Sport in Ireland
Encyclopedia
In Ireland
many sport
s, such as boxing
, hockey
, rowing
, cricket
, rugby union
, Gaelic football
and hurling
, are organised in an all-island basis, with a single team representing the whole of Ireland in international competitions. Other sports, such as soccer and netball
, have separate organising bodies in Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland
.
The many sports played and followed in Ireland also include horse racing
, show jumping
, greyhound racing
, basketball
, fishing
, handball
, motor sport, target shooting, and tennis
.
At the Olympic Games
, a person from Northern Ireland
can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain.
Gaelic football is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance, and represents 34% of total sports attendances at events in the Republic of Ireland and abroad, followed by hurling
(one of the official sports of Ireland) 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 All-Ireland Football Final, to be the most watched event of the nation's sporting year. Soccer is the most played team sport in Ireland. Swimming, golf, aerobics, cycling, Gaelic football and billiards/snooker are the other sporting activities with the highest levels of playing participation in the Republic of Ireland.
, Gaelic football was formally arranged into an organised playing code by the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA) in the late nineteenth century. It is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance – in the senior football championship in the summer, attendance is upwards of 80,000 for the most prestigious fixtures. In 2003 for example, 34% of all attendances to sports events in Ireland were to Gaelic football matches. Hurling is the closest rival with 23%.
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 Railway Cup games or for the 'International Rules'
team to face Australia. However, the main national competitions are the inter-county All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
and National Football League
, 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 All-Ireland Senior Football final
is traditionally held on the third Sunday in September. Kerry
are football's most successful team, with 36 All-Ireland senior titles. There are many rivalries within the game in Ireland – an example is that between Dublin
and Meath
. Other notable teams include Cork and Kerry
.
is a sport native to Ireland, organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association
. In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football.
The game has similarities to shinty
and hockey
. However the ball (or sliotar
) is rarely played along the ground. Hurling is also played on a large pitch and is considerably faster than hockey.
Many aspects of the organisation of hurling are similar to football, as both sports are organised by the GAA
. Amateurism and the club/county/province structure are similar. Hurling is well-attended and the most prestigious games fill Croke Park
to its capacity of well over 80,000. The main competitions are the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
and the National Hurling League
(NHL). As with football, pre-season competitions and the League are over by early summer. The Provincial Championships and Qualifiers are then played, followed by the All-Ireland series. The All-Ireland Hurling Final
is traditionally held on the first Sunday in September of each year. The most successful teams have been Cork and Kilkenny
. Kilkenny are regarded as the most successful county in the history of hurling.
(FAI) while the national body in Northern Ireland is the Irish Football Association
(IFA).
The domestic leagues are the League of Ireland
(in the Republic) and the IFA Premiership
(Northern Ireland). Some of the major teams in Ireland include St Patrick's Athletic
,
Shamrock Rovers
and Bohemians
in the Republic, Glentoran and Linfield in Northern Ireland, and Derry 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 as Damien Duff
, John O'Shea
, Aiden McGeady
and Jonny Evans
, play in the leagues of larger European countries, particularly in England and Scotland
. Another major Ireland star, Robbie Keane
, now plays in the USA
after a long tenure in England. 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 Manchester United
, Liverpool
, Celtic
and Rangers
. Rarely does a League of Ireland player make the national team, despite the fact that the league continues to produce some of Ireland's top players including current internationals Kevin Doyle
, Shane Long
and Noel Hunt
and players like Roy Keane
in the past. The most recent appearance for the Republic of Ireland by a then participating League of Ireland player was Joe Gamble
's in 2007. In 2009 however, Bohemian FC goalkeeper Brian Murphy
was called up to the Irish squad for the World Cup play-off against France. Occasional appearances of Irish League
players for Northern Ireland have been known.
On the international stage, the Republic of Ireland
and Northern Ireland
teams have both competed in three FIFA World Cup
s, with the Republic also appearing in a single European Championships
. Starting in 2011, both national teams on the island will compete with Scotland
and Wales
in the Nations Cup, intended to be held in odd-numbered years. The inaugural competition was held in Dublin at the new Aviva Stadium
, which also hosted the 2011 UEFA Europa League
Final
.
The Milk Cup
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 UEFA
Under-19 European Championships.
The Setanta Sports Cup
was set up by its sponsors, television channel Setanta Ireland. It is an all-island mini-World Cup style tournament featuring teams from both domestic leagues. The first four editions (2005 through 2008) featured eight teams, four from the League of Ireland and four from the Irish League, and were conducted with groups of four teams, semi-finals and a final. Beginning with the 2009–10 edition, the competition features nine teams, with the extra team being the current Setanta Cup holders; the tournament has been reorganised into three groups of three clubs each, followed by semi-finals and a final. Despite fairly low turnouts for each jurisdiction's leagues, the Setanta Cup has so far drawn relatively successful gate receipts.
Rugby union
is played and supported throughout Ireland, but is especially popular in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Ulster. Rugby union is played at club, province and national levels. The Ireland national team
is composed of players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and the Irish Rugby Football Union
governs the sport throughout the island. School rugby union is generally played at primary and secondary level. Notable rugby union schools include Belvedere College
, Blackrock College
, Rockwell College
, Castleknock College
, Clongowes Wood College
, The High School
, St Mary's College, Dublin, Terenure College
, Crescent College
, Limerick, Castletroy College
, Limerick, St Munchin's College, Limerick, Ardscoil Rís, Limerick
, PBC Cork
and CBC Cork
in the south and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
and Methodist College Belfast
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.
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Cricket
in Ireland was a minority sport till recently, but the game has really got popular among the citizens because of the recent success stories of Irish Cricket Team
. Cricket is now getting more and more popular thanks to Ireland's successful Cricket World Cup
campaign in 2007 and 2011. It has been played in Ireland since the early 19th century, and the game against Scotland (a match which has first-class status
) 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 Gaelic Athletic Association
's ban on its members taking part in "foreign" sports and then by the creation of the Irish Free State
; many of the best cricketers in Ireland had been British soldiers
and civil servants and their withdrawal led to a decline in the overall standard of the game.
There have been brighter spots in recent years, however. Dublin-born batsman Ed Joyce
has played with some success as part of Ireland's ICC Trophy team and is now a key member of the Middlesex
side in England's County Championship
; he captained the county in 2004. Interest in Irish cricket was also generated by the national team's startling victory over West Indies in 1969; they did it again on 17 June 2004. The sport is organised on an all-island basis and is overseen by the Irish 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 the International Cricket Council
in 1993 paved the way for participation in international competition, and indeed the 2005 ICC Trophy
was hosted by Ireland. The Irish finished second in the tournament, beaten by Scotland. Ireland has co-hosted the Cricket World Cup
in 1999. Dublin also hosted one game of the 1999 World Cup
. The 2007 World Cup
which was held in the West Indies was a very successful tournament for the Irish Cricket team. Having qualified for the first time for the tournament, Ireland entered the arena with much to gain. Ireland tied the match with Test Cricket playing team Zimbabwe and shocked Pakistan by defeating them on St. Patrick's Day. Suddenly there was much talk about Cricket in Ireland. Ireland qualified for the super 8 and recorded some good results, including a win against Bangladesh. Ireland have been granted ODI status and now they appear in the ODI ranking table. In June 2007 Ireland played ODI matches against India and South Africa.
Ireland went on to win the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier
, securing their place in the 2011 Cricket World Cup
and ODI status for the next four years. At the World Cup, they made history by stunning heavily favoured England in pool play with the largest successful run chase in World Cup history, led by the fastest century in World Cup history from Kevin O'Brien
.
in Ireland is governed by Athletics Ireland
, and in Northern Ireland by Athletics Northern Ireland. 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. Denis Horgan
won the Shot Putt 13 times at the AAAs, (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. 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 more recent years, notable athletes have included Ron Delany
, Mary Peters
, Eamonn Coghlan
and Sonia O'Sullivan
. Despite these past successes, the sport suffers from low media attention and dropping interest due to the popularity of other sports and past underinvestment.
The Dublin Marathon
and Belfast Marathon
are run annually and are two of the most popular athletics events in the country. The Women's Mini Marathon
in Dublin regularly gets upwards of 40000 competitors.
Australian rules football
has a small following in Ireland which has increased due to the International rules series that takes place annually between Australia and Ireland, the profile of the sport has increased. In October 2000, the Australian Rules Football League of Ireland
was established, and a representative Irish team took part in the 2005 Australian Football International Cup
.
The Irish Green Machine became inaugural International champions in 2002.
The sport first gained exposure in when former underage Gaelic football player Jim Stynes
moved to Australia to play AFL and in 1991 became the first Gaelic footballer to win the prestigious Brownlow Medal
.
In the 2005 AFL
Grand Final
, Tadhg Kennelly
(son of Tim Kennelly
) became the first Irishman to be part of a premiership-winning side, with the Sydney Swans
.
Recent exposure however has been somewhat controversial, since the 2005
series was marred by violence on the field. This prompted calls form some sections of the GAA to have the International series scrapped. In response to the on field aggression displayed in that series, both the AFL and GAA agreed that harsh penalties should be imposed on players who resorted to violence. Despite some press indignation both in Ireland & Australia, interest in the 2006 International Rules Series
reached an all time high, with the series selling both games out in Ireland including a record crowd at Croke Park for any international sporting event in the country.
