in the mid and late 19th century, and sent several touring parties abroad, but development of the sport was adversely affected first by the 's ban on its members taking part in "foreign" sports.
The sport is organised on an all-island basis and is overseen by the , founded in its present incarnation in 1923. Ireland has entered some domestic English tournaments since the early 1980s, but becoming an Associate Member of the
in 1993 paved the way for participation in international competition, and indeed the
was hosted by Ireland. The Irish finished second in the tournament, beaten by Scotland. Ireland co-hosted the .
was among the associate nations that qualified for the . It defeated
and finished second in its pool, earning a place in the
of the competition. The team also competed in the
after jointly winning the , where they also made the Super 8 stage. Ireland also won the
to secure their place in the , as well as official
status through 2013. Kevin O'Brien scored the fastest century in World Cup history (113 runs off 63 balls), as Ireland produced one of the great upsets to defeat England by 3 wickets in the 2011 tournament
In 2017 domestic cricket in Ireland was recognized as first-class cricket for the first time. In recognition of their progress as a cricketing nation, Ireland were granted
as well in 2017.
Croquet was first played in Ireland in the 1830s and the game is still popular. The governing association of the sport is the Croquet Association of Ireland. Most international matches and large tournaments are played at the Carrickmines Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, near Dublin.
(known in Ireland as just "hockey") is quite popular as a participative sport in Ireland. It is played throughout the country, particularly in secondary schools. There are many hockey clubs throughout the country. The governing body in Ireland is the Irish Hockey Association.
Tennis, badminton, racquetball and
are quite popular in Ireland. In Tennis,
is the governing body and runs several competitions between the approximately 200 clubs throughout Ireland. Ireland competes in tennis internationally in the
(men's) and the
(ladies). Badminton in Ireland is run by the . Squash, which expanded in the 1970s and 1980s, has been in decline for several years,[] but several clubs remain throughout the country.[]
in Ireland is governed by , which runs the
(known as the Carnegie League for sponsorship purposes), which is the top level rugby league competition in Ireland. There are currently[] 20 teams across ,
compete in the
and the . It is made up predominantly of players based in Great Britain. Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the
hold some interest in Ireland, with significant media coverage of most major international tournaments. Despite being home to one of the world's most successful snooker players (), both snooker and pool are in decline in Ireland as major sports. They retain popularity in pubs, but many of the country's snooker/pool halls have closed in recent years. see
Baseball is an emerging sport in Ireland. The sport is played on an organized level in Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork, Clare and Kerry. The Irish National Baseball Team won the bronze medal at the 2004 European Championships in Germany and followed up that performance with a silver medal in the 2006 European Championships in Belgium. On a club level, baseball is organized through , which operates an adult league established in 1997 with teams in Dublin, Greystones and Belfast. Irish baseball was the subject of an award-winning documentary
Basketball is an emerging sport in Ireland.
is the governing body and organises the main competitions such as the SuperLeague. The main basketball arena in Ireland is the ESB Basketball Arena in . The sport receives small amounts of media attention, with a few games broadcast on television annually – usually when there is no Gaelic football on. Basketball is mainly driven by school, college and club support.
is the only Irish born to play in the , he played for
also represented Ireland while playing in the NBA for the
however he was born in the United States.
Since the 1990s ice hockey has seen an increase in popularity, notably with the
ice hockey team in Northern Ireland.
has a measure of popularity in Northern Ireland, with one professional team, the , playing in the . The
comprises a number of amateur teams from both sides of the border.
in Ireland can be traced back as far as 1982, with the first organised competition, the Dublin Softball League, taking place in 1984. The Irish Softball Association is the governing body of softball in Ireland and is responsible for the running of tournaments, Leagues, development and international competition in both co-ed slowpitch and ladies fastpitch softball. The National Team (Co-Ed) has competed at European level since 1998, with the best results being Silver in 2002 and 2004.
