Sport in Ireland

Gaelic football

Croke Park in Dublin is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association.

The sport may be referred to as Gaelic football or Gaelic, if confusion might otherwise arise with soccer. Though it has existed for centuries in Ireland as Caid, 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

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 37 All-Ireland senior titles. There are a number of rivalries within the game – an example is that between Dublin and Meath. Other notable derbies or rivalries include Cork v Kerry, Mayo v Galway and Kerry v Dublin.

Hurling

Hurling is a sport native to Ireland, organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association. In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football.^[6] Hurling is the fastest field sport in the world.

The game has similarities to shinty and hockey. However the ball (or sliotar) is rarely played along the ground. Hurling is played on a large grass pitch.

Many aspects of the organisation of hurling are similar to football, as both sports are organised by the GAA. Amateurism and the club/county/province structure are similar. Gaelic football has a larger footprint in terms of top-level competition, but in several counties where both sports are played, hurling very much holds precedence, and in certain parts of the country, it is by far the dominant game (Kilkenny, rural Antrim, Ards peninsula, and Clare, for example). Hurling is very well-attended at elite level and the most prestigious games fill Croke Park to its capacity of well over 82,000. The main competitions are the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Leinster and Munster provincial championships and the National Hurling League (NHL).

Camogie

Garda vs. Defence Forces camogie match in 2012.

Camogie is similar to Hurling. The key differences are that it is played exclusively by women. Other differences with Hurling include using a smaller Sliotar, the ability to hand-pass into the goal, and a dress code that requires players to wear a skort. The first game of Camogie occurred in 1904 in County Meath.^[7]

Gaelic handball

In Ireland, there are four main types of handball. These are 40x20 (small court), the traditional 60x30 Softball and Hardball (big alley) and One-wall handball. Handball is played with a variety of balls. Gloves and eyeguards are compulsory for some competitions. The sport is managed and promoted by GAA Handball, a subsidiary body of the GAA.

Rounders

Rounders (Irish: cluiche corr) 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.

Rugby union

Munster fans watching the 2005-06 Heineken Cup final on the streets of Limerick.

Rugby union is played and supported throughout Ireland, but is especially popular in cities and urban areas such as Dublin, Limerick and Cork. 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 St Michael's College, Dublin, Blackrock College, Belvedere College, Rockwell College, Castleknock College, Clongowes Wood College, 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 Campbell College, 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.^[13] 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.

Golf

Strandhill Golf Course in County Sligo: just one of the many coastal golf courses throughout Ireland

Further information: Golfing Union of Ireland

Golf is very popular in Ireland, with over 400 golf clubs throughout the island, and over 300 courses in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland was the first country to organise the sport on a national basis.

Golf is regularly televised in Ireland, with both domestic and international events broadcast. Among Ireland's most famous golf courses are Royal County Down Golf Club, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portmarnock and Ballybunion. The most prestigious tournament of Ireland is the Irish Open, which is held on courses in the four provinces. Also, the K Club in County Kildare hosted the European Open from 1995 to 2007.

Ireland produced several top golfers in the 1990s and 2000s, 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 2006 Ryder Cup held at Kildare, with Clarke arguably being the emotional leader as he was recovering from the death of his wife from breast cancer. Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley won the World Cup of Golf in 1997. The 2007 Seve Trophy was held at County Laois and 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle, but no Irish golfers played.

Harrington won the 2006 European Tour Order of Merit, The Open Championship (British Open) in 2007 and 2008, and the 2008 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 has five major tournament wins, including the 2011 U.S. Open, setting 11 Open records. He was world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking for 95 weeks.

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. Paul McGinley captained the successful European team for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Cricket

Ireland compete against Essex at Castle Avenue

Cricket in Ireland is a minority sport. 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 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. Ireland co-hosted the 1999 Cricket World Cup.

The Ireland cricket team was among the associate nations that qualified for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It defeated Pakistan and finished second in its pool, earning a place in the Super 8 stage of the competition. The team also competed in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, and also won the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier to secure their place in the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Kevin O'Brien scored the fastest century in World Cup history (113 runs off 63 balls), as Ireland produced one of the great upsets to defeat England by 3 wickets in the 2011 tournament. In 2017, domestic cricket in Ireland was recognized as first-class cricket for the first time, and also granted Test status in 2017.