Baseball is an emerging sport in Ireland. The sport is played on an organized level in Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork 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 Baseball Ireland, 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 The Emerald Diamond
in 2006.
Basketball is an emerging sport in Ireland. Basketball 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 Dublin. 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. Pat Burke
is the only Irish born to play in the NBA
, he played for Orlando Magic
& Phoenix Suns
. Marty Conlon
also represented Ireland while playing in the NBA for the Boston Celtics
however he was born in the United States.
Boxing
, which was once one of Ireland's most popular sports is now regaining popularity. The international success of boxers such as Bernard Dunne
, Andy Lee
and John Duddy
has much to do with this. RTÉ
's coverage of the sport through ProBox live is also partly responsible for the surge in boxing's popularity in Ireland. 12 of Irelands 23 Olympic medals 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 amateur boxer in the world in Katie Taylor who has won three European Championships and two World Championships.
(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.
In 2012 the Irish Chess Union celebrates 100 years in existence. Many chess events will take place in 2012 to celebrate the centenary.
Irish Chess Champions:
2011 FM Stephen Brady
2010 IM Alex Lopez
2009 FM Colm Daly
2008 GM Alexander Baburin
(Irish for race). The main governing body is Cycling Ireland
which is responsible for cycling throughout the island. Ireland's most famous cyclists are Stephen Roche
, who won both the Tour de France
and Giro d'Italia
in 1987; and Sean Kelly
, who won the Vuelta a España
in 1988, the sprinter's green jersey
in the Tour de France four times, and numerous single-day classics.
Mountain Cycling is becoming more popular very quickly. This sport is for girls and boys but mainly boys.
, once very popular in Ireland, has lost much of its popularity over the years to other sports such as Gaelic football and soccer, and since the game has been predominantly indoors for the last 30 years many of the older outdoor handball alleys throughout Ireland are in a state of neglect. Ireland still produces numerous top-class handballers, including three-time world champion Paul Brady, but the sport had not gained much media coverage for much of the 1990s and new century. However in recent years there has been a pronounced effort from within handball to address this problem, with increased game promotion and higher media profile for the top players. The sport is governed by the GAA.
Golf is very popular in Ireland, with over 400 golf clubs throughout the island, and over 300 courses in the Republic of Ireland. Golf is regularly televised in Ireland, with both domestic and international events broadcast. Among Ireland's most famous golf courses are Royal County Down Golf Club
, Royal Portrush Golf Club
, Portmarnock
and Ballybunion
.
The K Club in County Kildare
was the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup
. Ireland has produced several top golfers in recent years, with players like Pádraig Harrington
, Paul McGinley
and Darren Clarke
achieving significant success internationally. All three were part of the European team that successfully defended the Ryder Cup
on home soil, with Clarke arguably being the emotional leader as he was recovering from the death of his wife from breast cancer. More recently, Harrington won The Open Championship
(British Open) in 2007
, then successfully retained the title in 2008
and a month later won his 3rd major
, the U.S. PGA Championship
. Clarke went on to win the 2011 Open Championship
.
Two more stars have emerged even more recently, both from the North. Rory McIlroy
, at the time aged 20, ended 2009 in the top 10 of the world rankings and won the 2011 U.S. Open
, setting 11 Open records, and becoming the second Northern Irishman in a row to do so. Graeme McDowell
won the 2010 U.S. Open, becoming the first player from either side of the Irish border to win the U.S. Open
, as well as the first European to win that event since England's Tony Jacklin
in 1970. McDowell also won the crucial match in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor
in Wales.
Greyhound racing
began in Ireland in 1927; there were greyhound races in Celtic Park in Belfast on 18 April of that year and the Shelbourne Park
greyhound stadium opened in Dublin 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. The great Mick the Miller
, 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 Bord na gCon
, the Irish Greyhound Board. This is a semi-state body and was established by the Irish government
in 1958. The three stadiums in Northern Ireland are licensed by the Irish Coursing Club, 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.
sports have a sizeable following in Ireland. Thanks to generous tax treatment, many of the world's best race horses retire to Ireland to stud. The local industry (including the world's largest thoroughbred
breeding operation; Coolmore Stud
) produces many top race horses every year. Ireland's top tracks are the Curragh
and Fairyhouse
. Show jumping
also has quite a good following in Ireland, however the disqualification of Cian O'Connor
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
has deeply damaged the sport.
, rollerblading, surfing
, BMX
, mountainbiking and mountainboarding
(Kitesurfing), (wakeboarding)growing. Although many people participate in these sports, few of them do so competitively. Most 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 up 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.
(known in some countries as 'field 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 main body in Ireland is the Irish Hockey Association.
has a measure of popularity in Northern Ireland, with one professional team, the Belfast Giants
, playing in the Elite Ice Hockey League
. The Irish Ice Hockey League comprises a number of amateur teams from both sides of the border. The National Hockey League
in North America has one active Irish born player, Owen Nolan
, as well as several former players from the 1930s through 1950s: Jim McFadden
, Jack Riley, Sid Finney
, Bobby Kirk
, and Sammy McManus
. However, all of the named players were trained in Canada, having emigrated from Ireland with their families as children.
is enjoying increasing popularity over the last 10 years with significant clubs based in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Kildare. The Irish Kendo Federation, or Kendo Na h-Eireann is the governing body for the country and has sent teams to represent Ireland at the World Kendo Championships (WKC) 3 times. The WKC is held every 3 years and has mens, ladies and team competitions. There is an annual Irish National Championship event (INC) which is used by our National & Assistant Coach to select Kendoka to enter the National team. This team represents Ireland at the annual European Kendo Championship (EKC) and at the WKC when staged. Other events in the Kendo calendar are the Irish International Goodwill Taikai (IIGT) (Dublin are the current champions) and the Dublin International Open.
and Karate
have had some success over the past 20 years, with various new clubs being founded throughout the country. The All-Ireland Taekwondo Association has worked in recent years to promote the sport in the country and to organise more competitions. However, the rise in popularity of Kickboxing
and mixed martial arts
(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.The All Styles and Kickboxing Association of Ireland http://kickboxingireland.com(AKAI), the governing body of kickboxing in Ireland, has become one of the first competitive martial arts organisitations to be recognised by the Irish Sports Council and receive official recognition. The AKAI is primarily associated with WAKO as well other kickboxing and sports karate organisations. Through the hard work of this organisation Ireland is ranked in the top 5 countries for kickboxing and has produced more European and World Champions than any other sport in Ireland. The lack of media coverage in Ireland in regards to martial arts has meant that very few of these champions have been recognised for their achievements. Most notable of all Irish martial artists is Karate and Kickboxing Irish, European and World Champion Roy Baker
. Baker has been the most successful martial arts competitor in Irish history winning over 50 prestigious international titles. He has also trained numerous other world champions including Nicola Corbett, Ilija Salerno, Colm O'Saughnessey, Darragh Geoghean, Elaine Small, David Tarpey as well as numerous national champions, European and world medalists. Other World Champion Kickboxers of note are Julie McHale, Sally McArdle, Tony Stephenson and Alan O'Connell. Mixed Martial Arts
has gained a lot of popularity in the past 5 years with many clubs opening in citys like Dublin, Cork
and Limerick
.
The UFC held an event in Dublin, January 2009. The event sold out in the first day.
is a minority sport in Ireland despite it being the second most popular team sport in Europe. Olympic handball has a growing following and participation with a continued growth particularly in 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.
are quite popular in Ireland. Tennis has a growing following, with Tennis Ireland
, the governing body running several competitions between the some 200 clubs throughout Ireland. Ireland competes in tennis internationally in the Davis Cup
(men's) and the Fed Cup
(ladies). Badminton in Ireland is run by the BUI
. Squash, which exploded in the 1970s and 1980s has been in decline for several years, but despite this there remain several clubs throughout the country.
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 Holland, 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 regulated by the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA) in Ireland, and is not dissimilar to baseball. Game-play centers around innings
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.
in Ireland is represented by the Ireland national rugby league team
. They compete in the European Cup and the Rugby League World Cup
, they made the semi finals of the 2008 world cup losing to Fiji 30–14. The Irish Elite League
(known as the Carnegie League) for sponsorship purposes is the top level rugby league competition in Ireland. Brian Carney is one of Ireland most famous rugby league players, playing in Super League
for Gateshead Thunder
, Wigan Warriors
and Warrington Wolves
and in the National Rugby League
for the Newcastle Knights
he then left to play rugby union for Munster Rugby
and then became an Irish rugby union international before returning to rugby league, he now does some commentary for SKY Sports
.
Ireland, being an island on the western edge of Europe and on the continental shelf
, is perfectly suited for the sport of SCUBA diving
. 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 the country to another; 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.
Diving started in Ireland in the early 1950s with the founding of the Belfast Branch of the British Sub Aqua Club
. In the early 1960s the independent Irish diving clubs formed the Irish Underwater Council (or Comhairle Fó-Thuinn in Irish). This voluntary body regulates all aspects of diving for its members and represents Ireland at the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques
.