Volleyball has men's, women's, schools' and beach-volleyball participants. The sport is governed by the Volleyball Association of Ireland. The Northern Ireland Volleyball Association govern the sport in the north of Ireland. Men, Women and Junior National Teams regularly compete in international competition including the European Small Nations Championship. The NI Men's National Team competed in the first round of the World Championships under coach Gerry Ford and captain Nick Wright. Club volleyball is played in several divisions both North and South and welcomes both beginner and experienced player alike. Men and Women's club teams can compete in the national league. For women, there are three divisions: Division 2, Division 1, and Premier. For men, there are only two divisions: Division 1 and Premier. Beach volleyball tournaments also run during the Summer months. The Volleyball Association of Ireland (VAI) also run school competitions throughout the school year: a first and second year competition, a cadette competition, a senior competition, and a general schools competition. Spikeball tournaments are also held around the country throughout the school year.
Adventure racing in Ireland falls into two main varieties. The majority of adventure races in Ireland fall into what's often called multisport, with run, cycle and kayak stages in events like WAR (Wicklow Adventure Race) and Gaelforce West, which are won in under 4 hours. There are also a few longer international-style adventure races lasting 24 hours and 36 hours, events like Beast of Ballyhoura and Cooley Raid.
Ireland's All-International Mike Finn takes a mark over a pack of South African opponents in the 2008 AFL International Cup
has recently gained a following in Ireland which has increased mainly due to the
series that takes place annually between Australia and Ireland, the profile of the sport has increased. In October 2000, the
was established, and a representative Irish team took part in the 2005 . The Irish
became inaugural International champions in 2002. They have been finalists in every AFL International Cup since and are current 2011 International Cup champions. Belfast and Dublin have been hosts to the AFL Euro Cup.
(ICU), formed in 1912, is the governing body for chess in Ireland and a member of FIDE since 1933 and the European Chess Union. The ICU promotes Chess in the Republic of Ireland and maintains the chess rating for players in the Republic of Ireland, which are published three times a year. It runs competitions such as the Irish Chess Championship and selects teams to participate in international competitions for Ireland.
Cycling retains a strong following in Ireland. There are many regional clubs throughout the country and many competitions are organised regularly, the largest non-professional one being the
(Irish for race). The main governing body is
which is responsible for cycling throughout the island. Ireland's most famous cyclists are , who won both the
in 1987; and , one of the greatest Classics cyclists of all time, who won the
in 1988, the sprinter's
in the Tour de France four times, the Paris-Nice seven times in succession as well as four of the five 'Monuments'. Mountain biking is becoming more popular with dedicated trail centers in Wicklow, Dublin, Galway and Tipperary. For competitive mountain bikers, there is a National Cross-Country series, a National Downhill series and a National Enduro series. BMX is also becoming more popular with the completion of construction of the Ratoath BMX track in County Meath, and an indoor BMX track in Cherry Orchard in County Dublin.
There is a large following of
in Ireland, including of sports such as , , , , , , (Kitesurfing) and (wakeboarding).[] Although many people participate in these sports, few of them do so competitively. Several of these sports have national governing bodies, such as the Irish Surfing Association, and national competitions, such as mountainbiking's national series.
Since 2005, skateparks (for skateboarding, rollerblading, etc.) have been developed in several places. Concrete skateparks are in Gorey, Greystones, Bushy park (Dublin) and Lucan (Dublin). Modular parks can be found in other parts of Ireland.
Greyhound racing
began in Ireland in 1927; there were greyhound races in Celtic Park in Belfast on 18 April of that year and the
greyhound stadium opened in
four weeks later.
was already a well established sport in the country and greyhounds were bred for racing in Ireland from the very start. The great , winner of the English Derby in 1929 and 1930, was an Irish greyhound and Ireland continues to export greyhounds.
There are now twenty licensed greyhound stadiums in Ireland. There are seventeen in the Republic where the licensing authority is , the Irish Greyhound Board. This is a semi-state body and was established by the
in 1958. The three stadiums in Northern Ireland are licensed by the , which also organises hare coursing throughout the Island.