Croquet

Croquet was first played in Ireland in the 1830s and the game is still popular. The governing association of the sport is the Croquet Association of Ireland. Most international matches and large tournaments are played at the Carrickmines Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, near Dublin.^[14]

Field hockey

Field hockey^[15] (known in Ireland as just "hockey") is quite popular as a participative sport in Ireland. It is played throughout the country, particularly in secondary schools. There are many hockey clubs throughout the country. The governing body in Ireland is the Irish Hockey Association.^[16]

Racquet sports

Tennis, badminton, racquetball and squash are quite popular in Ireland. In Tennis, Tennis Ireland is the governing body and runs several competitions between the approximately 200 clubs throughout Ireland. Ireland competes in tennis internationally in the Davis Cup (men's) and the Fed Cup (ladies). Badminton in Ireland is run by the BUI. Squash, which expanded in the 1970s and 1980s, has been in decline for several years, but several clubs remain throughout the country.

Rugby League

Rugby league in Ireland is governed by Rugby League Ireland, which runs the Irish Elite League (known as the Carnegie League for sponsorship purposes),^[17] which is the top level rugby league competition in Ireland. There are currently 20 teams across Ulster, Munster and Leinster.^[18] The Irish rugby league team compete in the European Cup and the Rugby League World Cup. It is made up predominantly of players based in Great Britain. Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.^[19][20]

Snooker and pool

Snooker and pool hold some interest in Ireland, with media coverage of most major international tournaments. While the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have produced some of the world's most successful snooker players (including Ken Doherty, Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor), 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.

Baseball

Main articles: Baseball in Ireland and Irish National Baseball Team

Baseball is an emerging sport in Ireland. The sport is played on an organized level in Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork, Clare and Kerry. The Irish National Baseball Team won the bronze medal at the 2004 European Championships in Germany and followed up that performance with a silver medal in the 2006 European Championships in Belgium. On a club level, baseball is organized through 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

See also Ireland national basketball team

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.

Ice hockey

Since the 1990s ice hockey has seen an increase in popularity, notably with the Belfast Giants ice hockey team in Northern Ireland. Ice hockey 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.

Softball

See also Softball in Ireland

Softball in Ireland can be traced back as far as 1982, with the first organised competition, the Dublin Softball League, taking place in 1984. The Irish Softball Association is the governing body of softball in Ireland and is responsible for the running of tournaments, Leagues, development and international competition in both co-ed slowpitch and ladies fastpitch softball. The National Team (Co-Ed) has competed at European level since 1998, with the best results being Silver in 2002 and 2004.

Volleyball

Volleyball has men's, women's, schools' and beach-volleyball participants. The sport is governed by the Volleyball Association of Ireland.^[21] The Northern Ireland Volleyball Association govern the sport in Northern Ireland.^[22] Men, Women and Junior National Teams regularly compete in international competition including the European Small Nations Championship. The NI Men's National Team competed in the first round of the World Championships under coach Gerry Ford and captain Nick Wright. Club volleyball is played in several divisions both North and South and welcomes both beginner and experienced player alike. Men and Women's club teams can compete in the national league. For women, there are three divisions: Division 2, Division 1, and Premier. For men, there are only two divisions: Division 1 and Premier. Beach volleyball tournaments also run during the Summer months. The Volleyball Association of Ireland (VAI) also run school competitions throughout the school year: a first and second year competition, a cadette competition, a senior competition, and a general schools competition. Spikeball tournaments are also held around the country throughout the school year.^[21]

Adventure racing

Adventure racing in Ireland falls into two main varieties. The majority of adventure races in Ireland fall into what's often called multisport, with run, cycle and kayak stages in events like WAR (Wicklow Adventure Race) and Gaelforce West, which are won in under 4 hours. There are also a few longer international-style adventure races lasting 24 hours and 36 hours, events like Beast of Ballyhoura and Cooley Raid.^[23]

Australian rules football

Ireland's All-International Mike Finn takes a mark over a pack of South African opponents in the 2008 AFL International Cup

Australian rules football has gained a following in Ireland which has increased mainly 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. They have been finalists in every AFL International Cup since and were 2011 International Cup champions. Belfast and Dublin have been hosts to the AFL Euro Cup.^[24]

Chess

The Irish Chess Union (ICU), formed in 1912, is the governing body for chess in Ireland and a member of FIDE since 1933 and the European Chess Union. The ICU promotes Chess in 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.^[25]

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 Rás (Irish for race).^[26] 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, one of the greatest Classics cyclists of all time, who won the Vuelta a España in 1988, the sprinter's green jersey in the Tour de France four times, the Paris-Nice seven times in succession as well as four of the five 'Monuments'. Mountain biking is becoming more popular with dedicated trail centers in Wicklow, Dublin, Galway and Tipperary. For competitive mountain bikers, there is a National Cross-Country series, a National Downhill series and a National Enduro series. BMX is also becoming more popular with the completion of construction of the Ratoath BMX track in County Meath, and an indoor BMX track in Cherry Orchard in County Dublin.