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.
and pool
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 (Ken Doherty
), 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 Irish Snooker Homepage
disciplines (administered by the NTSA), Metallic Silhouette shooting (administered by the NSAI), Gallery Rifle disciplines (administered by the NASRPC), the Tetrathlon (administered by the Pony Club) and Olympic Penthathlon
(administered by the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland), Clay Pigeon Shooting
(administered by the ICPSA) and various long-range rifle shooting disciplines (administered by the NRAI).
Ireland has had a strong presence in international target shooting competitions, including the Olympic Games. The Irish Olympic clay pigeon team won the World Championships team event in Olympic Trap in 2002 and Irish shooter Philip Murphy claimed the silver medal in the 2007 World Shotgun Championships
; 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 Maribor
, 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 ISSF
coaches' committee and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy in recognition of these successes.
, as well as the duathlon
, pentathlon
, and decathlon
, are rapidly gaining interest in Ireland. The national body for the triathlon is Triathlon Ireland 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 Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland 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.
is a type of traditional Celtic wrestling, similar to Breton gouren
and Cornish wrestling
. Though its popularity waned over the 20th century, it is currently experiencing a small revival.
In December 2009, at World Wrestling Entertainment
's pay-per-view TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Stephen Farrelly, who wrestles as Sheamus, became the first Irish born World Champion by defeating John Cena
in a table match.
, swimming, surfing
, diving
, water polo
, sailing, kayaking
, and scuba diving
. Whilst many people participate in these, few do so competitively. Ireland has had only one Olympic medalist in swimming, Michelle Smith
, and her medals have since been tarnished by drug allegations. The National Aquatic Centre
was opened in Ireland in 2003 and held the European 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 200m breaststroke
by Andrew Bree
. Swim Ireland
is the national governing body of swimming in Ireland. See also List of Olympic-size swimming pools in Ireland.
is a popular sport in Ireland and is regulated by the Irish Orienteering Association
.
, held annually in Croke Park
, 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 multi-sport event
held in Ireland regularly is the Community 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, 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 Mosney
(which was used until 2004.)
, horse racing
, showjumping, snooker
, amateur boxing
, and golf. However, several scandals have arisen in recent years which have tarnished Ireland's international participation. In 2002, Roy Keane
, one of Ireland's top international footballers, quit the national squad during the run-up to the World Cup
after a bitter and public falling-out
with coach Mick McCarthy
. Ireland's main swimming body, Swim Ireland
, has been involved in damaging child sex abuse scandals and a legal battle with the new CEO, Sarah Keane. There was widespread criticism of the lack of infrastructure and poor resources available to top athletes at the time of the Olympics.
Ten Irish people have won Olympic medals, most recently Cian O'Connor
who won a gold for showjumping. However, soon after, O'Connor has lost his medal after his horse tested positive for banned substances. At the 2004 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 the Olympic Council of Ireland
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 2002 World Cup
, and performing well against such teams as Brazil
and Portugal
. In rugby union, Ireland's national team
has been ranked in the top five teams regularly over the last few years, and has produced major stars such as Keith Wood
and Brian O'Driscoll
. In golf, Ireland is home to several top golfers such as Pádraig Harrington
.
The traditional Gaelic games
of Gaelic football
and Hurling
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 Football League
(Australian rules football) and plays a hybrid annual series called International rules football
– this series has been going in various forms since 1967. Also the GAA plays an international Hurling hybrid match with Scotland's national shinty
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 Special Olympics World Summer Games
, which was the biggest sporting event ever held in the country. In December 2003, Ireland hosted the European SC Championships 2003
. In 2006, Ireland hosted the Ryder Cup Matches
.
in Dublin can hold 82,300 people. It is also the third largest stadium in Europe. Until recently, it was only used for Gaelic games and concerts. International soccer and rugby in the Republic of Ireland were played at Lansdowne Road
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). Further to the stadia already mentioned there are several facilities throughout the country capable of accommodating 50,000 or more people such as Semple Stadium, Thurles
, Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
(all Gaelic games venues). Ireland currently has three Olympic-sized swimming pools – two of which are open to the public. The largest – located at Sports Campus Ireland
– is the National Aquatic Centre
. Ireland has several large horse and greyhound tracks such as Fairyhouse
.
Early in 2007, the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road into a modern 50,000-capacity all-seater began. The new Aviva Stadium
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.
Plans to develop a Northern Ireland stadium at the site of the former Maze prison in County Antrim
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 Belfast
, Northern Ireland's biggest city.
The Ireland national cricket team play One Day Internationals at Stormont
in Belfast
and at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground
in Clontarf, Dublin
. Additionally Ireland play Intercontinental Cup
matches at the Woodvale Road
ground.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
many sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s, such as boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, rowing
Rowing
-Boats:* Watercraft rowing, a form of propulsion* Rowing , competitive rowing** Coastal and ocean rowing, rowing performed on the sea** Ocean rowing, the sport of rowing across oceans-Exercise:...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, are organised in an all-island basis, with a single team representing the whole of Ireland in international competitions. Other sports, such as soccer and netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, have separate organising bodies in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
The many sports played and followed in Ireland also include horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
, greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, handball
Gaelic handball
Gaelic handball is a sport similar to Basque pelota, racquetball, squash and American handball . It is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association...
, motor sport, target shooting, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
.
At the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, a person from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain.
Gaelic football is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance, and represents 34% of total sports attendances at events in the Republic of Ireland and abroad, followed by hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
(one of the official sports of Ireland) 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 All-Ireland Football Final, to be the most watched event of the nation's sporting year. Soccer is the most played team sport in Ireland. Swimming, golf, aerobics, cycling, Gaelic football and billiards/snooker are the other sporting activities with the highest levels of playing participation in the Republic of Ireland.
Gaelic football
As well as being known as "football", the sport may be referred to as Gaelic football, Gaelic, Gah, or GAA if confusion might otherwise arise with soccer. Though it has existed for centuries in Ireland as CaidCaid (sport)
Caid is the name given to various ancient and traditional Irish football games. "Caid" is now used by people in some parts of Ireland to refer to modern Gaelic football.The word caid originally referred to the ball which was used...
, Gaelic football was formally arranged into an organised playing code by the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) in the late nineteenth century. It is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance – in the senior football championship in the summer, attendance is upwards of 80,000 for the most prestigious fixtures. In 2003 for example, 34% of all attendances to sports events in Ireland were to Gaelic football matches. Hurling is the closest rival with 23%.
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 Railway Cup games or for the 'International Rules'
International rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
team to face Australia. However, the main national competitions are the inter-county All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
and National Football League
National Football League (Ireland)
The National Football League is a Gaelic football tournament held annually between the county teams of Ireland, under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The prize for the winning team is the New Ireland Cup, presented by the New Ireland Assurance Company...
, 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 All-Ireland Senior Football final
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
is traditionally held on the third Sunday in September. Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
are football's most successful team, with 36 All-Ireland senior titles. There are many rivalries within the game in Ireland – an example is that between Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
and Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
. Other notable teams include Cork and Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
.
Hurling
HurlingHurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
is a sport native to Ireland, organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football.
The game has similarities to shinty
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
and hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
. However the ball (or sliotar
Sliotar
A sliotar or sliothar is a hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball, consisting of a cork core covered by two pieces of leather stitched together. Sometimes called a "puck" or "hurling ball", it resembles an American baseball with more pronounced stitching...
) is rarely played along the ground. Hurling is also played on a large pitch and is considerably faster than hockey.
Many aspects of the organisation of hurling are similar to football, as both sports are organised by the GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. Amateurism and the club/county/province structure are similar. Hurling is well-attended and the most prestigious games fill Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
to its capacity of well over 80,000. The main competitions are the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
and the National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
(NHL). As with football, pre-season competitions and the League are over by early summer. The Provincial Championships and Qualifiers are then played, followed by the All-Ireland series. The All-Ireland Hurling Final
All-Ireland Hurling Final
The All-Ireland Hurling Final is the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championships . The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final is one of the biggest sporting occasions to be held in Ireland every year...
is traditionally held on the first Sunday in September of each year. The most successful teams have been Cork and Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
. Kilkenny are regarded as the most successful county in the history of hurling.
Soccer
Association football, usually known as "soccer" or "football", is the team sport with the highest level of participation in the Republic of Ireland. The national body in the Republic of Ireland is the Football Association of IrelandFootball Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
(FAI) while the national body in Northern Ireland is the Irish Football Association
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...
(IFA).
The domestic leagues are the League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
(in the Republic) and the IFA Premiership
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
(Northern Ireland). Some of the major teams in Ireland include St Patrick's Athletic
St Patrick's Athletic F.C.
St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is a football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded in 1929, they are based in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. They have won the League of Ireland title 7 times and...
,
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
and Bohemians
Bohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
in the Republic, Glentoran and Linfield in Northern Ireland, and Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
, 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 Damien Duff
Damien Duff
Damien Anthony Duff is an Irish footballer who plays for Premier League team Fulham and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he has participated in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and helped his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012...
, John O'Shea
John O'Shea
John O'Shea can refer to:*John O'Shea, Irish footballer with Sunderland*John O'Shea , New Zealand film director*John O'Shea *John O'Shea , Wales international rugby union footballer*John O'Shea...
, Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady is a Scottish-born Irish footballer who currently plays as a winger for Russian club Spartak Moscow. Although born and brought up in Scotland, McGeady plays internationally for the Republic of Ireland, a country he qualifies for through his grandparents...
and Jonny Evans
Jonny Evans
Jonathan Grant "Jonny" Evans is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester United and Northern Ireland. Evans was born in Belfast and started his career at Greenisland FC, where he was spotted by Manchester United scouts. He progressed through Manchester United's football...
, play in the leagues of larger European countries, particularly in England and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Another major Ireland star, Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
, now plays in the USA
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
after a long tenure in England. 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 Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Rarely does a League of Ireland player make the national team, despite the fact that the league continues to produce some of Ireland's top players including current internationals Kevin Doyle
Kevin Doyle
Kevin Edward Doyle is an Irish international footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
, Shane Long
Shane Long
Shane Patrick Long is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League team West Bromwich Albion and the Republic of Ireland national football team. With Ireland he was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012.Long began his career at Cork City...
and Noel Hunt
Noel Hunt
Noel Hunt is an Irish footballer, who currently plays as a striker for Football League Championship side Reading. His brother is Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C...
and players like Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
in the past. The most recent appearance for the Republic of Ireland by a then participating League of Ireland player was Joe Gamble
Joe Gamble
Joe Gamble is an Irish professional footballer currently playing for Limerick.-Cork City:Gamble made his debut for Cork in the Super Cup against Bohemians in July 2000. Soon after he signed for Reading before he returned to Cork City in 2004...
's in 2007. In 2009 however, Bohemian FC goalkeeper Brian Murphy
Brian Murphy (footballer)
Brian Murphy is an Irish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers. Murphy previously played for Bohemians, Swansea City, Manchester City and Ipswich Town.-Club career:...
was called up to the Irish squad for the World Cup play-off against France. Occasional appearances of Irish League
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
players for Northern Ireland have been known.
On the international stage, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
teams have both competed in three FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s, with the Republic also appearing in a single European Championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
. Starting in 2011, both national teams on the island will compete with Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
in the Nations Cup, intended to be held in odd-numbered years. The inaugural competition was held in Dublin at the new Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...
, which also hosted the 2011 UEFA Europa League
UEFA Europa League 2010–11
The 2010–11 UEFA Europa League was the second season under a new name for the competition previously known as the UEFA Cup. The final was held at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland....
Final
2011 UEFA Europa League Final
The 2011 UEFA Europa League Final was a football match played on 18 May 2011 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, which decided the winner of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League...
.
The Milk Cup
Milk Cup
The Milk Cup is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of Northern Ireland, with matches taking place in the towns of Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymoney, Ballymena and...
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 UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Under-19 European Championships.
The Setanta Sports Cup
Setanta Sports Cup
The Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...
was set up by its sponsors, television channel Setanta Ireland. It is an all-island mini-World Cup style tournament featuring teams from both domestic leagues. The first four editions (2005 through 2008) featured eight teams, four from the League of Ireland and four from the Irish League, and were conducted with groups of four teams, semi-finals and a final. Beginning with the 2009–10 edition, the competition features nine teams, with the extra team being the current Setanta Cup holders; the tournament has been reorganised into three groups of three clubs each, followed by semi-finals and a final. Despite fairly low turnouts for each jurisdiction's leagues, the Setanta Cup has so far drawn relatively successful gate receipts.
Rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is played and supported throughout Ireland, but is especially popular in Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Ulster. Rugby union is played at club, province and national levels. The Ireland national team
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
is composed of players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and the Irish Rugby Football Union
Irish Rugby Football Union
The Irish Rugby Football Union is the body managing rugby union in Ireland. The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where Irish rugby union international matches are played...
governs the sport throughout the island. School rugby union is generally played at primary and secondary level. Notable rugby union schools include Belvedere College
Belvedere College
Belvedere College SJ is a private secondary school for boys located on Great Denmark Street, Dublin, Ireland. It is also known as St. Francis Xavier's College....
, Blackrock College
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
, Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
, Castleknock College
Castleknock College
Castleknock College is a private , secondary school for boys aged between 13 and 18, which is situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, 8 km west of the city centre in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
, Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College
Clongowes Wood College is a voluntary secondary boarding school for boys, located near Clane in County Kildare, Ireland. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1814, it is one of Ireland's oldest Catholic schools, and featured prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel A Portrait of the...
, The High School
The High School, Dublin
The High School is a co-educational school located in Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland. The school was founded in 1870 in Harcourt Street before moving to its current location in Rathgar in 1971 and amalgamated with The Diocesan School for Girls in 1974, thereby becoming co-educational.-Millennium...
, St Mary's College, Dublin, Terenure College
Terenure College
Terenure College is a Carmelites-run secondary school located in the Terenure area of Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded in 1860 and comprises a primary and secondary school. The school is part of the popular culture "Rugby Belt" or Leinster Schools Rugby playing institutions, having a strong...
, Crescent College
Crescent College
Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a secondary school located on a section of 40 acres of parkland at Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland. The college is one of a number of Jesuit schools in Ireland.- History :...
, Limerick, Castletroy College
Castletroy College
Castletroy College is a mixed community secondary school in Newtown, Castletroy, County Limerick, Ireland. It was founded in December 2000 and has over 100 rooms. It has over 1000 students.-Sport:...
, Limerick, St Munchin's College, Limerick, Ardscoil Rís, Limerick
Ardscoil Rís, Limerick
Ardscoil Rís is an all boys Catholic secondary school located on the North Circular Road in Limerick, and consistently one of the top 5 non fee-paying boys schools in the Republic of Ireland. -History:...
, PBC Cork
Presentation Brothers College, Cork
Presentation Brothers College is a Catholic, boys-only, fee-paying college based in Cork, Ireland.- History :The college was founded by the Presentation Brothers in 1878, in the South Mall. Soon afterwards it moved to the Grand Parade and, in 1887, to the Western Road...
and CBC Cork
Christian Brothers College, Cork
Christian Brothers College, Cork is a fee-paying Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust in Cork, Ireland....
in the south and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
and Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast , styled locally as Methody, is a voluntary grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, one of eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and is a member of the Independent Schools Council...
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.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in Ireland was a minority sport till recently, but the game has really got popular among the citizens because of the recent success stories of Irish Cricket Team
Irish cricket team
The Ireland cricket team is the cricket team representing all of Ireland. Because of political difficulties, the Irish Cricket Union was not elected to the International Cricket Council until 1993, and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2007. The Irish Cricket Union is the...
. Cricket is now getting more and more popular thanks to Ireland's successful Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
campaign in 2007 and 2011. It has been played in Ireland since the early 19th century, and the game against Scotland (a match which has first-class status
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
) 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 Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
's ban on its members taking part in "foreign" sports and then by the creation of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
; many of the best cricketers in Ireland had been British soldiers
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and civil servants and their withdrawal led to a decline in the overall standard of the game.
There have been brighter spots in recent years, however. Dublin-born batsman Ed Joyce
Ed Joyce
Edmund Christopher Joyce is an Irish cricketer who has played for both the Irish and English national cricket teams. After beginning his career with Middlesex, he moved to Sussex in 2009. A left-handed batsman and occasional right-arm bowler of medium pace, Joyce is widely regarded as one of the...
has played with some success as part of Ireland's ICC Trophy team and is now a key member of the Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
side in England's County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
; he captained the county in 2004. Interest in Irish cricket was also generated by the national team's startling victory over West Indies in 1969; they did it again on 17 June 2004. The sport is organised on an all-island basis and is overseen by the Irish 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 the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
in 1993 paved the way for participation in international competition, and indeed the 2005 ICC Trophy
2005 ICC Trophy
Ireland beat Bermuda easily as Ed Joyce made 103 for the hosts in Stormont.----Denmark beat Uganda by 28 runs as Thomas Munkholt Hansen took 6 for 30 to carry Denmark to a 28-run win over Uganda in Muckamore. Denmark made 197 with Henrik Saxe Hansen making 71...
was hosted by Ireland. The Irish finished second in the tournament, beaten by Scotland. Ireland has co-hosted the Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
in 1999. Dublin also hosted one game of the 1999 World Cup
1999 Cricket World Cup
-England:-Outside England:-Group A:-Results:-------------------------------------------------------------Group B:-Results:------------------------------------------------------------...
. The 2007 World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
which was held in the West Indies was a very successful tournament for the Irish Cricket team. Having qualified for the first time for the tournament, Ireland entered the arena with much to gain. Ireland tied the match with Test Cricket playing team Zimbabwe and shocked Pakistan by defeating them on St. Patrick's Day. Suddenly there was much talk about Cricket in Ireland. Ireland qualified for the super 8 and recorded some good results, including a win against Bangladesh. Ireland have been granted ODI status and now they appear in the ODI ranking table. In June 2007 Ireland played ODI matches against India and South Africa.
Ireland went on to win the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier
2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier
The 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier was a cricket tournament that took place in April 2009 in South Africa. It was the final qualification tournament for the 2011 Cricket World Cup....
