89-657: The Cork Athletic Union League , also known as the Cork AUL , is an association football league featuring amateur and junior clubs from County Cork . Its top division, the Premier League, is a seventh level division in the Republic of Ireland football league system . The Cork AUL is currently sponsored by Murphy's Irish Stout . It is affiliated to the Munster Football Association . Clubs in
178-935: A "regular basis". The national body in the Republic of Ireland is the Football Association of Ireland (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 NIFL Premiership (or Irish League) (Northern Ireland). Some of the major teams in Ireland include Shamrock Rovers , Dundalk FC and Shelbourne FC in
267-690: A 'hat-trick' of awards, with Johnny Sexton winning the Player of the Year , Joe Schmidt the Coach of the Year , and the national squad the Team of the Year awards. As of July 2022, following two defeats of New Zealand, the Ireland national rugby union team was ranked 1st in the World Rugby Rankings, but has never progressed beyond the quarter finals of the men's Rugby World Cup . School rugby union
356-461: A 1–0 victory against Bulgaria on 28 May 1924 in the Olympics. They have never won any major international competitions and had never qualified for a major tournament until 1988. Since then they have enjoyed relative success qualifying for three of the last seven World Cups . The furthest they reached was the quarter-final in 1990. See also League of Ireland XI Women's football is growing in
445-464: A huge boost when the Republic, under Jack Charlton , qualified for the 1988 European Championship —their first ever major finals—where they won their first game 1–0 against England . This was followed by qualification for the World Cup in 1990 , 1994 (where they beat Italy ) and 2002 . The Saipan incident , over the facilities and preparation for the 2002 World Cup, had far-reaching effects on
534-445: A number of successes in women's international sporting competitions. Association football (soccer) is the most played team sport in Ireland. 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. In terms of support and attendance, Gaelic football accounted for 34% of total sports attendances at events in
623-524: A per capita basis. The governing body is Horse Sport Ireland (formerly the Equestrian Federation of Ireland ), which is composed of 15 Irish affiliate bodies, representing all facets of equestrian sport. These sports include show jumping , eventing , dressage , endurance riding , para-equestrian , polo and carriage driving . Overall administration of Irish horse-racing is carried out by Horse Racing Ireland . Horse Racing Ireland
712-472: A selection of intermediate clubs. League of Ireland clubs also compete in the cross-border Champions Cup against teams from Irish League in Northern Ireland. This is a two-legged affair between the champions of each jurisdiction. ]. The Scottish Challenge Cup for senior clubs playing below the Scottish Premiership invites clubs from Republic of Ireland to take part. It also features
801-463: A total of 36 matches each. The bottom placed club will be relegated to the League of Ireland First Division and the team who finishes in 9th position will enter a promotion/relegation playoff with a First Division qualifier. The League of Ireland First Division was introduced in 1985. Currently, there are 10 teams in the First Division, and they play each other four times. The A Championship
890-557: 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 ( Irish : cluiche corr ) is regulated by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, and is similar to baseball. Game-play centers around innings where teams alternate at turns being batters and fielders. Points ("rounders") are scored by
979-403: A youth division. The FAI Cup is the national cup competition of the country. It was first run in 1922. The tournament has a straight knockout format with non-league and junior sides competing in the first round before the league clubs join in the second round. The League of Ireland Cup is the other main cup in the country. It was first held in 1974. This tournament's format has changed over
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#17327981585011068-622: 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, the Paris-Nice seven times in succession as well as four of the five 'Monuments'. Mountain biking
1157-416: Is a sport native to Ireland for several thousand years, organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association . In terms of attendance figures, hurling is second only to Gaelic football. Hurling is sometimes described as the "fastest field sport in the world", as the ball is continually played at high speeds. The game has similarities to shinty and hockey . However the ball (or sliotar ) is rarely played along
