The Emerald Isle; home to some of the most picturesque landscapes, the most passionate sports fans, and the friendliest locals.
From Irish-grown games to adopted global sports, the nation has a long history and association with all types of sport across the country.
But the question that keeps cropping up is: what is the most popular sport in Ireland? That’s why we’ve dug deep into the data to see what sports are searched the most and where they’re being searched the most.
All data below is an average search volume from the past 12 months.
What is the Most Popular in Ireland?
Unsurprisingly topping the charts as the most popular sport in Ireland is football (or soccer) with over 1.2 million searches per month on average. These searches were also for the Premier League, with many fans having a strong affiliation to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United just across the Irish Sea.
As Andy Farrell’s side have floated between the top two positions in the world rankings and won back-to-back Six Nations titles, the love for rugby has grown the game to new heights, seeing rugby union in return over 300,000 searches a month to take second.
In joint third, Gaelic football, horse racing and basketball all get 165,00 searches every month.
First created 139 years ago, Gaelic football is now played at more than 2,500 clubs. The National Football League is the annual Gaelic football comp between the senior county teams of Ireland plus London, creating a strong connection to each county.
Horse racing has always had strong ties with Ireland. With 26 racecourses between Flat and National Hunt, the country has produced and continues to produce some of the best jockeys in the sport.
NBA was the search term that got basketball such a high ranking in Ireland. With the Irish Jr. NBA League back in 2024 for its third successive year, the game has grown in popularity to the next generation as it’s played throughout local schools.
Where is the Premier League (Football) Most Popular in Ireland?
Now we know that football is the most popular sport across the nation, but it’s in Ireland’s capital, Dublin, that over one in three people search for the Premier League each month.
Galway may be further away over on the west coast of Ireland, but it’s still the city with second most searches with 3,200 for every 10,000 people. In third place, 3/10 people in Kilkenny search for the top flight of English football.
Where is Rugby Union Most Popular in Ireland?
It’s a similar story for rugby union as Dublin tops the charts with 1,100 searches per 10k people. This could mainly be because both the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park are in Dublin, where Ireland and club side Leinster play so many games.
With local side Connacht plying their trade in the United Rugby Championship, Galway is second with 768 searches, while Kilkenny is close behind in third again with 699.
Where is Gaelic Football Most Popular in Ireland?
As most fans in Ireland follow their local county, it’s no surprise that the most populus city of Dublin has the most searches with 586 per 10,000 people.
Following a narrow loss in the All-Ireland final in July, Galway have 512 searches for Gaelic football. Limerick have the fourth-biggest stadium in the competition and are in third with 430 searches.
Where is the NBA (basketball) Most Popular in Ireland?
As a country that’s got such strong ties with the United States, Ireland has only produced one NBA player in the league’s history.
But in NBA champ Pat Connaughton, the Milwaukee Bucks shoot guard, his family links to Galway may have played a factor in the city searching the term NBA the most, with 629 per 10k people.
The capital is runner-up with 586 and the second biggest city Cork is third with 430 searches.
Where is Horse Racing Most Popular in Ireland?
With classic racecourses spread out across Ireland, the love for horse racing is equally shared.
Kilkenny took the top spot for the most searches with 699 searches for every 10,000 people in the city. This could largely down to Gowran Park Racecourse in the region as an opportunity for locals to regularly attend fixtures, while the breeding line of top-quality National Hunt horses has been a mainstay of Kilkenny.
For both Galway in second (528 searches) and Dublin in third (479), the likes of Galway Racecourse and Leopardstown Racecourse deliver great events on the calendar.
Where is Cricket Most Popular in Ireland?
Cricket is a sport that’s been on the rise in Ireland for some time now.
The nation boasts four main grounds rated by the ICC. With two of those in Dublin, we understand why the capital has taken the top spot with 262 searches.
In joint second, both Galway and Kilkenny search for cricket 186 times per 10,000 people.
Where is Golf Most Popular in Ireland?
A place known for its natural beauty and green landscape, Ireland is home to some of the world’s greatest and most challenging courses.
From links courses on the coast to picturesque holes in the heart of the country, the love for the game is spread quite evenly, with Dublin on 117 searches, Cork on 85 and Galway 84.
Where is Tennis Most Popular in Ireland?
While high-ranking Irish tennis players are hard to come by, the sport is still popular with almost 180 affiliated clubs to Tennis Ireland, engaging with nearly 80,000 players.
Tennis is most popular in Dublin with 117 searches for every 10,000 in the city, while Kilkenny has 96 and Galway 84.
Where is NFL (American Football) Most Popular in Ireland?
While Ireland has never hosted a regular-season NFL game, Ireland could be the location of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ international game in 2025.
That and with nearly 6,000 US citizens living in Dublin, it makes sense why the city tops the charts with 117 searches.
Galway isn’t far behind with 102 searches and Limerick in third with 86.
Where is Hurling Most Popular in Ireland?
Hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world and has been popular in Ireland for at least 3,000 years.
Regularly making it to the All-Ireland finals and having won the championship last in 2023, Limerick is the most popular place in Ireland to search for hurling, with 156 for every 10,000.
With the joint most titles of 19, Kilkenny is in second with 96 searches and Cork in third with 85.
Where is Boxing Most Popular in Ireland?
Producing some of the biggest names in boxing over the years, superstars in the ring have come from every corner of the country.
From Bray’s Katie Taylor to Clones’ Barry McGuigan, you’ll find boxing gyms and local legends everywhere you go in the Irish fighting game.
Dublin’s the most popular place for boxing with 43 searches for every 10,000 residents, Cork with 40 and Waterford with 35.
Where is Camogie Most Popular in Ireland?
Founded in 1904, camogie is a variation of the game hurling with over 100,000 women playing the sport across 538 clubs, with 513 based in Ireland.
This Irish stick-and-ball team sport is most popular in Kilkenny (63 searches), with County Kilkenny winning the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship 15 times. Waterford are yet to win a championship but that hasn’t affected the popularity of the sport, coming in second (35).
Cork are the current trophy holders and have won the most championships with 30, this rich vein of form sees them the third most popular city to search for Camogie (22).
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