Extreme sports

There is a large following of extreme sports in Ireland, including of sports such as skateboarding, rollerblading, surfing, BMX, mountainbiking, mountainboarding, (Kitesurfing) and (wakeboarding). Although many people participate in these sports, few of them do so competitively. Several of these sports have national governing bodies, such as the Irish Surfing Association, and national competitions, such as mountainbiking's national series.

Since 2005, skateparks (for skateboarding, rollerblading, etc.) have been developed in several places. Concrete skateparks are in Gorey,^[27] Greystones, Bushy park (Dublin) and Lucan (Dublin). Modular parks can be found in other parts of Ireland.^[28]

Greyhound racing

Greyhound racing

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.

Gymnastics

logo

Gymnastics is governed by Irish Gymnastics which was formed in 1999,^[29] following the merging of the Irish Amateur Gymnastics Association and the Irish Sports Acrobatics Federation. There are 83 registered gymnastics clubs in Ireland (including Northern Ireland). Gymnastics includes four Olympic disciplines, women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s artistic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics, and rhythmic gymnastics, and four non Olympic disciplines, acrobatic gymnastics, tumbling gymnastics, gymnastics for all, and sports aerobics.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing Ireland (formally known as Allstyles Kickboxing Association of Ireland) was founded in 1985 to unify and structure the emerging sport in Ireland. It was recognised by the Irish Sports Council as a national governing body of sport in 1993 under the auspices of the Irish Martial Arts Commission. It governs, regulates and promotes kickboxing on the Island of Ireland.^[30]

Kendo

While still a minority sport in Ireland, Kendo is enjoying increasing popularity with significant clubs based in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Cavan. The Irish Kendo Federation, or Kendo na hÉireann is the governing body for the country. The Irish National Kendo Squad participates in the European Kendo Championships and the World Kendo Championships, as well as other international competitions. The main Kendo event in Ireland is the annual Irish National Championships (INC) which takes place in June each year.

Kendo in Northern Ireland is governed by the British Kendo Association (BKA). There is one Kendo club in Northern Ireland, Ojika NI, based in Belfast.

Martial arts

Taekwondo 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 works to promote the sport and to organise competitions.^[31] Notable Irish martial artists include Karate and Kickboxing Irish, European and World Champion Roy Baker. Baker has been the most successful martial arts competitor in Ireland, winning more than 50 international titles. The National Governing Body of Martial Arts in Ireland, as appointed by the Irish Sports Council, is the Irish Martial Arts Commission.^[32] The Irish Martial Arts Commission represents the Martial Arts of Aikido, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Kendo, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, Tai Chi, TaeKwon-Do with Tang Soo Do beginning the process of IMAC membership and recognition. The Executive Committee of the Irish Martial Arts Commission is made up of 2 representative elected within the membership of each Martial Art.

Motorsport

Motorsport also has a presence in Ireland with Motorsport Ireland being the governing body throughout the country.^[33] Rallying is one popular form of motorsport, with various international rallies hosted across the country such as the Donegal International Rally, West Cork Rally, and others at national and club level, drawing thousands of people to various towns and cities to spectate over the rally weekend. Ireland also hosted a round of the World Rally Championship in 2007 and 2009, with stages being held in the Republic and also across the border in Northern Ireland.

Circuit racing is also present in the country with Ireland having only one international venue, Mondello Park in County Kildare which formerly hosted rounds of several international events and still hosts national events today. The country has produced many drivers who climbed the international ladder such as Derek Daly, Peter Dempsey, Tommy Byrne, Eddie Jordan and David Kennedy. Kart racing is also a popular form of circuit racing in Ireland.

Olympic Handball

Olympic Handball is a minority sport in Ireland despite it being the second most popular team sport in Europe. Olympic handball is played in some primary and secondary schools. The Irish Olympic Handball Association is the governing body in Ireland and there are 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.

Orienteering

Orienteering is a popular sport in Ireland and is regulated by the Irish Orienteering Association. Every two years, the Shamrock o-Ringen, Ireland's largest Orienteering event, is held in Cork or Kerry, regularly attracting several hundred competitors. Irish orienteers compete at all levels, often reaching the finals at the World Orienteering. Championships.^[34]

Pitch and putt

The sport of pitch and putt originated in Cork in the 1930s, and was developed throughout Ireland during the 1940s.^{[35][36][37][38]} Since 1960 it has been overseen by the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland,^[39] in turn a member of the European Pitch and Putt Association and Federation of International Pitch and Putt Associations.^[40][41] The Ireland men's national pitch and putt team won the 2008 Pitch and Putt World Cup.^[42]

Road bowling

Irish Road Bowling is an ancient sport. It is centred in Ireland (particularly Cork and Armagh) but is also played in the United States and the United Kingdom. Similar sports are played in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy and since the 1960s the sport has enjoyed a genuine international dimension with an international championship being played on a regular basis by athletes from all these countries.

