Come To Cork

Sports & Recreation

Sport is not just a pastime here, it’s part of the fabric of Cork itself. And as any Corkonian will tell you, they’re pretty good at it too, regularly winning national, European and international titles in Gaelic games, rugby, soccer and athletics.

Ireland is the birthplace of the world’s fastest field game, hurling. And there are no prizes for guessing which county’s team has won most all-Ireland titles. Yes, the Cork team has won the national title for this highly skilled game no fewer than 30 times.

Gaelic football is the second most popular game in Cork. Superficially, it looks similar to soccer, but the rules are quite different. And the Cork team are no slouches on the football field either – with six national titles to their credit. At school, children (girls as well as boys) are actively encouraged to compete and there’s a national network of hurling and Gaelic football clubs. For fixtures and tickets click here

There’s a long tradition of rugby playing in Cork city and county too, from schoolboy to international level, with the internationally renowned Munster rugby side, playing half their home matches at Musgrave Park in Ballyphehane.

Being a coastal county, all water sports are popular in Cork – particularly sailing and rowing. The most famous of its many sailing clubs is the venerable Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven, the oldest yacht club in the world. Cork Week is Ireland's largest international sailing regatta and is held every second year in July. Entrants are expected from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, The UK, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, and the US for this year’s event.

But water sports are not just for the professionals. Cork’s coastline is dotted with sailing schools for sailors of all ages and levels of experience. Windsurfers and canoeists also enjoy the challenges of Cork coast’s shallow estuaries and pounding surf.

If calmer waters suit you better, Cork’s lakes and rivers provide some of the finest game fishing in Europe – in some of the most stunning settings. Coarse angling is available on the River Blackwater in North Cork and the River Lee to the West of the city has some of the finest salmon fishing in the country.

Cork is a paradise for walkers with quiet country roads and lanes, challenging mountain paths and exceptionally beautiful countryside. There are four plotted long-distance walking routes in Cork covering almost 600 kilometres. Click here for Cork walking routes.

Over 500 kilometres of cycling routes have been opened and signposted all around the count in recent years. What better way could there be to get to know every corner of your new Cork home?

Within 20 kilometres of Cork city, there are more than a dozen 18-hole golf courses. It’s a very popular sport all over the country and Cork’s rich grassland and stunning coastal beauty make it ideal golf-course material.

Even in the city, there’s no excuse for sitting around! It’s easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle in Cork with basketball, squash, tennis, swimming, ten-pin bowling, yoga, aerobics, martial arts and ice skating all on your doorstep.

And if all that is an inspiration to you … what are you waiting for?