Once seen as a sport in decline, the popularity of greyhound racing has surged since 1995 and several million euro are now bet "at the dogs" annually. Bord na gCon has invested substantial amounts of money in developing and marketing the sport, prize money has increased and greyhound stadiums have been refurbished, helping the sport sell itself as a social event. It is now common for families and groups of friends or colleagues to go for "a night at the dogs" instead of to the cinema, the pub or a nightclub. Prize money ranges from a few hundred euro to several thousand for top dogs. The annual Paddy Power Irish Greyhound Derby run each year in August at Shelbourne Park is one of the richest greyhound races in the world.
Gymnastics is governed by Irish Gymnastics which was formed in 1999, following the merging of the Irish Amateur Gymnastics Association and the Irish Sports Acrobatics Federation. There are 83 registered gymnastics clubs in Ireland (including Northern Ireland). Gymnastics includes four Olympic disciplines, women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s artistic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics, and rhythmic gymnastics, and four non Olympic disciplines, acrobatic gymnastics, tumbling gymnastics, gymnastics for all, and sports aerobics.
Kickboxing Ireland (formally known as Allstyles Kickboxing Association of Ireland) was founded in 1985 to unify and structure the emerging sport in Ireland. It was recognised by the Irish Sports Council as a national governing body of sport in 1993 under the auspices of the Irish Martial Arts Commission. It governs, regulates and promotes kickboxing on the Island of Ireland.
While still a minority sport in Ireland,
is enjoying increasing popularity with significant clubs based in Dublin, Cork, Galway and . The Irish Kendo Federation, or
is the governing body for the country. The Irish National Kendo Squad participates in the European Kendo Championships and the World Kendo Championships, as well as other international competitions. The main Kendo event in Ireland is the annual Irish National Championships (INC) which takes place in June each year.
Kendo in Northern Ireland is governed by the . There is currently one Kendo club in Northern Ireland, Ojika NI, based in Belfast.
have had some success over the past 20 years, with various new clubs being founded throughout the country. The
has worked in recent years to promote the sport in the country and to organise more competitions. However, the rise in popularity of
(MMA) tournaments in Ireland and beyond has led to many of the traditionally popular disciplines such as karate and taekwondo beginning to lose some of their following.[] Most notable of all Irish martial artists is Karate and Kickboxing Irish, European and World Champion . Baker has been the most successful martial arts competitor in Irish history winning over 50 international titles. He is also the president of Kickboxing Ireland and vice president of The Irish Martial Arts Commission.
has gained a lot of popularity in the past 5 years[] with clubs opening in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.[]
The National Governing Body of Martial Arts in Ireland, as appointed by the , is the
under the Presidency of
Brendan Dowling. The Irish Martial Arts Commission currently represents the following Martial A Aikido, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Kendo, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, Tai Chi, TaeKwon-Do with Tang Soo Do recently beginning the process of IMAC membership and recognition. The Executive Committee of the Irish Martial Arts Commission is made up of 2 representative elected within the membership of each Martial Art. The Irish Martial Arts Commission processes the National Vetting of all Instructors, the qualification of Martial Arts Coaches (through ) and presenting Child Protection Training for members.
Motorsport also has a presence in Ireland with
being the governing body throughout the country.
