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Sport in Ireland plays an important role in Irish society. The many sports played and followed inIreland includeGaelic games (includingGaelic football,hurling,camogie andhandball),association football,horse racing,show jumping,greyhound racing,basketball,fishing,motorsport,boxing,tennis,hockey,golf,rowing,cricket, andrugby union.[1][2]
In terms of participation, association football (soccer) is the most popular team pursuit for males at 8.8% with Gaelic football attracting 3.4%.[3] Personal exercise (at 13.4%) and running (8.9%) are the most popular individual male activities. Traditionally, team sports do not figure highly amongst females, with a greater percentage of post-school-age women choosing individual sports and fitness activities.[4] As of 2018, additional funding and focus was afforded to females in sport, with a number of successes in women's international sporting competitions.[5][6] Association football (soccer) is the most played team sport in Ireland.[1] Gaelic football, hurling, golf, aerobics, cycling, swimming and billiards/snooker are the other sporting activities with the highest levels of participation in the Republic of Ireland.[1]
In terms of support and attendance,Gaelic football accounted for 34% of total sports attendances at events in the Republic of Ireland in 2003, followed byhurling at 23%, association football (soccer) at 16% and rugby at 8%.[7] In 2005, Initiative's ViewerTrack study measuring sports audiences showed that Gaelic football's highest-profile match, theAll-Ireland Football Championship Final, was the most watched event of the nation's sporting year.[8]
In terms of funding, of the €62 million allocated in theIrish government's 2017 Capital Sports Programme, approximately €25 million was allocated to hurling, Gaelic football and other games overseen by theGaelic Athletic Association, €7.7 million to soccer, €3.3 million to rugby, €2.8 million to tennis, golf €2.4 million, sailing and rowing €1.3 million each, boxing and athletics over €1 million each, swimming €0.5 million, with the remainder allocated among other sports and sporting groups.[9]
AsNorthern Ireland is aconstituent nation of theUnited Kingdom, it also sends aNorthern Ireland Team to theCommonwealth Games. At theOlympic Games, a person fromNorthern Ireland can choose to represent eitherIreland orGreat Britain.[10]
In a survey released in January 2021,Gaelic games were collectively identified as "Ireland's favourite sport(s)".[2]
The sport may be referred to asGaelic football orGaelic, if confusion might otherwise arise with association football, but is referred to simply as 'football' within the sport itself, such as theAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Though it has existed for centuries in Ireland asCaid, Gaelic football was formally arranged into an organised playing code by theGaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in the late nineteenth century.[11][12][13] In terms of support and attendance, it is the most popular sport in Ireland.[7]
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. Gaelic footballers play for a local club or parish team, with the best chosen for the inter-county sides. County players may be chosen to play in inter-provincialRailway Cup games or for the'International Rules' team to face Australia. The main national competitions are the inter-countyAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship andNational Football League, also known as the NFL.[citation needed]
A Gaelic football year starts with pre-season competitions and the National Football League. 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. TheAll-Ireland Senior Football final is traditionally held on the third Sunday in September.Kerry are football's most successful team, with 37 All-Ireland senior titles. There are a number of rivalries within the game – an example is that betweenDublin andMeath. Other notable derbies or rivalries includeCork vKerry,Mayo vGalway, Kerry v Dublin and Tyrone v Donegal.[citation needed]
Hurling is a sport native to Ireland for several thousand years, organized by theGaelic Athletic Association. In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football.[14] Hurling is sometimes described as the "fastest field sport in the world", as the ball is continually played at high speeds.[15]
The game has similarities toshinty andhockey. However the ball (orsliotar) is rarely played along the ground. Hurling is played on a large grass pitch.[citation needed]
Many aspects of the organisation of hurling are similar to football, as both sports are organised by theGAA. 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 where both sports are played, hurling sometimes holds precedence, and in certain parts of the country, it is the dominant game (Kilkenny, rural Antrim, Ards peninsula in County Down, and Clare, for example). Hurling is well-attended at elite level and the highest-level games fillCroke Park to its capacity of over 82,000. The main competitions are theAll-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Leinster and Munster provincial championships and theNational Hurling League (NHL).[citation needed]