, securing their place in the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
and ODI status for the next four years. At the World Cup, they made history by stunning heavily favoured England in pool play with the largest successful run chase in World Cup history, led by the fastest century in World Cup history from Kevin O'Brien
Kevin O'Brien (cricketer)
Kevin Joseph O'Brien is an Irish cricketer who plays for Railway Union Cricket Club and Gloucestershire. He holds the world record for the fastest century ever scored at a World Cup, coming from 50 balls against England on 2 March 2011. An all-rounder, O'Brien is an aggressive right-handed...
.
Athletics
AthleticsAthletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
in Ireland is governed by Athletics Ireland
Athletics Ireland
Athletics Ireland, officially the Athletics Association of Ireland or AAI, is the governing body of Athletics in Ireland, where Athletics is defined as including Track and Field Athletics, Road Running, Race Walking, Cross Country Running, Mountain Running and Ultra Distance Running...
, and in Northern Ireland by Athletics Northern Ireland. 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. Denis Horgan
Denis Horgan
Denis Horgan was a champion Irish athlete and weight thrower, born in Banteer, County Cork, who competed mainly in the shot put....
won the Shot Putt 13 times at the AAAs, (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. Dr. Pat O'Callaghan
Pat O'Callaghan
Dr. Patrick O'Callaghan , was an Irish athlete and Olympic gold medallist. He was the first person from an independent Ireland to win an Olympic medal and is regarded as one of Ireland's greatest-ever athletes.-Early & private life:Pat O'Callaghan was born in knockanroe just outside Kanturk,...
(also from North Cork) won the hammer throw in 1928 and again in 1932 at the Olympic Games. Bob Tisdall
Bob Tisdall
Robert Morton Newburgh Tisdall was an Irish athlete of English origin who won a gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.Tisdall was raised in Nenagh, County Tipperary...
also won gold for Ireland in 1932, competing in the 400m hurdles. In more recent years, notable athletes have included Ron Delany
Ron Delany
Ronald Michael Delany , better known as Ron or Ronnie is a former Irish athlete, who specialised in middle distance running.Born in Arklow, Delany moved with his family to Dublin when he was 6...
, Mary Peters
Mary Peters (athlete)
Dame Mary Elizabeth Peters, DBE, DL is a former British athlete, competing mainly in the pentathlon and shot put.-Biography:Mary Peters was born in Halewood, Lancashire, but moved to Ballymena at age eleven...
, Eamonn Coghlan
Eamonn Coghlan
Eamonn Christopher Coghlan is an Irish Senator and former athlete, who specialised in middle distance track events and the 5000 metres...
and Sonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century...
. Despite these past successes, the sport suffers from low media attention and dropping interest due to the popularity of other sports and past underinvestment.
The Dublin Marathon
Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon is an annual marathon in Dublin, Ireland, normally held on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each year since 1980, in 2007 there were about 11,000 race participants, half of whom were from overseas....
and Belfast Marathon
Belfast Marathon
The Belfast Marathon is a marathon run every year in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The marathon is run on May Day of each year and has been held for 29 years . In 2011 there were over 20,000 race participants....
are run annually and are two of the most popular athletics events in the country. The Women's Mini Marathon
Dublin Women's Mini Marathon
The Dublin Women's Mini Marathon is an annual charity road race that occurs each June bank holiday Monday in Ireland...
in Dublin regularly gets upwards of 40000 competitors.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
has a small following in Ireland which has increased due to the International rules series that takes place annually between Australia and Ireland, the profile of the sport has increased. In October 2000, the Australian Rules Football League of Ireland
Australian Rules Football League of Ireland
The Australian rules football League of Ireland is an Australian rules football competition and governing body in Ireland.The league is an International Affiliate of the Australian Football League and a founding member of the European governing body, .The league is not affiliated with the Gaelic...
was established, and a representative Irish team took part in the 2005 Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
.
The Irish Green Machine became inaugural International champions in 2002.
The sport first gained exposure in when former underage Gaelic football player Jim Stynes
Jim Stynes
James "Jim" Stynes OAM is an Irish former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a businessman, philanthropist, writer, youth worker, qualified teacher and chairman of Melbourne Football Club since 2008....
moved to Australia to play AFL and in 1991 became the first Gaelic footballer to win the prestigious Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...
.
In the 2005 AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
, Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
(son of Tim Kennelly
Tim Kennelly
Tim ‘the Horse’ Kennelly was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Listowel Emmets and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1984. Kennelly captained Kerry to the All-Ireland title in 1979.-Biography:Tim Kennelly was born in Listowel,...
) became the first Irishman to be part of a premiership-winning side, with the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
.
Recent exposure however has been somewhat controversial, since the 2005
2005 International Rules Series
The 2005 International Rules series was the 8th annual International Rules Series and the 14th time that a test series of International rules football was played between Ireland and Australia and was won by Australia....
series was marred by violence on the field. This prompted calls form some sections of the GAA to have the International series scrapped. In response to the on field aggression displayed in that series, both the AFL and GAA agreed that harsh penalties should be imposed on players who resorted to violence. Despite some press indignation both in Ireland & Australia, interest in the 2006 International Rules Series
2006 International Rules series
The 2006 International Rules series is the 9th annual International Rules Series and the 15th time that a test series of international rules football has been played between Ireland and Australia....
reached an all time high, with the series selling both games out in Ireland including a record crowd at Croke Park for any international sporting event in the country.
Baseball
Baseball is an emerging sport in Ireland. The sport is played on an organized level in Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork 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 Baseball Ireland, 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 The Emerald Diamond
The Emerald Diamond
The Emerald Diamond is a documentary following the history of Baseball Ireland and the Irish National Baseball team. It was released in 2006....
in 2006.
Basketball
- See also Ireland national basketball teamIreland national basketball team- Performance at Summer Olympics :-Notable players:*Pat Burke – Only Irish-born to have played in the NBA. Played for Orlando Magic & Phoenix Suns...
Basketball is an emerging sport in Ireland. Basketball 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 Dublin. 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. Pat Burke
Pat Burke
Patrick John Burke is a former Irish professional basketball player, who last played with the Polish club Asseco Prokom Sopot...
is the only Irish born to play in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, he played for Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
& Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. Marty Conlon
Marty Conlon
Martin McBride "Marty" Conlon is a former professional basketball player whose career in the National Basketball Association lasted from 1992 through 2000. Conlon started his basketball career at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY...
also represented Ireland while playing in the NBA for the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
however he was born in the United States.
Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, which was once one of Ireland's most popular sports is now regaining popularity. The international success of boxers such as Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne is a retired Irish professional boxer and a former WBA, and European super bantamweight champion.On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne waged the war that he would be best remembered for and defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA super bantamweight champion in a fight...
, Andy Lee
Andy Lee (boxer)
Andy Lee , is an Irish professional boxer from Limerick, Ireland who fights in the Middleweight division.-Background:Lee was born in Bow, London, England to Irish parents...
and John Duddy
John Duddy
John Francis Duddy is a retired middleweight professional boxer, from Derry, Northern Ireland. Duddy fought under the moniker of "Ireland's John Duddy" or "The Derry Destroyer"....
has much to do with this. RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's coverage of the sport through ProBox live is also partly responsible for the surge in boxing's popularity in Ireland. 12 of Irelands 23 Olympic medals 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 amateur boxer in the world in Katie Taylor who has won three European Championships and two World Championships.
Chess
The Irish Chess UnionIrish Chess Union
The Irish Chess Union , 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...
(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.
In 2012 the Irish Chess Union celebrates 100 years in existence. Many chess events will take place in 2012 to celebrate the centenary.
Irish Chess Champions:
2011 FM Stephen Brady
2010 IM Alex Lopez
2009 FM Colm Daly
2008 GM Alexander Baburin
Cycling
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 RásIrish Tour - Rás
Rás Tailteann is an annual 8 day international cycling stage race, held in Ireland in May. Around Ireland, the race is referred to as The Rás...
(Irish for race). The main governing body is Cycling Ireland
Cycling Ireland
Cycling Ireland or CI is the national governing body of cycle racing in Ireland. CI is a member of the UCI and the UEC. There are four provincial associations: Cycling Connacht, Cycling Leinster, Cycling Munster and Cycling Ulster.-History:...
which is responsible for cycling throughout the island. Ireland's most famous cyclists are Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche is a retired professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming only the second cyclist to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship...
, who won both the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
and Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
in 1987; and Sean Kelly
Seán Kelly (cyclist)
John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
, who won the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
in 1988, the sprinter's green jersey
Points classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
in the Tour de France four times, and numerous single-day classics.
Mountain Cycling is becoming more popular very quickly. This sport is for girls and boys but mainly boys.
Gaelic handball
HandballGaelic handball
Gaelic handball is a sport similar to Basque pelota, racquetball, squash and American handball . It is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association...
, once very popular in Ireland, has lost much of its popularity over the years to other sports such as Gaelic football and soccer, and since the game has been predominantly indoors for the last 30 years many of the older outdoor handball alleys throughout Ireland are in a state of neglect. Ireland still produces numerous top-class handballers, including three-time world champion Paul Brady, but the sport had not gained much media coverage for much of the 1990s and new century. However in recent years there has been a pronounced effort from within handball to address this problem, with increased game promotion and higher media profile for the top players. The sport is governed by the GAA.