1246-825: Is also played at primary and secondary level, and traditional rugby playing schools include: St Michael's College , Blackrock College , Belvedere College , Castleknock College , Clongowes Wood College , St Mary's College , and Terenure College in Dublin, Crescent College , Castletroy College , St Munchin's College , Glenstal Abbey and Ardscoil Rís in Limerick, Rockwell College in Tipperary, Presentation Brothers College , Bandon Grammar School and Christian Brothers College in Cork, and Campbell College , Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Methodist College Belfast in
1335-566: Is among the world's most successful female boxers, and Taylor has won five European Championships and four World Championships, as well as the inaugural women's lightweight gold at the 2012 Olympics . As of 2023, large-scale professional boxing events have not taken place in Ireland since a 2016 gangland shooting at a weigh-in at the Regency hotel in Dublin. Athletics in Ireland is governed by Athletics Ireland , and in Northern Ireland by Athletics Northern Ireland. Athletics has seen some of
1424-553: Is extremely popular compared with the domestic league, with up to 120,000 Irish fans travelling to watch games in the UK each year and 40,000 Irish fans travelling to watch games in the UK on a regular basis Irish school children are commonly seen wearing replica shirts of English league teams. In addition two Scottish football clubs with strong Irish roots, Celtic F.C. and, to a lesser extent, Hibernian F.C. maintain strong followings in Ireland. In its earliest days, association football
1513-489: Is formed of the League of Ireland and the 2011–12 FAI U19 League. The League of Ireland was established in 1921. The League of Ireland consisted of one division up to 1985, when it split into the Premier Division and First Division . In 2008, the A Championship was introduced below the league as a preparatory division for entry into it. The league season runs from March to November. Another change undergone by
1602-625: 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 . It is most popular in Northern Ireland and Dublin. The Ireland cricket team
1691-466: 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. Gaelic footballers play for a local club or parish team, with the best 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. The main national competitions are
1780-697: Is played throughout the country, particularly in secondary schools. The governing body in Ireland is the Irish Hockey Association. The Ireland women's national field hockey team reached the final of the Women's Hockey World Cup in 2018. As of 2018, the Ireland men's national field hockey team were ranked 10th in the FIH World Rankings . Australian rules football has gained a following in Ireland which has increased mainly due to
1869-508: Is referred to simply as 'football' within the sport itself, such as the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship . 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. In terms of support and attendance, it is the most popular sport in Ireland. The game
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#17327981585011958-529: Is responsible for racing in both the Republic of Ireland , which has 24 racecourses, and in Northern Ireland , which has 2 racecourses. Ireland's top tracks are the Curragh and Fairyhouse . The breeding industry (including the world's largest thoroughbred breeding operation, Coolmore Stud ) has produced many top race horses. As of the early 21st century, golf is among the most-played sports in
2047-703: Is supported by a number of 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 events are undertaken at the Ratoath BMX track in County Meath, and an indoor BMX track in Cherry Orchard in County Dublin. The Irish National Darts Organisation (INDO)
2136-434: Is the most popular team pursuit for males at 8.8% with Gaelic football attracting 3.4%. 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. As of 2018, additional funding and focus was afforded to females in sport, with
2225-656: Is widely regarded as the Irish Free State's first official game. The 1930s saw the erosion of Dublin 's dominance in the league. During the 20s, Bohemians , St James's Gate , Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers had a monopoly over the domestic game, but Dundalk and Sligo Rovers both won championships while Cork F.C. and Waterford collected FAI Cups as football spread to the provinces. The Second World War curtailed international matches between 1939 and 1946, but league football went ahead with Cork United F.C. dominating, winning four titles between 1940 and 1945. On
2314-470: The European Cup in 1979 when they eventually went out to Glasgow Celtic . The domestic game went from bad to worse during the 1980s with clubs all over the country struggling for finance. Shamrock Rovers were forced out of their home, Glenmalure Park , while St Patrick's Athletic were forced to move out of Richmond Park towards the end of the decade although they subsequently returned in 1993. On
2403-636: The International rules series that takes place annually between Australia and Ireland. 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