is currently the most popular form of motorsport hosting various international rallies across the country such as the Donegal International Rally, West Cork Rally, and many more at national and club level, drawing thousands of people to various towns and cities to spectate over the rally weekend. Ireland also hosted a round of the
in 2007 and 2009, with stages being held in the Republic and also across the border in Northern Ireland.[]
Circuit racing is also present in the country with Ireland having only one international venue,
in County Kildare which formerly hosted rounds of several international events and still hosts national events today. The country has produced many drivers who climbed the international ladder such as , , ,
is also a popular form of circuit racing in Ireland with outdoor venues such as Kartworld (Co.Cork), Whiteriver Park (Co.Louth), Pallas Karting (Co. Galway), Midland Karting (Co. Longford) and Athboy Karting (Co.Meath).[]
is a minority sport in Ireland despite it being the second most popular team sport in Europe. Olympic handball is played in some primary and secondary schools.[] The Irish Olympic Handball Association is the governing body in Ireland and there are currently 8 clubs in the Senior National League.[] In October 2007 the Irish Men's team recorded their best result in the European Challenge Trophy (a competition for developing nations) coming 4th ahead of Scotland and Malta.
is a popular sport in Ireland and is regulated by the . Every two years, the Shamrock o-Ringen, Ireland's largest Orienteering event, is held in Cork or Kerry, regularly attracting several hundred competitors. Irish orienteers compete at all levels, often reaching the finals at the World Orienteering. Championships.
is an ancient sport. It is centred in Ireland (particularly Cork and Armagh) but is also played in the United States and the United Kingdom. Similar sports are played in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy and since the 1960s the sport has enjoyed a genuine international dimension with an international championship being played on a regular basis by athletes from all these countries.
is an Olympic Sport which is regulated by . During the winter there are Head of the River Races (processional timed races) and during the summer there are Regattas (side by side racing). The Irish Championships are held at the National Rowing Centre in Cork.
in Ireland is an outdoor activity governed and regulated by the Irish Sailing Association, at 3 Park Road, Dún Laoghaire and events are organised by the various clubs on the coasts and on the reservoirs and lakes. The first sailing club was the Cork Water Club founded in 1720. Sailing can be organised in a variety of forms:
One Design racing- where all of the boats (irrespective of size) are of the same design. Many of the designs employed are unique to Ireland, such as DBSC 21, DBSC 24, Glen, Howth 17, Mermaid, Shannon OD, Water Wag,
Handicap racing- where all the boats are of different designs.
Team Racing- An event generally for 6 competitors in two teams.
Cruising- Sailing without a race.
Each category has the ability of going international.
Target shooting in Ireland comprises a large number of disciplines including amongst others the
disciplines (administered by the ), Metallic Silhouette shooting (administered by the ), Precision Pistol, Benchrest Rifle, Gallery Rifle and Sporting Rifle disciplines (administered by the )), the Tetrathlon (administered by the ) and
(administered by the ), both Olympic and non-Olympic
(administered by the ) and various long-range rifle shooting disciplines (administered by the ).
Ireland has had a strong presence in international target shooting competitions, including the Olympic Games. The Irish Olympic clay pigeon team won the
and Irish shooter Philip Murphy claimed the
he has also placed in the top ten in two World Championships and two World Cups. His teammate Derek Burnett won bronze in the 2010 European championship, silver in the 2007 World Cup in , has been ranked 5th in the 2002 World Championships in Lathi and 9th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and has placed in the top ten in three World Championships, two World Cup Finals, 13 World Cups and two European championships, and he has been ranked in the top 20 trap shooters in the world. Another teammate, David Malone, won gold in the 2004 World Cup in Cairo, and has ranked in the top ten in two World Championships, one World Cup Final, five World Cups and a European Championships. The team has also won several World Cup medals in both team and individual events. The clay pigeon high performance director has also been appointed head of the
coaches' committee and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy in recognition of these successes. Most recently, Ian O'Sullivan became the World Junior Champion in Olympic Trap in the 2014 World Championships.
10m Air Rifle shooter at an Irish National Open
Member of the Irish Team competing in 10m Women's Air Pistol at Intershoot 2012
Member of the Irish Team competing in 10m Women's Air Rifle at Intershoot 2012
Shooting centerfire 9mm pistol at the Midlands Rifle Club range
Shooting in the 50m Men's Prone National Championships at the Midlands Rifle Club range
Coaching during a training session for 10m Air Rifle in the Wilkinstown Target Shooting Club
Ireland are the current World Champions in Centrefire
- having won the Inaugural World Championships in 2013 beating Great Britain & Germany.
events are administered on an International Basis by the
and in Ireland by the /. They placed second in the Smallbore Gallery Rifle World Championships in the same year.