Hurling and camogie are both included onUNESCO'sRepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[16]
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Camogie, played exclusively by women, is similar tohurling although a smallersliotar is used, there is the option to hand-pass into the goal, and the dress code requires players to wear askort. The first game of camogie was played inCounty Meath in 1904.[17]
Gaelic handball, or simply 'handball', like the related sport ofAmerican handball, somewhat resemblessquash orracquetball, but with the ball played or struck with the hand or fist instead of a racquet. It has no connection with the Olympic sport of handball which has limited following in Ireland, where it is generally known asOlympic handball.[citation needed]
In Ireland, there are four main types of handball. These are 40x20 (small court), the traditional 60x30 Softball and Hardball (big alley) and One-wall handball. Handball is played with a variety of balls. Gloves and eyeguards are compulsory for some competitions. The sport is managed and promoted byGAA Handball, a subsidiary body of theGAA.[citation needed]
Rounders (Irish:cluiche corr) is regulated by theGaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, and is similar to baseball. Game-play centers aroundinnings 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.[citation needed]
Association football is a popular sport in theRepublic of Ireland andNorthern Ireland but while international matches play before large crowds, and are passionately followed, domestic league games typically attract smaller attendances.[18] English football leagues are also popular in Ireland, with a survey in February 2020 indicating that up to 40,000 Irish fans travel to games in England on a "regular basis".[19]
The national body in the Republic of Ireland is theFootball Association of Ireland (FAI) while the national body in Northern Ireland is theIrish Football Association (IFA).[citation needed]
The domestic leagues are theLeague of Ireland (in the Republic) and theNIFL Premiership (or Irish League) (Northern Ireland). Some of the major teams in Ireland includeShamrock Rovers,Dundalk FC andShelbourne FC in the Republic,Glentoran andLinfield in Northern Ireland, andDerry City, 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 asDamien Duff,John O'Shea,Aiden McGeady andJonny Evans, play in the leagues of larger European countries, particularly in England andScotland. 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 asManchester United,Liverpool andCeltic. Only occasionally 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 internationalsKevin Doyle,Shane Long andGareth McAuley and players likeRoy Keane in the past.[citation needed]
On the international stage, theRepublic of Ireland andNorthern Ireland teams have both competed in threeFIFA World Cups, with the Republic also appearing in threeEuropean Championships, most recently in2016.[citation needed]
TheMilk Cup is an international youth tournament held annually in Northern Ireland, in which clubs and national teams from elsewhere in the world may compete. Northern Ireland also played host to the 2005UEFA Under-19 European Championships.[citation needed]
Rugby union is played and supported throughout Ireland, and is especially popular in urban areas such asDublin,Limerick,Belfast in Northern Ireland, andCork. Rugby union is played at club, province and national levels. TheIreland national team is composed of players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and theIrish Rugby Football Union governs the sport throughout the island. The sport is organised at all levels on an all-island basis through a provincial structure of four unions, with each province organising one professional team in elite competition.
Success at international level and the establishment of four professional teams has increased interest in rugby union as a sport in Ireland, particularly as a spectator sport.[20] At the 2018World Rugby Awards, Ireland had been presented with a 'hat-trick' of awards, withJohnny Sexton winning thePlayer of the Year,Joe Schmidt theCoach of the Year, and the national squad theTeam of the Year awards.[21] As of July 2022, following two defeats of New Zealand, the Ireland national rugby union team was ranked 1st in the World Rugby Rankings, but has never progressed beyond the quarter finals of the men'sRugby World Cup.
School rugby union is also played at primary and secondary level, and traditional rugby playing schools include:St Michael's College,Blackrock College,Belvedere College,Castleknock College,Clongowes Wood College,St Mary's College, andTerenure College in Dublin,Crescent College,Castletroy College,St Munchin's College,Glenstal Abbey andArdscoil Rís in Limerick,Rockwell College in Tipperary,Presentation Brothers College,Bandon Grammar School andChristian Brothers College in Cork, andCampbell College,Royal Belfast Academical Institution andMethodist College Belfast in the north.