2492-539: The K Club in County Kildare hosted the European Open from 1995 to 2007. Golf is regularly televised in Ireland, with both domestic and international events broadcast. Ireland produced several top golfers in the late 20th and early 21st century, with players like Pádraig Harrington , Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry achieving significant success internationally. For example, Harrington and McGinley won
2581-528: The Premier League in England, which is one of the reasons why significant numbers of locals follow clubs in that league. Having said that, the best Irish players have always followed the best wages. This did not stop the game entering into a "golden period" after the second world war when grounds would be full every weekend to watch a league game. It was the start of televised football in England , and
2670-708: 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 . In a survey released in January 2021, Gaelic games were collectively identified as "Ireland's favourite sport(s)". The sport may be referred to as Gaelic football or Gaelic , if confusion might otherwise arise with association football, but
2759-542: The United States , who had embarked on a brief European tour after competing in the same Olympics. Ed Brookes scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win at Dalymount Park . The Irish Free State did not play their next game until 21 March 1926. This was an away game against Italy which they lost 3–0. In subsequent years the status of the Olympic Games football competition was downgraded and as a result this game
Cork Athletic Union League - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-690: The 1880s that the game spread to other areas of the country. The Leinster Football Association was formed in 1892 as the game became more popular in the area. Clubs from outside the Belfast area thought that the IFA favoured Ulster based clubs and when the IFA reneged on a promise to play the Irish Cup semi-final replay in Dublin and instead scheduled the match for Belfast a meeting of southern associations and clubs
2937-504: The 2005 UEFA Under-19 European Championships. Rugby union is played and supported throughout Ireland, and is especially popular in urban areas such as Dublin , Limerick , Belfast in Northern Ireland, 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
3026-581: The 21st century. Rory McIlroy has several major tournament wins, including the 2011 U.S. Open . 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 Irish player to do so. Darren Clarke won the 2011 Open Championship . Cricket 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
3115-528: The A Championship which would provide non-league and amateur clubs a chance to win promotion to the First Division which, up to that stage, had no clubs actually relegated. Clubs who finished in last place had to re-apply for league membership, however. The league has received more media coverage in recent years. At the moment, two channels ( RTÉ and TG4 ) show live matches and/or highlights of Premier Division games. The Premier Division currently contains 10 clubs. The 10 clubs play each other four times which gives
3204-656: The AFL Euro Cup. 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 Ireland and maintains the chess rating for players in 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. Croquet
3293-616: The Cork AUL also compete in the FAI Junior Cup . Three League of Ireland clubs – Cobh Ramblers , Cork Hibernians and Albert Rovers – were originally members of the Cork AUL. The Cork Athletic Union Football League, originally known as the Cork City and County Athletic Union Junior League, was founded in 1947 . Its founding members included two future members of the League of Ireland , Cobh Ramblers and Albert Rovers and
3382-480: The Cork AUL before switching from junior to intermediate football. Five of the Cork AUL's most successful clubs – Temple United, Kinsale , St. Mary's , Wembley and Castleview – all subsequently joined the MSL. Other clubs to switch from the Cork AUL to the MSL include Avondale United , Mallow United , Tramore Athletic , College Corinthians , Ringmahon Rangers, Everton and Rockmount . In its inaugural season, 1947–48
3471-971: The Cork AUL featured three league cup competitions, the City Challenge Cup, the Saxone Cup and the Miniature Cup. The Cork AUL's main league cup is the AOH Cup which was presented to the league in 1951 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians . Clubs in the Cork AUL also compete in the FAI Junior Cup . In 1973–74 St. Michael's of Tipperary won the competition while playing in the Cork AUL. Six other Cork AUL clubs – Castleview, Blackrock, Douglas, Everton , St. Mary's and Temple United – have all been finalists. Between 1961–62 and 1965–66 Cork AUL clubs were runners-up in four out of five seasons. The senior Cork AUL representative team competes in
