Sport in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, though it has a unique history and sporting culture more closely related to the Republic of Ireland, and plays sports in international competitions as a team from Northern Ireland or joining with the rest of their island and playing for Ireland. At the Olympic Games, athletes from Northern Ireland have the choice of competing for Northern Ireland or Ireland (if they get selected of course).
Gaelic Games, traditional sports organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), are still popular in Northern Ireland (as they are throughout Ireland). The two main sports of Gaelic games are hurling and Gaelic football. The other two sports are Rounders and Gaelic Handball.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Northern Ireland. See also about sport in Ireland and sport in the UK, and the individual pages for England, Scotland, Wales.
Popular sports of Northern Ireland
- football (Soccer), golf, netball, field hockey, boxing, rugby union, rugby league, cricket
Regional or Traditional Sports of Northern Ireland
- Hurling — a Gaelic outdoor team sport where players use a wooden stick to hit a ball between the opposing team’s goalposts.
- Gaelic Football — a contact sport which originated in Ireland.
- Gaelic Handball — a wall based sport, played in Ireland, similar to squash though the ball is hit with the hand.
- Rounders — played between two teams with a bat and ball, like softball.
Sporting Successes of Northern Ireland
Great athletes from Northern Ireland
- Rory McIlroy (golf)
- Darren Clarke (golf)
- Barry McGuigan (boxing)
- George Best (football)
Northern Ireland Sports trivia
- The 2019 British Open Golf Championship will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. It was held at Portrush in 1951, the only other occasion that it has not been held in Scotland or England.
Northern Ireland at major events
- Great Britain at the Summer Olympics, also Ireland at the Summer Olympics
- Great Britain at the Winter Olympics, also Ireland at the Winter Olympics
- Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games
- Northern Ireland at the FIFA World Cup
- Ireland at the Cricket World Cup
- Northern Ireland at the UEFA Euros
Past sporting events events hosted in Northern Ireland
- 1951 British Open Golf Championship (County Antrim)
- 2019 British Open Golf Championship
Upcoming sporting events in Northern Ireland
Annual sporting events held in Northern Ireland
- British Open (golf) - usually held in England and Scotland, and rarely Northern Ireland
Sporting Facilities in Northern Ireland
- Royal Portrush Golf Club, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Other
Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let me know.
Related Pages
- Countries list
- About Sport in Ireland
- List of the most popular sports in Ireland
- About sport in England, Scotland, Wales
- World of Sport Home
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