Boxing is overseen by theBoxing Union of Ireland andIrish Athletic Boxing Association. Amateur boxers account for sixteen ofIreland's 31 Olympic medals, includingtwo Olympic gold medals. Ireland's amateur boxers have also won medals at numerous top level competitions worldwide including World Senior Championships, European Senior Championships, World Junior Championships, World Youth Championships, European Junior Championships and European Youth Championships.
The country's most successful boxers includeSteve Collins,Bernard Dunne,Barry McGuigan,Michael Carruth,Ryan Burnett,Andy Lee,John Duddy,Carl Frampton,Kellie Harrington andKatie Taylor. The latter is among the world's most successful female boxers, and Taylor has won five European Championships and four World Championships, as well as the inaugural women's lightweight gold at the2012 Olympics.
As of 2023, large-scale professional boxing events have not taken place in Ireland since a2016 gangland shooting at a weigh-in at the Regency hotel in Dublin.[22]
Athletics in Ireland is governed byAthletics Ireland, and in Northern Ireland by Athletics Northern Ireland.[23] 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.Denis Horgan won the shot put 13 times at theAAAs, (still holding a title for greatest number of individual titles won), before emigrating to the United States where he won a number of American titles. Horgan also broke the world record on several occasions and silver at the 1908 Olympics.Dr. Pat O'Callaghan (also from North Cork) won the hammer throw in 1928 and again in 1932 at the Olympic Games.Bob Tisdall also won gold for Ireland in 1932, competing in the 400m hurdles. In the late 20th and early 21st century, notable athletes have includedRon Delany,Mary Peters,John Treacy,Eamonn Coghlan,Sonia O'Sullivan andRobert Heffernan.
TheDublin Marathon andBelfast Marathon are run annually and are two of the most popular athletics events in the country. TheWomen's Mini Marathon in Dublin consistently gets upwards of 40000 competitors.[24]
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The variousequestrian sports have a sizeable following in Ireland. After Gaelic games, horse racing is the second most attended sport in the country, with around 1.3 million attendees annually. That is the largest number of horseracing fans in any country on a per capita basis.[25]
The governing body isHorse Sport Ireland (formerly theEquestrian Federation of Ireland), which is composed of 15 Irish affiliate bodies, representing all facets of equestrian sport. These sports includeshow jumping,eventing,dressage,endurance riding,para-equestrian,polo andcarriage driving.[26]
Overall administration of Irish horse-racing is carried out byHorse Racing Ireland. Horse Racing Ireland is responsible for racing in both theRepublic of Ireland, which has 24 racecourses, and inNorthern Ireland, which has 2 racecourses. Ireland's top tracks arethe Curragh andFairyhouse. The breeding industry (including the world's largestthoroughbred breeding operation,Coolmore Stud) has produced many top race horses.[27]
As of the early 21st century, golf is among the most-played sports in the country, with a 2008 report for theIrish Sports Council indicating that golf was then the fourth most popular sport by participation rate.[28] Ireland was the first country to organise the sport on a national basis, with two "oldest governing bodies in world golf", theGolfing Union of Ireland (GUI) and theIrish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU), being formed in 1891 and 1893 respectively.[29][30] These organisations merged in 2021 to formGolf Ireland.[31]
There are over 400 golf clubs throughout the island, and over 300 courses in the Republic of Ireland, and (as of 2009) Ireland reportedly had the fourth most golf courses per capita in the world,[32] Among Ireland's most famous golf courses areRoyal County Down Golf Club,Royal Portrush Golf Club,Portmarnock,Ballybunion andLahinch. The most prestigious tournament of Ireland is theIrish Open, which is held on courses in the four provinces. Also, theK Club in County Kildare hosted theEuropean Open from 1995 to 2007. Golf is regularly televised in Ireland, with both domestic and international events broadcast.