3560-547: The English league, is one of the reasons why Irish people tend to support leading British clubs such as Manchester United , Liverpool and Celtic . Only occasionally does a League of Ireland or Irish League player make either of the national teams, despite the fact that the leagues sometimes produce some of Ireland's top players including internationals Kevin Doyle , Shane Long and Gareth McAuley and players like Roy Keane in
3649-509: The FAI's team would be known as the Republic of Ireland with the IFA's side being called Northern Ireland . Up to that point, both Associations referred to their teams as 'Ireland'. The Dublin based clubs reasserted their dominance with only Cork United capable of challenging their dominance. 1958 saw a League of Ireland side enter European competition for the first time with Shamrock Rovers going out 9–2 on aggregate to Manchester United in
Cork Athletic Union League - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-607: The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity . Camogie , played exclusively by women, is similar to hurling although a smaller sliotar is used, there is the option to hand-pass into the goal, and the dress code requires players to wear a skort . The first game of camogie was played in County Meath in 1904. Gaelic handball , or simply 'handball', like the related sport of American handball , somewhat resembles squash or racquetball , but with
3827-534: 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 put 13 times at the AAAs , (still holding a title for greatest number of individual titles won), before emigrating to the United States where he won a number of American titles. Horgan also broke
3916-479: The Irish Free State under the name Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS) and at the 1924 Olympics , the Irish Free State made their international debut. On 28 May at the Stade Olympique , they beat Bulgaria 1–0, with Paddy Duncan scoring the team's first ever goal. As a result of this they qualified for the quarter-finals. On 14 June 1924, the Irish Free State made their home debut against
4005-778: The Irish economy during 2008 and 2009. In 2011 the League got the best co-efficient in its history as Shamrock Rovers made history by becoming the first Irish club to reach the group stages of the Europa League [1] . It is currently ranked as the 31st best league in Europe out of 53. The league has scored at least 1.000 in every year since 2003, meaning it is currently in its best European cycle to date. The Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales jointly bid to co-host UEFA Euro 2020 . The Republic of Ireland football league system
4094-631: The League of Ireland. Some of the top clubs in these leagues do compete in the FAI Cup , however. These leagues do not gain much media coverage certainly on a national level. Many counties in the country run a local league. These leagues do not provide promotion to provincial leagues but are still run. An example of one such league is the North Tipperary District Soccer League which is run in north County Tipperary . This particular league contains four divisions and also
4183-584: The Oscar Traynor Trophy against other representative teams of similar junior leagues. They have won the competition on two occasions, in 1965–66 and again in 2008–09. They were also runners-up in 1994–95. Source : The main sponsors of the Cork AUL are Murphy's Irish Stout . Other sponsors include the Evening Echo . Murphy's Irish Stout Premier League (as of 2016) Source : Source : Association football in
4272-562: The Republic of Ireland Association football ( Irish : Peil/Sacar ) commonly referred to as football or soccer (to avoid confusion with Gaelic football ), is the team sport with the second highest level of participation in the Republic of Ireland (with five-a-side games being included). It is the second most popular sport in Ireland and it is also the third most popular spectator sport overall with 16% of total attendances at sports events, behind only Gaelic football (34%) and hurling (23%). The national governing body for
4361-627: The Republic of Ireland in 2003, followed by hurling at 23%, association football (soccer) at 16% and rugby at 8%. 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. In terms of funding, of the €62 million allocated in the Irish government 's 2017 Capital Sports Programme, approximately €25 million
4450-841: The Republic of Ireland. The Women's National League (Ireland) was resurrected in 2011. There is a national team also which compete on an international basis. They played in their first world cup at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup . Croke Park , Thomond Park and the RDS Arena have been used as football venues during the construction of the Aviva. Sport 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 . In terms of participation, association football (soccer)
4539-422: 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 . This, along with the Irish media's huge coverage of
