Dublin Sports

Dublin is a great city for taking a day or evening out to attend a sporting event. The most regular sporting events that attract a good crowd are Greyhound racing at Shelbourne Park and Harolds Cross stadiums and horse racing at Leopardstown in Foxrock Dublin 18, or at various race tracks a short drive out of Dublin at tracks such as the Curragh, Punchestown and Fairy House.

Then there is always a huge crowd for international rugby and soccer matches, and of course the GAA welcomes sell out crowds to Dublin for the big GAA football and hurling matches, these are the biggest amateur sporting events in the world with in excess of 80,000 people cheering on their teams at the GAA headquarters, Croke Park (which is now the temporary home of international rugby and soccer as Lansdowne Road is being rebuilt).

The main attractions recreational wise lie with activities such as walking, golfing, kite surfing, sailing and so on which are available all over Dublin. The beaches of the north county in Portmarnock, Howth and Dollymount all provide a great place to windsurf, kite surf, walk and run. They also have golf courses aplenty. There are also similar suitable locations in the south county with Sandymount strand being the most obvious as well as in Killiney.

Greyhound Racing

Greyhound racing is a great way to spend an evening out in Dublin whether on your own or part of a big group. The two tracks in Dublin are Shelbourne Park and Harold's Cross which are both on the edge of the centre of Dublin City. It is a very social evening out, it's great fun and you might even win a few quid.

Shelbourne Park

Racing - Wed, Thu, Sat evenings
Hospitality packages available
Restaurant, bar, bookmakers, hospitality suites

Harolds Cross

Racing - Mon, Tue, Fri evenings
Hospitality packages available
Restaurant, bar, bookmakers, hospitality suites

Horse Racing

Horse Racing has been a part of Irish life since time began (or so many would believe!) and is in the blood of the population. Some of the finest horses in the world are bred on this sacred soil and some of the finest minds train horses here. There are 5 horse racing tracks within - or a short distance from - the city limits. A day out at the horses is extremely popular with tourists in Dublin and there is racing on throughout the year, you might even be lucky and get to the Irish Grand National or Derby.


THE CURRAGH - The Curragh is one of Ireland's oldest racecourses, the name is actually the Gaelic name for racecourse and is home to the Budweiser Irish Derby. It is located in County Kildare about 29 miles (46km) from Dublin. There is a train service to the Curragh and a bus service on race days.

FAIRYHOUSE RACECOURSE - Fairy house is home to Ireland’s premier National Hunt race, the Irish Grand National, which is run every year. Located in Ratoath, County Meath, the racecourse is about 12 miles (19km) from Dublin. Bus Eireann provide a special bus on race days.

LEOPARDSTOWN RACECOURSE - Leopardstown Racecourse hosts 22 race-meetings a year, with a mixture of National Hunt and Flat fixtures, with the Christmas festival and the Gold Cup the highlights. Leopardstown is the only remaining racecourse in Dublin, located about 12 miles (18km) from the city-centre in the suburb of Foxrock (Dublin 18). A bus leaves Busaras on race days.

NAAS RACECOURSE - Naas racecourse is located in the heart of the Thoroughbred County, Kildare about 25 miles (40km) from the city-centre. Special Bus Eireann Service's are available for race meetings. All of the facilities at the track have just been upgraded and it is a quality racecourse.

PUNCHESTOWN RACECOURSE - Punchestown is a wonderful racecourse, one of the best in the British Isles and has some famous races, the Ladies Perpetual Cup and the Quinns of Baltinglass Steeplechase for the La Touche Cup in the National Hunt Festival which takes places every Spring. It is located in Co. Kildare and is only 30 mins from Dublin. A special bus service is available from Busaras on race days.

CROKE PARK - Gaelic Football & Hurling

Croke Park Stadium is Ireland’s premier venue for sporting events. Located on Dublin's north side, the venue is ideally situated on the airport route from the city centre and has been hosting sporting events since 1896. Matches are held throughout the year culminating in the All Ireland Finals in September.

The stadium is comprised of three impressive stands, the Cusack, Davin and Hogan Stands and is completed by the Dineen Hill 16 and Nally Terrace, it has match day capacities for up to 82,300 people.

The stadium historically hosted its' first rugby match in February 2007 and its' first soccer match in March 2007. This was a huge moment in Ireland as English games had been banned from all GAA pitches for generations. This stemmed back to the persecution of the GAA by the British that included British troops entering Croke Park on Bloody Sunday, 21 November 1920. They were here to avenge the murder of 14 British spies and their associates and randomly opened fire on players and the crowd during the middle of a match. 14 civilians died. Lansdowne Road was the home of soccer and rugby and it fell into a terrible condition and needed to be knocked down and rebuilt. Rugby and soccer needed a new ground whilst Lansdowne was being redeveloped and for a while it looked like international Irish rugby and soccer would have to be played in Britain for a few years. The GAA famously voted to allow rugby and soccer to be played in Croke Park rather than let the matches be played abroad. The scale of this momentous occasion can not be understated.

Tours of the stadium are available when there are not matches on (call to check):

January - June & September - December
Monday - Saturday: 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00
Sunday*: 13.00, 14.00, 15.00.


GAA Museum

Croke Park and the GAA has a rich  history . The GAA Museum was established to commemorate, recognise and celebrate the GAA's enormous contribution to Irish sporting, cultural and social life since its foundation in 1884. The GAA Museum, situated under the Cusack Stand is open daily throughout the year. The GAA Museum looks at the birth and growth of the GAA at home and abroad, and its unique role in the national movement and cultural revival in Ireland.

Golf in Dublin

Located on Bull Island, which also houses a bird sanctuary, this golf course is one of the oldest in Ireland, dating back to 1885. During World War II, the site was taken over by the military and used as a rifle and artillery range.