Ireland produced several top golfers in the late 20th and early 21st century, with players likePádraig Harrington,Paul McGinley andShane Lowry achieving significant success internationally. For example, Harrington and McGinley won the World Cup of Golf in 1997 and, together with Clarke, were part of the European team that successfully defended the2006 Ryder Cup. Harrington also wonThe Open Championship (British Open) in2007 and2008, and the2008 PGA Championship. Lowry won the2019 Open Championship.[33]
Three golfers from Northern Ireland have had notable international successes in the 21st century.Rory McIlroy, who has spent extended periods as number one in theOfficial World Golf Ranking,[34] is one of only three men to win golf's "Grand Slam", including theUS Open (2011),US PGA Championship (2012 and 2014),Open Championship (2014), andMasters Tournament (2025).[35]Graeme McDowell won the2010 U.S. Open, becoming the first Irish player to do so.Darren Clarke won the2011 Open Championship.[33]
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Cricket has been played in Ireland since the early 19th century, and the game againstScotland (a match which hasfirst-class status) has been played annually since 1909.
The sport is organised on an all-island basis and is overseen by theIrish Cricket Union, founded in its present incarnation in 1923. Ireland has entered some domestic English tournaments since the early 1980s, but becoming an Associate Member of theInternational Cricket Council in 1993 paved the way for participation in international competition. Ireland co-hosted the1999 Cricket World Cup. It is most popular in Northern Ireland and Dublin.[citation needed]
TheIreland cricket team was among the associate nations that qualified for the2007 Cricket World Cup. It defeatedPakistan and finished second in its pool, earning a place in theSuper 8 stage of the competition. The team also competed in the2009 ICC World Twenty20, and won the2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier to secure a place in the2011 Cricket World Cup. 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, and was grantedTest status in 2017.[36]
Prior to the granting of Test status, a number of Irish cricketers went to England to playTest cricket, includingEoin Morgan from Dublin, who captained theEnglish cricket team to2019 Cricket World Cup success.[37]
Field hockey (known in Ireland as just "hockey") is played throughout the country, particularly in secondary schools. The governing body in Ireland is the Irish Hockey Association.[38] TheIreland women's national field hockey team reached the final of theWomen's Hockey World Cup in 2018.[39] As of 2018, theIreland men's national field hockey team were ranked 10th in theFIH World Rankings.[40]
Australian rules football has gained a following in Ireland which has increased mainly due to theInternational rules series that takes place annually between Australia and Ireland. In October 2000, theAustralian Rules Football League of Ireland was established, and a representative Irish team took part in the 2005Australian Football International Cup.The IrishGreen Machine became inaugural International champions in 2002. They have been finalists in every AFL International Cup since and were 2011 International Cup champions. Belfast and Dublin have been hosts to the AFL Euro Cup.[41]
TheIrish Chess Union (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 Ireland and maintains the chess rating for players in 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.[42]
Croquet was first played in Ireland in the 1830s. 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.[43]
There are many regional cycling clubs throughout the country and competitions are organised regularly, the largest non-professional event being theRás (Irish for race).[44] The main governing body isCycling Ireland which is responsible for cycling throughout the island. Ireland's most famous cyclists areStephen Roche, who won both theTour de France andGiro d'Italia in 1987; andSean Kelly, who won theVuelta a España in 1988, the sprinter'sgreen jersey 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 supported by a number of 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 events are undertaken at the Ratoath BMX track in County Meath, and an indoor BMX track in Cherry Orchard in County Dublin.