Golf
- Further information: Golfing Union of IrelandGolfing Union of IrelandThe Golfing Union of Ireland is the governing body for men's and boy's amateur golf in Ireland. It represents over 430 golf clubs with over 180,000 members and is affiliated to The R&A, which is the global governing body of golf outside the United States and Mexico.The GUI was established in 1891...
Golf is very popular in Ireland, with over 400 golf clubs throughout the island, and over 300 courses in the Republic of Ireland. Golf is regularly televised in Ireland, with both domestic and international events broadcast. Among Ireland's most famous golf courses are Royal County Down Golf Club
Royal County Down Golf Club
Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. Dating from 1889, it is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland...
, Royal Portrush Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is the only golf club outside of the UK Mainland which has hosted The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. The club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links and the Valley Links.The...
, Portmarnock
Portmarnock
Portmarnock is a small suburban village to the north of Dublin, Ireland. It is in the administrative county of Fingal.-Location:Portmarnock lies on the coast and, owing to its proximity to Dublin city, is a form of dormitory village north-northeast of the city centre...
and Ballybunion
Ballybunion Golf Club
The Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland had barely opened its doors before experiencing financial problems. An investment from Colonel Bartholomew saved the club in 1906, and nine new holes were promptly laid out...
.
The K Club in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
was the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup
2006 Ryder Cup
The 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
. Ireland has produced several top golfers in recent years, with players like Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
, Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England....
and Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the...
achieving significant success internationally. All three were part of the European team that successfully defended the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
on home soil, with Clarke arguably being the emotional leader as he was recovering from the death of his wife from breast cancer. More recently, Harrington won The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
(British Open) in 2007
2007 Open Championship
The 2007 Open Championship was the 136th Open Championship, played 19-22 July at Carnoustie Golf Links. Pádraig Harrington of Ireland defeated Sergio García of Spain in a playoff to take the title and his first major championship...
, then successfully retained the title in 2008
2008 Open Championship
The 2008 Open Championship was the 137th Open Championship, played 17–20 July, at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England. Pádraig Harrington of Ireland successfully defended his Open Championship title for his second Open title...
and a month later won his 3rd major
2008 PGA Championship
The 2008 PGA Championship was the 90th PGA Championship played from August 7 through August 10 at the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with a purse of $7.5 million. It was the first major championship contested at Oakland Hills in twelve years, since the...
, the U.S. PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. Clarke went on to win the 2011 Open Championship
2011 Open Championship
The 2011 Open Championship was the 140th Open Championship, played from July 14–17 at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland won the event by three strokes for his first major championship victory.-Venue:...
.
Two more stars have emerged even more recently, both from the North. Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007...
, at the time aged 20, ended 2009 in the top 10 of the world rankings and won the 2011 U.S. Open
2011 U.S. Open (golf)
The 2011 United States Open Championship, the 111th U.S. Open, was played June 16–19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. It was won by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who set 11 U.S. Open records on the weekend, including the lowest total 72-hole score and the lowest total under...
, setting 11 Open records, and becoming the second Northern Irishman in a row to do so. Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell
Graeme McDowell MBE is a Northern Irish professional golfer.McDowell has won seven events on the European Tour, including the 2010 U.S. Open which was also his first win on the PGA Tour...
won the 2010 U.S. Open, becoming the first player from either side of the Irish border to win the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, as well as the first European to win that event since England's Tony Jacklin
Tony Jacklin
Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever.-Early life and education:...
in 1970. McDowell also won the crucial match in the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor
Celtic Manor Resort
The Celtic Manor Resort is a golf-centric hotel and leisure resort in Newport, south Wales. It consists of two adjoining hotels, a country inn, two golf and country clubs, and a multi-purpose conference centre...
in Wales.
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
began in Ireland in 1927; there were greyhound races in Celtic Park in Belfast on 18 April of that year and the Shelbourne Park
Shelbourne Park
Shelbourne Park is a greyhound racing stadium in the south Dublin inner city suburb of Ringsend.The stadium also played host to the home matches of Shelbourne FC, who play in the League of Ireland, from 1913/14 up until 1948/49. The first match was a 1-1 draw against Bohemians and their last match...
greyhound stadium opened in Dublin four weeks later. Hare coursing
Hare coursing
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport, in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a...
was already a well established sport in the country and greyhounds were bred for racing in Ireland from the very start. The great Mick the Miller
Mick the Miller
Mick the Miller was a male brindle Greyhound. He is celebrated as the first great racing greyhound to compete in England. Despite a short three year racing career, his achievements were highly publicised around the world and by the end of his career he had become an icon in the sport...
, 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 Bord na gCon
Bord na gCon
Bord na gCon ,abbreviated BnaC, is an Irish semi-state body charged with regulating and promoting greyhound racing in Ireland. The board has been active in developing the sport in Ireland since its founding in 1958, but has also drawn criticism for acting independently of the government.- History...
, the Irish Greyhound Board. This is a semi-state body and was established by the Irish government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
in 1958. The three stadiums in Northern Ireland are licensed by the Irish Coursing Club, 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.
Equestrian
The various equestrianEquestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
sports have a sizeable following in Ireland. Thanks to generous tax treatment, many of the world's best race horses retire to Ireland to stud. The local industry (including the world's largest thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
breeding operation; Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
) produces many top race horses every year. Ireland's top tracks are the Curragh
Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...
and Fairyhouse
Fairyhouse Racecourse
Fairyhouse Racecourse is one of Ireland's premier horse racing venues. Situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, 3 km off the N3. It is the home of the Irish Grand National. The first race meet was held in 1848...
. Show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
also has quite a good following in Ireland, however the disqualification of Cian O'Connor
Cian O'Connor
Cián O'Connor is an Irish equestrian who competes in the sport of showjumping.He won a show jumping gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which was later stripped from him due to drug offences. He continues to ride....
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
has deeply damaged the sport.
Extreme sports
There is a large underground following of extreme sports in Ireland, with many sports such as skateboardingSkateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
, rollerblading, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
, mountainbiking and mountainboarding
Mountainboarding
Mountainboarding, also known as Dirtboarding, Offroad Boarding, Grass Boarding, and All-Terrain Boarding , is a well established if little-known extreme sport, derived from snowboarding...
(Kitesurfing), (wakeboarding)growing. Although many people participate in these sports, few of them do so competitively. Most 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 up 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.
Hockey
HockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
(known in some countries as 'field 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 main body in Ireland is the Irish Hockey Association.
Ice hockey
Ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
has a measure of popularity in Northern Ireland, with one professional team, the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
, playing in the Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
. The Irish Ice Hockey League comprises a number of amateur teams from both sides of the border. The National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
in North America has one active Irish born player, Owen Nolan
Owen Nolan
Owen Liam Nolan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, who is currently a free agent. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames and the Minnesota Wild before signing with...
, as well as several former players from the 1930s through 1950s: Jim McFadden
Jim McFadden
James Alexander McFadden was a professional ice hockey forward. Jim McFadden was one of only six players born in Ireland to ever reach the NHL.-Playing career:...
, Jack Riley, Sid Finney
Sid Finney
Joseph Sidney Finney was a professional ice hockey centre during the 1950s and early 1960s in the WHL.Finney played two seasons in the NHL with the Chicago Black Hawks. He would go on to become the 13th all-time scorer in the Western Hockey League...
, Bobby Kirk
Bobby Kirk
Bobby "Cagey" Kirk was a professional ice hockey player.Born in Dough Grange, Ireland, United Kingdom, Kirk played 39 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers. He played his junior hockey in Manitoba....
, and Sammy McManus
Sammy McManus
Andrew Samuel McManus is a former professional ice hockey player who played 26 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Maroons and the Boston Bruins. In 1935 McManus helped the Maroons win their last Stanley Cup.-References:...
. However, all of the named players were trained in Canada, having emigrated from Ireland with their families as children.
Kendo
KendoKendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
is enjoying increasing popularity over the last 10 years with significant clubs based in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Kildare. The Irish Kendo Federation, or Kendo Na h-Eireann is the governing body for the country and has sent teams to represent Ireland at the World Kendo Championships (WKC) 3 times. The WKC is held every 3 years and has mens, ladies and team competitions. There is an annual Irish National Championship event (INC) which is used by our National & Assistant Coach to select Kendoka to enter the National team. This team represents Ireland at the annual European Kendo Championship (EKC) and at the WKC when staged. Other events in the Kendo calendar are the Irish International Goodwill Taikai (IIGT) (Dublin are the current champions) and the Dublin International Open.
Martial arts
TaekwondoTaekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
and Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
have had some success over the past 20 years, with various new clubs being founded throughout the country. The All-Ireland Taekwondo Association has worked in recent years to promote the sport in the country and to organise more competitions. However, the rise in popularity of Kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
and mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
(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.The All Styles and Kickboxing Association of Ireland http://kickboxingireland.com(AKAI), the governing body of kickboxing in Ireland, has become one of the first competitive martial arts organisitations to be recognised by the Irish Sports Council and receive official recognition. The AKAI is primarily associated with WAKO as well other kickboxing and sports karate organisations. Through the hard work of this organisation Ireland is ranked in the top 5 countries for kickboxing and has produced more European and World Champions than any other sport in Ireland. The lack of media coverage in Ireland in regards to martial arts has meant that very few of these champions have been recognised for their achievements. Most notable of all Irish martial artists is Karate and Kickboxing Irish, European and World Champion Roy Baker
Roy Baker
Roy Baker may refer to:* Bullet Baker, Roy "Bullet" Baker, , American football player* Roy Thomas Baker , British music producer* Roy Ward Baker , British film director, also credited as Roy Baker...