The , as well as the , , and , are rapidly gaining interest in Ireland. The
of events now runs to 200 events annually. The national body for the triathlon is
which organises competitions between various clubs throughout the country. Many participants are members of clubs that specialise in swimming and cycling as well as Triathlon clubs. Although the Triathlon remains the most popular multi-event sport in Ireland, the other sports such as the pentathlon are gaining popularity. The
was set up in 2004. Pentathlon and Decathlon are track and field events and therefore organized by an athleteic association, whereas Triathlon and Duathlon are organized by multi sport associations such as National Governing bodies for Triathlon and the ITU, International Triathlon Union.
has been in Ireland for a long time and the creation of the Irish Tug of War Association in 1967 boosted the competition among clubs in Ireland and also enabled Ireland to compete in international events, such as the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) World Championships.
Diving the , West of Ireland
Ireland, being an island on the western edge of Europe and on the , is perfectly suited for
activities such as
and . Ireland's waters provide diving sites of various qualities and standards to encompass all individual requirements. Because of its small size it is relatively easy to travel from one part of t giving divers the opportunity to travel for one or more days diving. The dive season in Ireland generally starts around March and ends around October. It is possible of course, to dive outside these times, but due to adverse weather and sea conditions it is not appealing.
Recreational diving started in Ireland in the early 1950s with the founding of the Belfast Branch of the . In the early 1960s, diving clubs in the Republic of Ireland formed the
(CFT) (English: Irish Underwater Council). This voluntary body regulates all aspects of diving for its members, is the national governing body recognised by the Irish Government and represents the Republic of Ireland at the
(World Underwater Federation). The
which was formed in 1975 is the corresponding national governing body in Northern Ireland.
As of October 2013,
is the only
being practised. This activity is limited to the Republic of Ireland where regional competition takes place in both
and . Irish national teams have played internationally with attendance at European championships.
Water sports practised in Ireland include , swimming, , , , sailing, and . Whilst many people participate in these, few do so competitively. Ireland has had only one Olympic medalist in swimming, , and her medals have since been tarnished by
allegations. The
was opened in Ireland in 2003 and held the
in December 2003 – the first time the country hosted such a competition. At the competition, Ireland won its first medal at the European SC Championships ever, a silver in the 200m
is the national governing body of swimming in Ireland. See also .
is the national snowsports centre for Ireland, and consists of four outdoor dry slopes in , Dublin. A team representing Ireland has competed at the
represented Ireland twice at the
and the . Her best result was a 32nd place in the
The various GAA discipline finals are easily the largest sporting events regularly held in Ireland, in both terms of attendance and media coverage. The biggest national sporting event in Ireland is the final of the , held annually in , usually in September. It usually attracts a sell out crowd of 82,500 to croke park. Many of the matches in the championship attract crowds of 50,000+, depending on who is playing.
Aside from the GAA, the biggest
held in Ireland regularly is the . The games are organised every year from a local level, where hundreds of thousands of young people compete in different disciplines such as athletics, swimming, cycling etc., in the first half of the year. Winners progress to county level, and then to the Community Games finals. The finals are held over two weekends in the summer where over 3,000 children sleep over at a campus facility such as
(which was used until 2004.)
On an international level, Ireland has had mixed fortunes. Ireland has been particularly successful in recent years in , , , , amateur , and golf. However, several scandals have arisen in recent years which have tarnished Ireland's international participation.
Showjumping
Twenty four Irish people have won Olympic medals as of 2012. At the , Ireland had one of its smallest contingents in its history at the games, with only 106 individuals participating. This was due to the strict policy followed by the
of only allowing A time athletes and swimmers to attend the games. This prevented several sportspeople from competing.