The Irish National Darts Organisation (INDO)[45] is a governing body for Irish darts and is recognised by theWorld Darts Federation andBritish Darts Organisation.[46][47]
Extreme sports undertaken in Ireland includeskateboarding,rollerblading,surfing,BMX,mountain biking,mountain boarding,kitesurfing andwakeboarding.[48][49] 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, and other sports) have been developed in several places, including in Greystones, Bushy park (Dublin) and Lucan (Dublin). Modular parks can be found in other parts of Ireland.[50]
Speed climbing, an Olympic sport as of 2020, is governed byMountaineering Ireland,[51] which also maintains safety guidelines and training formountain climbing,indoor climbing,bouldering,[52]abseiling andhill-walking.[53]
Greyhound racing began in Ireland in 1927; there were greyhound races in Celtic Park in Belfast on 18 April of that year and theShelbourne Park greyhound stadium opened inDublin four weeks later.Hare coursing was already a well established sport in the country and greyhounds were bred for racing in Ireland from the very start.Mick the Miller, winner of the English Derby in 1929 and 1930, was an Irish greyhound and Ireland continues to export greyhounds.[citation needed]
There are twenty licensed greyhound stadiums in Ireland. There are seventeen in the Republic where the licensing authority isBord na gCon, the Irish Greyhound Board. This is a semi-state body and was established by theIrish government in 1958. The three stadiums in Northern Ireland are licensed by theIrish Coursing Club, which also organises hare coursing throughout the Island.[citation needed]
Gymnastics is governed by Irish Gymnastics, trading as Gymnastics Ireland, which was formed in 1999,[54] 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.
The most successful Irish gymnast isRhys McClenaghan – winning European, world and Olympic titles. In 2019, he became the first Irish gymnast to qualify for a world championships final and to also win a medal, taking bronze on pommel horse. After contesting the2020 Tokyo Olympics, at both the2022 and2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, he won gold formen's pommel horse – the first world champion in gymnastics for Ireland. In addition to multiple European championships, at the2024 Summer Paris Olympics, McClenaghan won gold in theMen's pommel horse.[55]
While still a minority sport in Ireland, there are a number ofKendo clubs based in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Cavan.[56] The Irish Kendo Federation is the governing body for the country.[57] 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 theBritish Kendo Association (BKA).
The National Governing Body of Martial Arts in Ireland, as appointed by the Irish Sports Council, is the Irish Martial Arts Commission.[58] The Irish Martial Arts Commission represents the martial arts of Aikido, Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, Kung-Fu, TaeKwon-Do, Ninjutsu, Sambo and Tai Chi.[59] The executive committee of the Irish Martial Arts Commission is made up of 2 representative elected within the membership of each Martial Art.
Taekwondo andKarate are represented by various clubs throughout the country. The All-Ireland Taekwondo Association works to promote the sport and to organise competitions.[60] Kickboxing Ireland (formally known as Allstyles Kickboxing Association of Ireland) was founded in 1985 to unify and structure the 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.[61]
Motorsport also has a presence in Ireland withMotorsport Ireland being the governing body throughout the country.[62]Rallying is one popular form of motorsport, with three major Rally Championships taking place every year, each hosting 6-7 rally events across the country. These include theDonegal International Rally,West Cork Rally,Galway International Rally and others. Ireland also hosted a round of theWorld Rally Championship in 2007 and 2009, with stages being held in the Republic and also across the border in Northern Ireland, and was a stage candidate in 2016.[63]
Circuit racing is also present in the country with Ireland having only one international venue,Mondello Park 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 asDerek Daly,Peter Dempsey,Tommy Byrne,Eddie Jordan andDavid Kennedy.Kart racing andstock car racing are also a popular forms of circuit racing in Ireland.[citation needed]
Motorcycle racing in Ireland is governed byMotorcycling Ireland. Established in 1902, it is the oldest motorcycle sport federation in the world.[64]
Olympic Handball is a minority sport in Ireland, with the Irish Olympic Handball Association acting as the national governing body. In 2011, Ireland hosted the European Challenge Trophy in Olympic Handball (a competition for developing nations).[65]
Orienteering in Ireland is regulated by theIrish Orienteering Association. Every two years, the Shamrock o-Ringen, Ireland's largest Orienteering event, is held in Cork or Kerry. Irish orienteers compete at all levels, sometimes reaching the finals at the World Orienteering Championships.[66]
The sport ofpitch and putt originated inCork in the 1930s, and was developed throughout Ireland during the 1940s.[67][68][69][70] Since 1960 it has been overseen by thePitch and Putt Union of Ireland,[71] in turn a member of theEuropean Pitch and Putt Association andFederation of International Pitch and Putt Associations.[72][73] TheIreland men's national pitch and putt team won the2008 Pitch and Putt World Cup.[74]
Tennis, badminton, racquetball andsquash are common in Ireland. In Tennis,Tennis Ireland is the governing body and runs several competitions between the approximately 200 clubs throughout Ireland. Ireland competes in tennis internationally in theDavis Cup (men's) and theFed Cup (ladies). Ireland had had a prominent tennis tournament, theIrish Open, in the past, which was considered an important tournament prior to the establishment of world championship events in 1913. The men's event was abolished in 1979, and the women's event was abolished in 1983 - however, it remains as a lower-tierITF tournament.[75] Badminton in Ireland is run by theBUI.