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#17327981585014628-437: The Under 20 sides from the Scottish top tier as well as Welsh and Northern Irish clubs. Recently, Conference level English teams have also taken part. Defunct cup competitions include: In Republic of Ireland there are also various local amateur, intermediate and junior leagues which run cup competitions for their respective clubs throughout the country. The Republic of Ireland's first competitive international finished in
4717-423: The World Cup of Golf in 1997 and, together with Clarke, were part of the European team that successfully defended the 2006 Ryder Cup . Harrington also won The Open Championship (British Open) in 2007 and 2008 , and the 2008 PGA Championship . Clarke and Lowry won the 2011 Open Championship and 2019 Open Championship respectively. Three other golfers from Northern Ireland have had international successes in
4806-402: The amateur setup in Ireland, that led to a decrease in attendances and a lack of support for the home teams. The sport is played at all levels in the country. The national team's performance in the 1990 FIFA World Cup , where they reached the quarter-finals is their best to date. Although the sport was being played in Ireland in the 1860s , it was mainly based in Ulster and it was not until
4895-404: The ball played or struck with the hand or fist instead of a racquet. It has no connection with the Olympic sport of handball which has limited following in Ireland, where it is generally known as Olympic 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
4984-477: The batting team by completing a circuit around the field through four bases Association football is a popular sport in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland but while international matches play before large crowds, and are passionately followed, domestic league games typically attract smaller attendances. English football leagues are also popular in Ireland, with a survey in February 2020 indicating that up to 40,000 Irish fans travel to games in England on
5073-478: The country, it is the dominant game (Kilkenny, rural Antrim, Ards peninsula in County Down, and Clare, for example). Hurling is well-attended at elite level and the highest-level games fill Croke Park to its capacity of 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). Hurling and camogie are both included on UNESCO 's Representative List of
5162-435: The country, with a 2008 report for the Irish Sports Council indicating that golf was then the fourth most popular sport by participation rate. Ireland was the first country to organise the sport on a national basis, with two "oldest governing bodies in world golf", the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) and the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU), being formed in 1891 and 1893 respectively. There are over 400 golf clubs throughout
5251-471: The field, Shamrock Rovers were again the team to beat as they won four consecutive titles, though provincial clubs Athlone , Dundalk and Derry City also claimed titles. The 1990s saw an improvement in the game domestically. Facilities countrywide improved, as did the standard of football. Shelbourne and St Patrick's Athletic dominated the decade, winning four league titles between them, with Shelbourne also winning three FAI Cups . The national game received
5340-425: The first manager. They still failed to win any of their qualifiers for the 1970 World Cup . Ireland finished bottom of their qualification group for the 1972 European Championship , ending Meagan's tenure as manager. Liam Tuohy briefly replaced him. Johnny Giles became the Republic of Ireland's first ever player-manager before the 1976 European Championship qualifiers, but the side again failed to qualify. During
5429-421: The first round of the European Cup . In the 1960s Waterford United became one of the league's most successful clubs as they won three titles during the decade, though Shamrock Rovers were the team of the 60s. The Hoops won six FAI Cups in a row during the 60s, a feat that has never been repeated. In 1969 the FAI decided to appoint a national team manager instead of a team of selectors. Mick Meagan became
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#17327981585015518-468: 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 , Kerry v Dublin and Tyrone v Donegal. Hurling
5607-484: 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 was granted Test status in 2017. Prior to the granting of Test status, a number of Irish cricketers went to England to play Test cricket , including Eoin Morgan from Dublin, who captained the English cricket team to 2019 Cricket World Cup success. Field hockey (known in Ireland as just "hockey")
5696-419: 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 sometimes holds precedence, and in certain parts of
5785-426: The inaugural champions, Mortonville. The other eleven original members were Maymount Rovers, Prospect Rovers, Grattan, Ballinllough, Clapton Celtic, Green Rovers, Blackrock, Mountview, Marine Services, Cork Spinning and Ladyswell Brewery. In addition to Cobh Ramblers , Cork Hibernians and Albert Rovers joining the League of Ireland , a number of current Munster Senior League clubs were also originally members of
