Irish sports fans are renowned worldwide for being fun and friendly – gracious in defeat, joyous in victory and dedicated in following their teams to the ends of the earth!
At home, our sport enthusiasts are just as loyal and are known to stand in the wind and rain, week after week to see their team or county play.
Our national games, Gaelic football, hurling and camogie, are genuinely Irish, truly unique and permeate every town, village and parish in the country. So if you’re good with a ball, you’ll always be welcome to join in. We could try to explain the rules, the tension, the passion and the sheer magic, but you’ll gain so much more by watching yourself – here for hurling highlights and here for the football moments.
Rugby, golf, cricket and soccer are also hugely popular, and Irish fans have earned a reputation of being among the best supporters in the world.
So what else is special about sport in Ireland?
- As an island nation with marine resources 10 times the size of our land area, Ireland provides an natural habitat for water sport enthusiasts from swimming and sailing to surfing and scuba-diving, plus a whole host of extreme sports.
- Over 5,500 kms of coastline, 11,200 kms of riverbank and thousands of lakes and bogs will have anglers hooked.
- IGATO voted Ireland the best golf destination in Europe in 2011, and with Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Grame McDowell, we’ve got more than our fair share of world class golfers.
- Horse-racing in Ireland is more than a sport; it’s a way of life. Irish horse-racing takes place on the flat and over jumps. The Curragh in County Kildare hosts some of the most famous races in the world, but many of Ireland’s small towns also have their own tracks. What’s more, Ireland is home to some of the world finest stud-farms, horse breeders and trainers and is a leading producer of thoroughbred foals in Europe.
What’s on the up?
- Hill-walking is one of the fast-growing past-times in Ireland. National Geographic puts walks and hikes in Ireland among its top ten worldwide.
- Cycling in Ireland is also moving up a gear. Our friendly cities and towns, spectacular scenery and gently undulating landscape make cycling a big hit in Ireland.
- On the back of recent international success, cricket in Ireland is winning new followers like never before.
- Ireland is also home to world champion boxers and snooker players, and, in 2012, the Irish Chess Union celebrated its 100-year anniversary.