Irish Road Bowling 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 there have been international championships held with athletes participating from these countries.[citation needed]
Rowing in Ireland is regulated byRowing Ireland. 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 theNational Rowing Centre in County Cork.
Successful Irish rowers includePaul O'Donovan (double Olympic champion and multiple world champion),Fintan McCarthy (double Olympic and world champion),Gary O'Donovan (former European and world champion),Emily Hegarty,Aifric Keogh,Eimear Lambe andFiona Murtagh,Daire Lynch,Philip Doyle (all Olympic medallists).
Rugby league in Ireland is governed byRugby League Ireland, which runs theIrish Elite League (known as the Carnegie League for sponsorship purposes),[76] which is the top level rugby league competition in Ireland. There are approximately 20 teams acrossUlster,Munster andLeinster.[77] TheIrish rugby league team compete in theEuropean Cup and theRugby League World Cup. It is made up predominantly of players based in Great Britain. Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the2000 Rugby League World Cup and the2008 Rugby League World Cup.[78][79]
Sailing in Ireland is governed and regulated by theIrish Sailing Association in Dún Laoghaire. 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 (now theRoyal Cork Yacht Club), which was founded in 1720.[80]
Snooker andpool hold some interest in Ireland,[1] with media coverage of most major international tournaments. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have produced some of the world's most successful snooker players, includingKen Doherty,Alex Higgins andDennis Taylor.
Target shooting in Ireland comprises a number of disciplines. These include theOlympic rifle and pistol shooting disciplines (administered by the NTSA),[81] metallic silhouette shooting (administered by the NSAI),[82] precision pistol, benchrest rifle, gallery rifle and sporting rifle disciplines (administered by the NASRPC),[83] the Tetrathlon (administered by the Pony Club) andOlympic Penthathlon (administered by the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland), both Olympic and non-Olympicclay pigeon shooting (administered by the ICPSA)[84] and various long-range rifle shooting disciplines (administered by the NRAI).[85]
Ireland has had representation at international target shooting competitions, including the Olympic Games.[86] The Irish Olympic clay pigeon team won theWorld Championships team event in Olympic Trap in 2002 and Irish shooter Philip Murphy claimed the silver medal in the2007 World Shotgun Championships; he has also placed in the top ten in two World Championships and two World Cups.[87] His teammate Derek Burnett won silver in the 2007 World Cup inMaribor and has placed in the top ten in three World Championships, two World Cup Finals and two European championships.[88] 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 and five World Cups.[89] 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 theISSF coaches' committee[90] and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy.[91] Ian O'Sullivan also became the World Junior Champion in Olympic Trap in the 2014 World Championships.[92]
Ireland became world champions in CentrefireGallery Rifle in the inaugural World Championships in 2013, in which the Irish team beat Great Britain and Germany.Gallery Rifle events are administered in Ireland by the NASRPC.[83]
Thetriathlon, as well as theduathlon,pentathlon, anddecathlon, are gaining interest in Ireland.[citation needed] The Irish Triathlon calendar of events runs to 200 events annually.[93] The national body for the triathlon isTriathlon Ireland which organises competitions between various clubs throughout the country.[94]
The Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland was set up in 2004.[95] Pentathlon and Decathlon are track and field events and organised by an athletic association, whereas Triathlon and Duathlon are organized by multi sport associations such as National Governing bodies for Triathlon and the ITU, International Triathlon Union.[citation needed]
Adventure racing also takes place in Ireland. 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.[96]
Tug of war 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.