. Baker has been the most successful martial arts competitor in Irish history winning over 50 prestigious international titles. He has also trained numerous other world champions including Nicola Corbett, Ilija Salerno, Colm O'Saughnessey, Darragh Geoghean, Elaine Small, David Tarpey as well as numerous national champions, European and world medalists. Other World Champion Kickboxers of note are Julie McHale, Sally McArdle, Tony Stephenson and Alan O'Connell. Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
has gained a lot of popularity in the past 5 years with many clubs opening in citys like Dublin, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
.
The UFC held an event in Dublin, January 2009. The event sold out in the first day.
Olympic Handball
Olympic HandballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
is a minority sport in Ireland despite it being the second most popular team sport in Europe. Olympic handball has a growing following and participation with a continued growth particularly in 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.
Racquet sports
Tennis, badminton and squashSquash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
are quite popular in Ireland. Tennis has a growing following, with Tennis Ireland
Tennis Ireland
Tennis Ireland is the governing body for Tennis for the whole of Ireland with responsibilities for clubs and competitions. Tennis Ireland is divided into four Branches corresponding to the four Provinces of Ireland with its national headquarters located on the campus of Dublin City...
, the governing body running several competitions between the some 200 clubs throughout Ireland. Ireland competes in tennis internationally in the Davis Cup
Ireland Davis Cup team
The Ireland Davis Cup team represents the whole of Ireland in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis Ireland. Ireland competed in its first Davis Cup in 1923.Ireland currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group II...
(men's) and the Fed Cup
Ireland Fed Cup team
The Ireland Fed Cup team represents Ireland in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis Ireland. They currently compete in the Europe/Africa Zone of Group III.-History:...
(ladies). Badminton in Ireland is run by the BUI
Bui
Bui may refer to:*Bui, a department of Northwest Province in Cameroon*Bùi, a common Vietnamese surname*An enemy character in the anime/manga YuYu HakushoThe acronym BUI may refer to:*Baptist Union of Ireland*Boating Under the Influence...
. Squash, which exploded in the 1970s and 1980s has been in decline for several years, but despite this there remain several clubs throughout the country.
Road bowling
Irish Road BowlingIrish Road Bowling
Irish road bowling is an ancient sport. It is centered in Ireland - primarily in County Armagh and County Cork. However, it also has players in Boston, Massachusetts; Cambridge, New York, and Bennington, Vermont, vicinity; Traverse City, Michigan; the Bronx, New York; New Zealand; Asheville, North...
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 Holland, 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.
Rounders
RoundersRounders
Rounders is a game played between two teams of either gender. The game originated in England where it was played in Tudor times. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a round wooden, plastic or metal bat. The players score by...
is regulated by the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) in Ireland, and is not dissimilar to baseball. Game-play centers around innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
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.
Rugby League
Rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
in Ireland is represented by the Ireland national rugby league team
Ireland national rugby league team
The Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
. They compete in the European Cup and the Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
, they made the semi finals of the 2008 world cup losing to Fiji 30–14. The Irish Elite League
Irish Elite League
The Irish Elite League or the Carnegie League as it is known by its sponsorship name is a rugby league competition for teams in the Republic of Ireland...
(known as the Carnegie League) for sponsorship purposes is the top level rugby league competition in Ireland. Brian Carney is one of Ireland most famous rugby league players, playing in Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
for Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder is a professional rugby league club based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear in England. They currently play in the Championship 1 competition, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom...
, Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
and Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
and in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
for the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
he then left to play rugby union for Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
and then became an Irish rugby union international before returning to rugby league, he now does some commentary for SKY Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.
Scuba diving
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
, is perfectly suited for the sport of SCUBA diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. 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 the country to another; 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.
Diving started in Ireland in the early 1950s with the founding of the Belfast Branch of the British Sub Aqua Club
British Sub Aqua Club
The British Sub-Aqua Club or BSAC has been recognised since 1954 by the Sports Council as the governing body of recreational diving in the United Kingdom....
. In the early 1960s the independent Irish diving clubs formed the Irish Underwater Council (or Comhairle Fó-Thuinn in Irish). This voluntary body regulates all aspects of diving for its members and represents Ireland at the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques
CMAS
CMAS may stand for:* Commercial Mobile Alert System, a system for distributing emergency alerts to mobile devices* Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques, the international umbrella organization for underwater sports, both competitive and recreational * CMAS* SCUBA Diver, a diving...
.
Softball
Softball in Ireland
Softball is governed in Ireland by the Softball Ireland, itself a member of the International Softball Federation.-History:The year 1982 marked the first softball league in Ireland, the Dublin Softball League. The Irish Softball Association was formed in 1989...
Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
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.
Snooker and pool
SnookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
and pool
Eight ball
Eight-ball is a pool game popular in much of the world, and the subject of international professional and amateur competition...
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 (Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty
Ken Doherty is an Irish professional snooker player. He is the only player ever to have been world amateur and world professional champion...
), 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 Irish Snooker Homepage
Target shooting
Target shooting in Ireland comprises a large number of disciplines including amongst others the Olympic shootingOlympic shooting
The term Olympic shooting can refer to any of the following:* The actual shooting competitions at the Summer Olympics* The shooting events included in the Olympic program, or by extension all ISSF shooting events, even the non-Olympic ones The term Olympic shooting can refer to any of the...
disciplines (administered by the NTSA), Metallic Silhouette shooting (administered by the NSAI), Gallery Rifle disciplines (administered by the NASRPC), the Tetrathlon (administered by the Pony Club) and Olympic Penthathlon
Modern pentathlon
The modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
(administered by the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland), Clay Pigeon Shooting
Clay pigeon shooting
Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun or any type of firearm....
(administered by the ICPSA) and various long-range rifle shooting disciplines (administered by the NRAI).
Ireland has had a strong presence in international target shooting competitions, including the Olympic Games. The Irish Olympic clay pigeon team won the World Championships team event in Olympic Trap in 2002 and Irish shooter Philip Murphy claimed the silver medal in the 2007 World Shotgun Championships
2007 World Shotgun Championships
The 2007 ISSF World Shotgun Championships were held in Nicosia, Cyprus, from September 3 to September 9, 2007.- Medal count :- Results :- External links :*...
; 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 Maribor
Maribor
Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
, 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 ISSF
International Shooting Sport Federation
The International Shooting Sport Federation is an organization that governs international shooting sports. While far from the only such organization, it is the one that is a member of the International Olympic Committee and so it is in charge of the Olympic shooting events. Not all ISSF shooting...
coaches' committee and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy in recognition of these successes.
Triathlon
The triathlonTriathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
, as well as the duathlon
Duathlon
Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally....
, pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
, and decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
, are rapidly gaining interest in Ireland. The national body for the triathlon is Triathlon Ireland 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 Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland 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.
Tug of war
Tug of warTug of war
Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...
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.
Wrestling
Collar-and-elbowCollar-and-elbow
Collar-and-elbow wrestling is a style of folk wrestling native to Ireland that can be traced back to the 17th century but it has ties to the Games of Tailtinn between 632 BC and 1169 AD. Though originating in Ireland, the style flourished in America. The style is often compared to Catch wrestling,...
is a type of traditional Celtic wrestling, similar to Breton gouren
Gouren
Gouren is a style of folk wrestling which has been established in Brittany for several centuries.In today's France, Gouren is overseen by the Fédération Française de Lutte .-History:...
and Cornish wrestling
Cornish wrestling
Cornish wrestling is a form of wrestling which has been established in Cornwall, an area of southwest Britain for several centuries. The referee is known as a 'stickler', and it is claimed that the popular meaning of the word as a 'pedant' originates from this usage...
. Though its popularity waned over the 20th century, it is currently experiencing a small revival.
In December 2009, at World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's pay-per-view TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Stephen Farrelly, who wrestles as Sheamus, became the first Irish born World Champion by defeating John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
in a table match.
Water sports
Water sports practised in Ireland include canoeingCanoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, swimming, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
, sailing, kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
, and scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
. Whilst many people participate in these, few do so competitively. Ireland has had only one Olympic medalist in swimming, Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith
Michelle Smith is a retired Irish swimmer and practising Irish barrister. She was a triple gold medallist at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, for the 400 m individual medley, 400 m freestyle and 200 m individual medley...
, and her medals have since been tarnished by drug allegations. The National Aquatic Centre
National Aquatic Centre
The National Aquatic Centre is a water-sports facility located in the townsland of Abbotstown , near the village of Blanchardstown, in the city of Dublin, Ireland....
was opened in Ireland in 2003 and held the European SC Championships
European SC Championships
The European Short Course Championships are held every year in winter, usually in December. The SC Championships are a Short Course swimming competition organised by LEN — Europe's main swimming governing body...
