Sport Ireland has welcomed the publication of the government’s ‘Major international sports events policy and strategy framework’, which aims to promote Ireland as a host for major sporting events.
Minister for sport, Catherine Martin, and minister of state for sport, Thomas Byrne, today published the strategy, which “seeks to build on Ireland’s success in hosting major international sports events to date”.
The framework sets out a strategic approach to bidding for major international sports events and maximising the benefits of such events whenever Ireland hosts them.
It says that “Hosting a major international sport event has the potential to deliver a range of benefits and opportunities, while simultaneously, having the potential to be costly and risky. Benefits can range from a short-term economic boost through direct tourism to longer-term sporting, social and economic benefits.”
The framework identifies ’15 guiding principles’ to help the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in determining whether it should support potential bids, including the proviso that there should be no more than two ‘mega events’ in any five-year period.
“It is important that when we invest in major sports events we are clear about the benefits we wish to achieve from that investment,” said minister Martin.
“Sport-related tourism is a very significant element of world tourism, with a multi-million euro market and a huge potential for countries who position themselves correctly. Major international sports events provide a unique opportunity to highlight the island of Ireland as a wonderful holiday destination, as well as a top location for sporting events.”
Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “Sport Ireland has already successfully supported significant international sports events on the Sport Ireland Campus on numerous occasions, such as the UCI Cyclocross World Cup Round in 2022 and 2023, European Cross Country Championships in 2021 and the Para Swimming European Championships in 2018. This framework positions us to build on those successes.”
Ireland will welcome a senior major international soccer tournament for the first time in 2028 as co-hosts of the European Championship with England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland was also due to be a co-host until the UK government announced it would not fund the proposed redevelopment of the GAA-owned Casement Park in time for Euro 2028.
Minister Byrne said today that the government had told UEFA that it is willing to host the games intended for Belfast but outside of Dublin. “We want more matches,” he said. “We’ve expressed a view to UEFA, we want them on a regional basis.” Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork has been suggested as a potential replacement for Casement Park.
The island hosted the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017 – when all the knockout games were played in Belfast – and was a co-host of the men’s tournaments in 1991 and 1999, but Ireland failed in a solo bid to host the 2023 edition.
The 2006 Ryder Cup was played at the K-Club and will return to Adare Manor in 2027 while the first two stages of the 1998 Tour de France took place between Dublin, Enniscorthy and Cork.
Lansdowne Road has also hosted high-profile one-off events such as the European Rugby Champions Cup decider (1999, 2003, 2013 and 2023) and UEFA Europa League finals (2011 and 2024).
Earlier this year, Motorsport Ireland withdrew a planned bid to host a World Rally Championship stage from 2025-27 after the government said it would need six months to complete an economic study before being in a position to grant public funding.
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