Sport in Ireland

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Gaelic football is one of the most popular sports in Ireland.

Sport in Ireland plays an important role in Irish society. The many sports played and followed in Ireland include Gaelic games (including Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and handball), association football, horse racing, show jumping, greyhound racing, basketball, fishing, motorsport, boxing, tennis, hockey, golf, rowing, cricket, and rugby union.[1][2]

In terms of participation, association football (soccer) is the most popular team pursuit for males at 8.8% with Gaelic football attracting 3.4%.[3] Personal exercise (at 13.4%) and running (8.9%) are the most popular individual male activities. Traditionally, team sports do not figure highly amongst females, with a greater percentage of post-school-age women choosing individual sports and fitness activities.[4] As of 2018, additional funding and focus was afforded to females in sport, with a number of successes in women's international sporting competitions.[5][6] Association football (soccer) is the most played team sport in Ireland.[1] Gaelic football, hurling, golf, aerobics, cycling, swimming and billiards/snooker are the other sporting activities with the highest levels of participation in the Republic of Ireland.[1]

In terms of support and attendance, Gaelic football accounted for 34% of total sports attendances at events in the Republic of Ireland in 2003, followed by hurling at 23%, association football (soccer) at 16% and rugby at 8%.[7] In 2005, Initiative's ViewerTrack study measuring sports audiences showed that Gaelic football's highest-profile match, the All-Ireland Football Championship Final, was the most watched event of the nation's sporting year.[8]

In terms of funding, of the €62 million allocated in the Irish government's 2017 Capital Sports Programme, approximately €25 million was allocated to hurling, Gaelic football and other games overseen by the Gaelic Athletic Association, €7.7 million to soccer, €3.3 million to rugby, €2.8 million to tennis, golf €2.4 million, sailing and rowing €1.3 million each, boxing and athletics over €1 million each, swimming €0.5 million, with the remainder allocated among other sports and sporting groups.[9]

As Northern Ireland is a constituent nation of the United Kingdom, it also sends a Northern Ireland Team to the Commonwealth Games. At the Olympic Games, a person from Northern Ireland can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain.[10]

  1. ^ a b c Sports Participation and Health Among Adults in Ireland (PDF) (Report). The Economic and Social Research Institute. 2004. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Gaelic games remains Ireland's most popular sport". rte.ie. RTÉ. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. ^ Anne, McCarthy. "Minister O'Donovan Launches Irish Sports Monitor Report". www.sportireland.ie. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Women and sport: New thinking needed for more female involvement". The Irish Times. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2018. [Irish] Women are more likely to exercise to keep fit and healthy (56 per cent) than men (43 per cent). They just chose to devote their time to [..] individual pursuits [..] instead of organised team sports. Participation in team sports tends to fall off for women when they leave school
  5. ^ "Creating a brighter future for female sports". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Ireland's women take centre stage – and medals – across sporting world". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  7. ^ "The Social Significance of Sport" (PDF). The Economic and Social Research Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  8. ^ "Initiative's latest ViewerTrack™ study shows that in Ireland GAA and soccer still dominate the sporting arena, while globally the Super Bowl was the most watched sporting event of 2005". Finfacts.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  9. ^ Sports Capital Programme 2017 Review (PDF). dttas.ie (Report). Department of Transport, Tourism And Sport. April 2018. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  10. ^ O'Sullivan, Patrick T. (Spring 1998). "Ireland & the Olympic Games". History Ireland. 6 (1). Dublin. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2017.