Rowing

Rowing is an Olympic Sport which is regulated by Rowing Ireland. During the winter there are Head of the River Races (processional timed races) and during the summer there are Regattas (side by side racing). The Irish Championships are held at the National Rowing Centre in Cork.

Sailing

Sailing in Ireland is governed and regulated by the Irish Sailing Association in Dún Laoghaire. Events are organised by the various clubs on the coasts and on the reservoirs and lakes. The first sailing club was the Cork Water Club founded in 1720.

Member of the Irish Team competing in 10m Women's Air Pistol at Intershoot 2012

Member of the Irish Team competing in 10m Women's Air Rifle at Intershoot 2012

Shooting in the 50m Men's Prone National Championships at the Midlands Rifle Club range

Target shooting

Target shooting in Ireland comprises a large number of disciplines including amongst others the Olympic rifle and pistol shooting disciplines (administered by the NTSA), Metallic Silhouette shooting (administered by the NSAI), Precision Pistol, Benchrest Rifle, Gallery Rifle and Sporting Rifle disciplines (administered by the NASRPC)), the Tetrathlon (administered by the Pony Club) and Olympic Penthathlon (administered by the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland), both Olympic and non-Olympic 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.^[43] 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.^[44] 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.^[45] 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.^[46] 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^[47] and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy in recognition of these successes.^[48] More recently, Ian O'Sullivan became the World Junior Champion in Olympic Trap in the 2014 World Championships.^[49]

Ireland became world champions in Centrefire Gallery Rifle in the inaugural World Championships in 2013, in which the Irish team bear Great Britain and Germany. Ireland placed second in the Smallbore Gallery Rifle World Championships in the same year. Gallery Rifle events are administered in Ireland by the NASRPC.^[50]

Triathlon

The triathlon, as well as the duathlon, pentathlon, and decathlon, are rapidly gaining interest in Ireland. The Irish Triathlon calendar of events now runs to 200 events annually. 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 war has been in Ireland for a long time and the creation of the Irish Tug of War Association in 1967 boosted the competition among clubs in Ireland and also enabled Ireland to compete in international events, such as the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) World Championships.

Underwater sports

Diving the Skellig Islands, West of Ireland

Ireland, being an island on the western edge of Europe and on the continental shelf, is well-suited for recreational diving activities such as scuba diving and snorkelling. Ireland's waters provide diving sites of various qualities and standards. Because of its small size it is relatively easy to travel from one part of the island 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.

Recreational diving started in Ireland in the early 1950s with the founding of the Belfast Branch of the British Sub Aqua Club.^[51] In the early 1960s, diving clubs in the Republic of Ireland formed the Comhairle Fo-Thuinn (CFT) (English: Irish Underwater Council). This voluntary body regulates all aspects of diving for its members, is the national governing body recognised by the Irish Government and represents the Republic of Ireland at the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (World Underwater Federation). The Northern Ireland Federation of Sub-Aqua Clubs which was formed in 1975 is the corresponding national governing body in Northern Ireland.

As of October 2013, underwater hockey is the only underwater sport being practised. This activity is limited to the Republic of Ireland where regional competition takes place in both Dublin and Cork. Irish national teams have played internationally with attendance at European championships.^[52][53]

Water sports

Water sports practiced in Ireland include canoeing, swimming, surfing, diving, water polo, sailing, and kayaking. 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. The National Aquatic Centre also hosted the 2018 World Para Swimming European Championships. Swim Ireland is the national governing body of swimming in Ireland.

Winter Sports

The Ski Club of Ireland is the national snowsports centre for Ireland, and consists of four outdoor dry slopes in Kilternan, Dublin. A team representing Ireland has competed at the Winter Olympic Games since 1992.

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 Championship, 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.)

International

On an international level, Ireland has had mixed fortunes. Ireland has been particularly successful in recent years in rugby union, horse racing, show jumping, snooker, amateur boxing, and golf. However, several scandals have arisen in recent years which have tarnished Ireland's international participation.

Showjumping

Twenty four Irish people have won Olympic medals as of 2012. At the 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 qualified 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.

Kickboxing host one of the largest annual sporting events every March. Irish Open international attracts over 4,000 competitor over the three days and is hosted in city west main conference centre which has seating capacity for 15,000 people. The event is uniquely run in aid of a designated charity ISPCC. It has become the largest fighting competition in Europe over its 21 years. Www.irishopenonline.com

The traditional 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.