5874-406: 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 National Football League. 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
5963-424: The international front, England won a match at Dalymount Park 1–0, but Ireland got their revenge three years later when they became the first 'foreign' side to defeat England on English soil. Ireland won the Goodison Park encounter 2–0 . In 1953, FIFA directed both the FAI and IFA to pick players only from within their own boundaries rather than picking players from all over the island. FIFA also ruled that
6052-421: The island, and over 300 courses in the Republic of Ireland, and (as of 2009) Ireland reportedly had the fourth most golf courses per capita in the world, Among Ireland's most famous golf courses are Royal County Down Golf Club , Royal Portrush Golf Club , Portmarnock , Ballybunion and Lahinch . The most prestigious tournament of Ireland is the Irish Open , which is held on courses in the four provinces. Also,
6141-458: The league continued in improving results and thanks in part to Cork City making progress in the Champions League qualifiers, and Derry City beating IFK Gothenburg and Gretna in the UEFA Cup before falling in the final tie before the group stage. In 2008, it got its second best co-efficient in its history. The League of Ireland in 2007 was won by Drogheda United —their first ever league championship. The league entered difficult times along with
6230-473: The league has been the introduction of professionalism into some clubs, and the majority of Premier Division clubs. Clubs were previously semi-professional. These changes were mainly made in an effort to better performances in European competition by League of Ireland clubs. The improvements provided by professionalism, particularly in fitness, produced significantly better results in European competition, but proved to be somewhat unsustainable for some clubs, with
6319-454: The league's place on the coefficient table rose 15 places, the highest of any league in Europe. However, since then, the League's ranking has fallen from its highest ever ranking of 29th in June 2010 to 42nd in 2016. Its position of 43rd in 2013/14 was also its lowest position since 1998. [2] Three provinces in the country ( Ulster , Munster , Leinster ) run a league. These leagues are amateur leagues, though, and clubs cannot be promoted to
6408-607: The management structure and revamping the league structure. The League of Ireland entered its best ever era in the 2000s when Bohemians knocked Aberdeen out of the UEFA Cup and beat Kaiserslautern of Germany in the next round. A brief period of mixed results turned for the better in 2004. Shelbourne became the first team to get to the third qualifying round of the Champions League , where they knocked out by Spanish club Deportivo La Coruña 3–0 on aggregate. However,
6497-415: The media linked the two events, though Menton denied this. A second Genesis report, this time produced by the FAI but disingenuously called "Genesis II" (or the "White Paper"), in 2005 recommended a radical overhaul of the League of Ireland and led to the appointment of an assessment group. A joint implementation committee made major changes to the league, including merging the league with the FAI, changing
6586-400: The most popular athletics events in the country. The Women's Mini Marathon in Dublin consistently gets upwards of 40000 competitors. The various equestrian sports have a sizeable following in Ireland. After Gaelic games, horse racing is the second most attended sport in the country, with around 1.3 million attendees annually. That is the largest number of horseracing fans in any country on
6675-780: The north. Boxing is overseen by the Boxing Union of Ireland and Irish Athletic Boxing Association . Amateur boxers account for sixteen of Ireland's 31 Olympic medals , including two Olympic gold medals . Ireland's amateur boxers have also won medals at numerous top level competitions worldwide including World Senior Championships, European Senior Championships, World Junior Championships, World Youth Championships, European Junior Championships and European Youth Championships. The country's most successful boxers include Steve Collins , Bernard Dunne , Barry McGuigan , Michael Carruth , Ryan Burnett , Andy Lee , John Duddy , Carl Frampton , Kellie Harrington and Katie Taylor . The latter
6764-437: The past. On the international stage, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland teams have both competed in three FIFA World Cups , with the Republic also appearing in three European Championships , most recently in 2016 . The Milk Cup is an international youth tournament held annually in Northern Ireland, in which clubs and national teams from elsewhere in the world may compete. Northern Ireland also played host to