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 breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
by Andrew Bree
Andrew Bree
Andrew Patrick Bree is a breaststroke swimmer from Helen's Bay, Co. Down Northern Ireland. He is a 2-time Irish Olympian, having swum at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics....
. Swim Ireland
Swim Ireland
Swim Ireland is the national governing body of swimming and associated aquatic disciplines in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. It is affiliated with both LEN and FINA.- History :...
is the national governing body of swimming in Ireland. See also List of Olympic-size swimming pools in Ireland.
Orienteering
OrienteeringOrienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
is a popular sport in Ireland and is regulated by the Irish Orienteering Association
IOA
IOA may refer to:* Indian Olympic Association* Individual Olympic Athletes, athletes from East Timor at the 2000 Olympic games* Input-output analysis, an economics model* Institute of Acoustics, a British engineering society...
.
National
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 All-Ireland Senior Football ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
, held annually in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
, 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 multi-sport event
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
held in Ireland regularly is the Community Games
Community Games
The Community Games is an Irish independent voluntary organisation and National Governing Body providing opportunities for children and young people to grow and develop in a positive and healthy way while experiencing a wide range of sporting and cultural activities...
. 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 Mosney
Mosney
Mosney Accommodation Centre, formerly Butlin's Mosney, and Mosney Holiday Centre; in County Meath, Ireland, is situated approximately from Dublin. It is probably best known as the site of a Butlin's holiday camp in the second half of the 20th century and as the site for the National Finals of the...
(which was used until 2004.)
International
On an international level, Ireland has had mixed fortunes. Ireland has been particularly successful in recent years in rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, showjumping, snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
, amateur boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and golf. However, several scandals have arisen in recent years which have tarnished Ireland's international participation. In 2002, Roy Keane
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
, one of Ireland's top international footballers, quit the national squad during the run-up to the World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
after a bitter and public falling-out
2002 Roy Keane incident
The Roy Keane incident was a public quarrel in May 2002 between Republic of Ireland national football team's captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy when the team was preparing for its matches in Japan in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. It resulted in Keane, the key player, leaving the squad...
with coach Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
. Ireland's main swimming body, Swim Ireland
Swim Ireland
Swim Ireland is the national governing body of swimming and associated aquatic disciplines in Ireland, including Northern Ireland. It is affiliated with both LEN and FINA.- History :...
, has been involved in damaging child sex abuse scandals and a legal battle with the new CEO, Sarah Keane. There was widespread criticism of the lack of infrastructure and poor resources available to top athletes at the time of the Olympics.
Cian O'Connor
Cián O'Connor is an Irish equestrian who competes in the sport of showjumping.He won a show jumping gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which was later stripped from him due to drug offences. He continues to ride....
who won a gold for showjumping. However, soon after, O'Connor has lost his medal after his horse tested positive for banned substances. At the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, 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 Olympic Council of Ireland
Olympic Council of Ireland
The Olympic Council of Ireland or OCI is the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Ireland. Its mission is "to develop and protect the Olympic Movement in Ireland, in accordance with the International Olympic Committee’s guiding document — the Olympic Charter."-History:After the First...
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 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, and performing well against such teams as Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. In rugby union, Ireland's national team
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
has been ranked in the top five teams regularly over the last few years, and has produced major stars such as Keith Wood
Keith Wood
Keith Gerard Mallinson Wood and educated at St Munchin's College, Limerick is a former international rugby union footballer who played hooker for Ireland, the Lions, Garryowen, Harlequins and Munster....
and Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
. In golf, Ireland is home to several top golfers such as Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
.
The traditional Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
of Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
and Hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
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 Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(Australian rules football) and plays a hybrid annual series called International rules football
International rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....
– this series has been going in various forms since 1967. Also the GAA plays an international Hurling hybrid match with Scotland's national shinty
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
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 Special Olympics World Summer Games
2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games
The 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games were hosted in Ireland, with participants staying in various host towns around the island in the lead up to the games before moving to Dublin for the events. Events were held from 21 June-29 June 2003 at many venues including Morton Stadium, the Royal...
, which was the biggest sporting event ever held in the country. In December 2003, Ireland hosted the European SC Championships 2003
European SC Championships 2003
The European SC Swimming Championships 2003 were held in Dublin, Ireland between 11 and December 14. The competition was held in the newly built National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown.-Medal table:-Final 50 m freestyle:...
. In 2006, Ireland hosted the Ryder Cup Matches
2006 Ryder Cup
The 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
.
Stadia
Ireland largest stadium is Croke ParkCroke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in Dublin can hold 82,300 people. It is also the third largest stadium in Europe. Until recently, it was only used for Gaelic games and concerts. International soccer and rugby in the Republic of Ireland were played at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
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). Further to the stadia already mentioned there are several facilities throughout the country capable of accommodating 50,000 or more people such as Semple Stadium, Thurles
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
, Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Gaelic Grounds
The Gaelic Grounds or Páirc na nGael is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Limerick City, Ireland, home to the Limerick hurling and football teams....
and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork
Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in the Ballintemple area of Cork in Ireland, where major hurling and Gaelic football matches are played. It is the home of Cork GAA...
(all Gaelic games venues). Ireland currently has three Olympic-sized swimming pools – two of which are open to the public. The largest – located at Sports Campus Ireland
Sports Campus Ireland
Sports Campus Ireland is a planned sports facility planned to be built at Abbotstown, County Dublin, Ireland. Phase One of the project was approved in principle in November 2005 by the Government of Ireland. Phase One would provide a training centre catering for rugby, soccer, Gaelic games and...
– is the National Aquatic Centre
National Aquatic Centre
The National Aquatic Centre is a water-sports facility located in the townsland of Abbotstown , near the village of Blanchardstown, in the city of Dublin, Ireland....
. Ireland has several large horse and greyhound tracks such as Fairyhouse
Fairyhouse Racecourse
Fairyhouse Racecourse is one of Ireland's premier horse racing venues. Situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, 3 km off the N3. It is the home of the Irish Grand National. The first race meet was held in 1848...
.
Early in 2007, the rebuilding of Lansdowne Road into a modern 50,000-capacity all-seater began. The new Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...
opened in May 2010. Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
, a rugby ground in Limerick, has been rebuilt into a modern 26,000-capacity stadium, though not all-seated.
Plans to develop a Northern Ireland stadium at the site of the former Maze prison in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
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 Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland's biggest city.
The Ireland national cricket team play One Day Internationals at Stormont
Stormont (cricket ground)
Stormont is a first-class cricket ground in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is situated in the grounds of the Stormont Estate, the seat of government in Northern Ireland, and is the home of Civil Service North of Ireland Cricket Club....
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground
Clontarf Cricket Club Ground
Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, also known as Castle Avenue is a cricket ground in the suburb of Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. It sits in the shadow of Clontarf Castle, and is home to Clontarf Cricket Club...
in Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
. Additionally Ireland play Intercontinental Cup
ICC Intercontinental Cup
The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council as part of its cricket development programme...
matches at the Woodvale Road
Woodvale Road
Woodvale Road is a cricket ground in Eglinton, Northern Ireland which has staged two first-class matches and three List A matches, a further two were abandoned without a ball bowled. It also staged a single match between Canada and the Netherlands at the 2005 ICC Trophy...
ground.
Media coverage
- 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, StarStar (magazine)Star is an American celebrity tabloid magazine.-History:Star was founded by Rupert Murdoch in 1974 as competition to the tabloid National Enquirer with its headquarters in New York City. In the late 1980s it moved its offices to Tarrytown, NY and in 1990 Murdoch sold the magazine to The Enquirers...
, Irish IndependentIrish IndependentThe Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
, The Sunday Tribune and The Sunday World.
- Television: Gaelic football, hurling and soccer receive most of the sports coverage on domestic channels. RTÉ TwoRTÉ TwoRTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
and TG4TG4TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
currently hold the right to broadcast Gaelic games in Ireland. Coverage of the League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
is shared between RTE, TG4TG4TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
and Setanta SportsSetanta SportsSetanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
. TV3TV3 IrelandTV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...
and RTÉ Two both have rights to various European soccer competitions, such as the Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and the English Premier League. Setanta IrelandSetanta IrelandSetanta Sports Ireland is a subscription based Irish sports channel featuring local and international sporting events. The channel is available on some basic cable packages in the Republic of Ireland, while it is available upon direct subscription to the Setanta Sports package on other networks...
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 Sky SportsSky SportsSky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, EurosportEurosportEurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
and Attheraces.
- 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.
See also
- Culture of IrelandCulture of IrelandThis article is about the modern culture of Ireland and the Irish people. It includes customs and traditions, language, music, art, literature, folklore, cuisine and sport associated with Ireland and Irish people today. However, the culture of the people living in Ireland is not homogeneous...
- Ireland at the 2004 Summer OlympicsIreland at the 2004 Summer OlympicsIreland competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.Ireland's Olympic campaign for the 2004 Games was dogged with controversy from the start, with the disqualification of Cathal Lombard for failing a drug test for the drug EPO...
- Sport in Northern IrelandSport in Northern IrelandSport in Northern Ireland is important in the lives of many people. Some sports are organised on an all-Ireland basis, for example rugby union, Gaelic football, basketball, hockey and cricket, whereas others, like association football, are organised on a separate basis for Northern Ireland.- Gaelic...