One of the biggest international events in Ireland is international soccer. The Republic's national team has punched above its weight in recent years, qualifying for the , and performing well against such teams as
and . In rugby union,
has been ranked in the top five teams regularly over the last few years, and has produced major stars such as
and . In golf, Ireland is home to several top golfers such as .
Kickboxing host one of the largest annual sporting events every March. Irish Open international attracts over 4,000 competitor over the three days and is hosted in city west main conference centre which has seating capacity for 15,000 people. The event is uniquely run in aid of a designated charity ISPCC. It has become the largest fighting competition in Europe over its 21 years. Www.irishopenonline.com
The traditional
are played by Irish expats, with increasingly local involvement in communities around the world, however no nation has enough players to compete with Ireland. To compensate for this the GAA has entered into a partnership with the
(Australian rules football) and plays a hybrid annual series called
– this series has been going in various forms since 1967. Also the GAA plays an international Hurling hybrid match with Scotland's national
team (although Ireland do not select players from the best hurling teams in Tier One of the All-Ireland championship for this game).
In 2003, Ireland hosted the , which was the biggest sporting event ever held in the country.[] In December 2003, Ireland hosted the . In 2006, Ireland hosted the .
Ireland's largest stadium is the 's
in Dublin, which can hold 82,300 people. It is the . Until recently, it was only used for Gaelic games and concerts. Other GAA facilities apable of accommodating 50,000 or more people are ,
International soccer and rugby in the Republic of Ireland were played at
prior to its closure and redevelopment. When the stadium closed late in 2006, it could accommodate approximately 35,000 people for soccer and 50,000 for rugby union (the difference is because standing-room terraces cannot be used for international soccer but can be used for rugby union). Early in 2007, the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road into a modern 50,000-capacity all-seater began, and in the interim, the GAA permitted rugby and soccer internationals to be played in Croke Park. The new
opened in May 2010. , a rugby ground in Limerick, has been rebuilt into a modern 26,000-capacity stadium, though not all-seated.
Ireland currently has three Olympic-sized swimming pools – two of which are open to the public. The largest – located at
– is the . Ireland has several large horse and greyhound tracks such as .
Plans to develop a Northern Ireland stadium at the site of the former
to cater for Gaelic games, rugby and soccer were scrapped in 2009 after opposition from unionists and soccer fans. Alternative plans from private consortia have emerged to build a stadium in , Northern Ireland's biggest city.[]
and at the
in . Ireland also plays
matches at the
Newspapers: All major newspapers dedicate significant amounts of space to sports coverage. These pages are usually dominated by soccer, Gaelic games and equestrian events. The most popular newspapers in Ireland for sports coverage are The Irish Examiner, , ,
Television: Gaelic football, hurling and soccer receive most of the sports coverage on domestic channels.
currently hold the right to broadcast Gaelic games in Ireland. Coverage of the
is shared between RT?,
and RT? Two both have rights to various European soccer competitions, such as the
and the English .
launched in early 2004 with the aim of offering a dedicated service to Irish sport. Satellite and Cable subscribers have access to many other foreign channels such as ,
and Attheraces. RedDishTV, an Irish company, live stream all major pool and snooker events online.
Magazines: There are relatively few Irish based magazines apart from GAA ones such as the Hogan Stand. However many foreign sports magazines are widely available.
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Croke Park: Cathedral of Sport by Mícheál ? Muircheartaigh, first printed September 2004 –  
The Ras: Ireland's Unique Bike Race
by Tom Daly, first printed October 2003 –  
Golfing in Ireland: The Most Complete Guide for Adventurous Golfers by Rob Armstrong, first printed May 2000 –  
The Fighting Irish by Roger Anderson, first printed October 2004 –  
Michael Fortune (2002), Greyhound racing in Brian Lalor (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Ireland. Dublin: Gill and Macmillian.  
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