Ireland, being an island on the western edge of Europe and on thecontinental shelf, is well-suited forrecreational diving activities such asscuba diving andsnorkelling. The dive season in Ireland generally starts around March and ends around October.[citation needed]
Recreational diving started in Ireland in the early 1950s with the founding of the Belfast Branch of theBritish Sub Aqua Club.[97]In the early 1960s, diving clubs in the Republic of Ireland formed theComhairle Fo-Thuinn (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 theConfédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (World Underwater Federation). TheNorthern Ireland Federation of Sub-Aqua Clubs which was formed in 1975 is the corresponding national governing body in Northern Ireland.
As of October 2013,underwater hockey is the onlyunderwater sport being practised. This activity is limited to the Republic of Ireland where regional competition takes place in bothDublin andCork. Irish national teams have played internationally with attendance at European championships.[98][99]
Water sports practised in Ireland includecanoeing, swimming,surfing,diving,water polo, sailing, andkayaking. TheNational Aquatic Centre was opened in Ireland in 2003 and held theEuropean SC Championships 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 200mbreaststroke byAndrew Bree. The National Aquatic Centre also hosted the2018 World Para Swimming European Championships. Successful Irish Olympic swimmers includeMona McSharry, who won a bronze medal in the100 metre breaststroke at the2024 Paris Olympics, andDaniel Wiffen, who won bronze in the1500m freestyle and gold in the800m freestyle at the same Olympics.[100]
Swim Ireland is the national governing body of swimming in Ireland, whilepaddlesports are governed byCanoeing Ireland.
TheSki Club of Ireland is the national snowsports centre for Ireland, and consists of four outdoor dry slopes inKilternan, Dublin. A team representing Ireland has competed at theWinter Olympic Games since1992.
Baseball, which has some similarities to the Gaelic version ofrounders, is an emerging sport in Ireland,[citation needed] 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. In 2018, the team won the C Pool in European Championships held in Ashbourne, County Meath to advance to the B Pool in 2019.[citation needed]
The governing body is Baseball Ireland, which oversees club play and operates an adult league established in 1997 with teams in Dublin, Greystones and Belfast. Irish baseball was the subject of an award-winning documentaryThe Emerald Diamond in 2006.
Basketball is overseen by Basketball Ireland.[101] This governing body organises the sport's main competitions such as theSuper League. The main basketball arena in Ireland is theNational Basketball Arena inDublin. The sport receives small amounts of media attention, with a few games broadcast on television annually. Basketball is mainly driven by school, college and club support.Pat Burke is the only Irish born to play in theNBA, he played forOrlando Magic andPhoenix Suns.
There is one professionalice hockey team in Northern Ireland, theBelfast Giants, playing in theElite Ice Hockey League. TheIrish Ice Hockey Association is the national governing body for the sport, and is responsible for theIreland men's national ice hockey team andIreland women's national ice hockey team.[102]
Lacrosse in Ireland is governed by Ireland Lacrosse, an association which is a member ofWorld Lacrosse and theEuropean Lacrosse Federation.[103] The Irish men's lacrosse team made headlines in 2020 when, after qualifying for the2022 World Games, the team gave up their place at the competition to allow theIroquois men's national lacrosse team to participate. The Iroquois team, despite representing the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in which the sport originated, were originally excluded because they did not represent a sovereign nation with an Olympic Committee.[104] The Irish national team refused to take their place at the competition, with the place being allocated to the Iroquois team.[105]
Softball 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 Volleyball Ireland (VLY).[106]The Northern Ireland Volleyball Association govern the sport in Northern Ireland.[107]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.[citation needed] Club volleyball is played in several men's and women's divisions (both north and south). Volleyball Ireland (VLY) 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.[106]
The various GAA discipline finals are 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 theAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship, held annually inCroke Park, usually in September. It usually attracts a sell out crowd of 82,500 to the stadium. Many of the matches in the championship attract crowds of 50,000+, depending on who is playing.