6853-400: The qualifiers for the 1980 European Championship , the Republic of Ireland took on Northern Ireland in a historic first ever meeting between the two sides. A 0–0 draw at Dalymount Park was marred by rioting in Dublin on the day of the match. Domestically, no team really dominated as the popularity of the game began to diminish. The major achievement was Dundalk 's progress to the last 16 of
6942-532: The sport in Ireland. Team captain Roy Keane went home (or was sent home) before the start of the tournament after a public quarrel with manager Mick McCarthy . The FAI commissioned a report from external consultants Genesis, into its World Cup preparations. The "Genesis Report" agreed with many of Keane's criticisms, finding that the FAI structure was not conducive to good planning, made a range of recommendations. Brendan Menton resigned as FAI General Secretary, and
7031-552: The sport is the Football Association of Ireland , which runs the national football team and the League of Ireland , which is the top level of the sport in the country. The term " football " is used interchangeably in Ireland between association football and Gaelic football . Rugby union , another popular type of football, is generally called "rugby", while rugby league , Australian Rules football and American football are niche and minority sports usually referred to by their long title. For spectators in Ireland, English football
7120-458: The sport throughout the island. The sport is organised at all levels on an all-island basis through a provincial structure of four unions, with each province organising one professional team in elite competition. Success at international level and the establishment of four professional teams has increased interest in rugby union as a sport in Ireland, particularly as a spectator sport. At the 2018 World Rugby Awards , Ireland had been presented with
7209-466: The vast majority of the clubs involved suffering severe financial collapses but these clubs have been outpassed by more financially stable clubs and the league has kept up its impressive performances. In 2006 the FAI completed a merge with the League of Ireland . This merge involved changes to league format which were to be gradually introduced over the next three years. The changes included the introduction of
7298-576: The world record on several occasions and silver at the 1908 Olympics. 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 the late 20th and early 21st century, notable athletes have included Ron Delany , Mary Peters , John Treacy , Eamonn Coghlan , Sonia O'Sullivan and Robert Heffernan . The Dublin Marathon and Belfast Marathon are run annually and are two of
7387-522: The years. Previously it had group stages in the opening round but it now is straight knockout but clubs are divided into regional groups in the opening rounds. All 22 league clubs take part with the addition of 2 non-league clubs in order to bring the number up to 24. Provincial senior cup competitions such as the Leinster Senior Cup and Munster Senior Cup also run and include all League of Ireland teams from their given province, as well as
7476-421: 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. As Northern Ireland is a constituent nation of
7565-568: 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 won the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier to secure a 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
7654-531: Was arranged and on 1 June 1921, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was formed in Molesworth Hall in Dublin . The League of Ireland was established in 1921, with eight teams taking part. St. James's Gate F.C. won the first title, and they were also winners of the first FAI Cup , then called the Free State Cup, in 1922. In 1923, the FAI was recognised by FIFA as the governing body of
7743-639: Was first played in Ireland in the 1830s. 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. There are many regional cycling clubs throughout the country and competitions are organised regularly, the largest non-professional event being the Rás (Irish for race). The main governing body
7832-495: Was introduced in the 2008 season as a new third tier, below the League of Ireland. The division was split into 2 separate groups competing independently of each other. The A Championship was replaced by the 2011–12 FAI U19 League in 2012. As of August 2016, the League of Ireland is 42nd out of 55 in the UEFA country coefficient . The League of Ireland's UEFA coefficient accumulates to a total value of 5.700 as of 2016. From 1998 to 2010,
7921-421: Was largely confined to the city of Dublin and its surrounding county . Gradually it became more widespread throughout the country, to the point where in the modern day there are clubs in all of the counties of Ireland . Currently, average league attendances at matches in the League of Ireland Premier Division is around 3,000. Many of the country's top players move to leagues outside of the country, particularly
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