Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [28]
Ireland has a reputation for producing world-class horses for racing and other equestrian events like showjumping, also very popular albeit in a much less egalitarian kind of way. Major annual races include the Irish Grand National (Fairyhouse, April), Irish Derby (the Curragh, June) and Irish Leger (the Curragh, September). For more information on events contact Horse Racing Ireland ( 045-842 800; www.hri.ie; Thoroughbred County House, Kill, Co Kildare).
Traditionally the poor-man’s punt, greyhound racing (‘the dogs’), has been smartened up in recent years and partly turned into a corporate outing. It offers a cheaper, more accessible and more local alternative to horse racing. There are 20 tracks across the country, administered by the Irish Greyhound Board ( 061-316 788; www.igb.ie; 104 Henry St, Limerick).
Golf
Golf is enormously popular in Ireland and there are many fine golf courses. The annual Irish Open takes place in June or July and the Irish Women’s Open in September. For details of venues, contact the Golfing Union of Ireland ( 01-269 4111; www.gui.ie; 81 Eglinton Rd, Donnybrook, Dublin 4). Ireland’s best include Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and, of course, the triple–Major winner Padraig Harrington – Ireland’s only Major winner since Fred Daly in 1947.
Cycling
Cycling is a popular spectator sport and major annual events include the gruelling FBD Insurance Rás (www.fbdinsuranceras.com), formerly known as the Milk Rás – an eight-day stage race held in May that sometimes approaches 1120km (700 miles) in length, and the Tour of Ulster – a three-day stage race held at the end of April. For more information on events see www.irishcycling.com.
Athletics
Athletics is popular and the Republic has produced a few international stars, particularly in middle- and long-distance events. Current stars of the track include hurdler Derval O’Rourke, distance-runner Mary Cullen and sprinters David Gillick and Paul Hession. In Ireland, the main athletic meets are held at Morton Stadium, Dublin. The Belfast Marathon (www.belfastcitymarathon.com) runs on the first Monday in May and the Dublin Marathon (www.dublincitymarathon.ie) is run on the last Monday in October.
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Jim Sheridan’s authentic drama The Boxer (1998) is a film about a former IRA member’s emergence and readjustment from a Belfast prison, to discover everyone, including his girlfriend, has moved on.
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Boxing
Boxing has traditionally had a strong working-class following. Irish boxers have often won Olympic medals or world championships. Barry McGuigan and Steve Collins, both now retired, were world champions in their day; the best of the current crop is Dublin boxer Bernard Dunne, who defeated Ricardo Cordoba in 2009 to become WBA Super Bantamweight World Champion.
Road Bowling
The object of this sport is to throw an 800g cast-iron ball along a public road (normally one with little traffic) for a designated distance, usually 1km or 2km. The person who does it in the least number of throws is the winner. The main centre is Cork, which has 200 clubs, and, to a lesser extent, Armagh. Competitions take place throughout the year, attracting considerable crowds. The sport has been taken up in various countries around the world, including the USA, Germany and the Netherlands, and a world championship competition has been set up (see www.irishroadbowling.ie).
Handball
Handball is another Irish sport with ancient origins and, like Gaelic football and hurling, is governed by the GAA. It is different from Olympic handball in that it is played by two individuals or two pairs who use their hands to strike a ball against a forecourt wall, rather like squash.
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MEDIA
Newspapers
Five national dailies, six national Sundays, stacks of Irish editions of British publications, hundreds of magazines, more than a dozen radio stations, four terrestrial TV stations and more digital channels than you could shake the remote control at…Ireland just doesn’t run out of subjects to discuss.
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