Aside from the GAA, the biggestmulti-sport event held in Ireland regularly is theCommunity Games. 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, and cycling, 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-style facility.
On an international level, Ireland has had mixed fortunes, with some successes in the late 20th and early 21st century inrugby union,horse racing,show jumping, amateurboxing, and golf.
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Twenty four Irish people have won Olympic medals as of 2012. At the2004 Summer Olympics, 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 theOlympic Council of Ireland of only allowingA time athletes and swimmers to attend the games.[citation needed]
One of the biggest international events in Ireland is international soccer. The Republic's national team first qualified for aFIFA World Cup in 1990, reaching the quarter-finals ofItalia '90. In rugby union, as of September 2019,Ireland's national team was ranked 1st in the world.[108] Ireland has produced major stars such asKeith Wood,Brian O'Driscoll and Johnny Sexton.[109] In golf, Ireland has produced several top golfers such asPádraig Harrington.
The traditionalGaelic games ofGaelic football andhurling 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 theAustralian Football League (Australian rules football) and plays a hybrid annual series calledInternational rules football – this series has been going in various forms since 1967. Also the GAA plays an international hurling hybrid match with Scotland's nationalshinty 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 theSpecial Olympics World Summer Games, as well as theEuropean SC Championships 2003. In 2006, Ireland hosted theRyder Cup Matches.
Ireland's largest stadium is theGAA'sCroke Park in Dublin, which can hold 82,300 people.[110] It is thethird largest stadium in Europe. Until the late 20th century, it was only used for Gaelic games and concerts. Other GAA facilities capable of accommodating 40,000 or more people areSemple Stadium, Thurles,Gaelic Grounds, Limerick andPáirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork.
International soccer and rugby in the Republic of Ireland are played at the 52,000 capacityAviva Stadium. Built on the site of the formerLansdowne Road, this all-seated stadium was opened in May 2010.Thomond Park, a rugby ground in Limerick, has been rebuilt into a modern 26,000-capacity stadium, though not all-seated.
Ireland has three Olympic-sized swimming pools – two of which are open to the public. The largest – located at theNational Sports Campus – is theNational Aquatic Centre. Ireland has several large horse and greyhound tracks such asFairyhouse.
Plans to develop a Northern Ireland stadium at the site of the formerMaze prison inCounty Antrim to cater for Gaelic games, rugby and soccer were scrapped in 2009 after opposition from unionists and soccer fans.[111]
TheIreland national cricket team playOne Day Internationals atStormont inBelfast and at theClontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin. Ireland also playsIntercontinental Cup matches at theWoodvale Road ground, and has played test cricket atMalahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin.[112]
[Irish] Women are more likely to exercise to keep fit and healthy (56 per cent) than men (43 per cent). They just chose to devote their time to [..] individual pursuits [..] instead of organised team sports. Participation in team sports tends to fall off for women when they leave school
Gaelic football's first rules were published in December 1884 at the second convention of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The codification of its rules was a response by Irish nationalists to the growth of 'English' football
In 1884, the Gaelic Athletic Association was set up [..] As a result, Gaelic football became the third form of football to be codified in Ireland, after soccer and rugby
Some 40,000 Irish people travel on a "regular" basis to see football in England
[R]ugby's explosion in popularity means there is talent coming through in greater numbers that at any time in living memory . . . These are heady days for Irish rugby. TheRepublic of Ireland are pushing hard forqualification for the World Cup but could barely draw 10,000 toThomond Park for a recent international with South Africa. A few days later,Munster had almost twice that for an early seasonCeltic League match.
The ten most popular sports in 2008 are: swimming, personal exercise, soccer, golf [..] participation rates for the ten most popular sports are given in Figure 2.2
Golf Ireland was established to replace its two predecessors, the GUI and the ILGU – the two oldest golfing unions in the world
Rhys McClenaghan has completed the set: European champion, World champion and now Olympic champion
the sport of Pitch and Putt originated in Ireland [..] Around the mid 1930s the game first came to be in the seaside resort of Fountainstown, Co Cork
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