Sport and Leisure

There's much to do in Cork for people of all ages - from adventure sports and fast moving team games to more leisurely pursuits and pastimes.

Cork is a sporting county. Gaelic Games, Golf, Soccer, Hockey, Athletics, Tennis, Fishing and a wide variety of Water Sports are all popular and readily available locally. Rugby, which has always been strong in the region, is enjoying further growth as a result of the Munster provincial side's recent success in European competition.

Gaelic Games

Ireland is home to the world's fastest field game. The national sport is the ancient, team game of Hurling. Players use a flat-headed stick to control a small leather ball. An exhilarating spectacle even for the casual observer, the game arouses enormous passion in Cork.

Gaelic Football, like Hurling, is a product of Ireland's Celtic heritage. It's a fast paced passing game, similar to Australian Rules Football. Children are actively encouraged to compete in both games and an excellent network of clubs provide coaching for both boys and girls.

Walking & Cycling

Ireland is a walker's paradise with quiet lanes, challenging mountains and exceptional scenic beauty. There are 4 developed Long Distance Walking Routes in Cork covering nearly 600km. They provide an excellent opportunity to experience a variety of mountain, river, lake and sea landscapes.

Since Stephen Roche won the Tour de France, cycling has attracted a large following in Ireland. Road racing is popular but touring is also a big sport. Quiet country roads make cycling in Cork an excellent way of seeing the country. Over 500km of cycling routes have been developed and signposted. 

Golf

Cork county's lush, green parkland and rugged coastal beauty is a dream come true for golfers. Golf is a major sport all over Ireland and tourists flock to these shores to take up the challenge offered by numerous championship courses. Wherever you go there’s a course nearby. In fact, within 20 km of Cork City there are more than a dozen 18 hole courses set in beautiful countryside.

Fishing

Cork provides some of Ireland’s finest fishing. Mountain lakes and rivers offer excellent game fishing and coarse angling is available at a number of locations. The Blackwater River holds good salmon and trout stocks and the River Lee near Inniscarra dam has some of the best salmon fishing in Ireland. There are also deep-sea angling centres along the coast. Closer to the city, charter boats are available in Cork Harbour, Crosshaven, Ballycotton and Kinsale. Beach or surf fishing is also popular.

Equestrian Sports

Irish bloodstock is world famous and horseracing is an essential part of Irish life. Flat, National Hunt and Point-to-Point meetings generate great interest throughout the land. Cork is no exception and there’s a racecourse in Mallow which is just 35km from Cork City. The county also has a number of registered equestrian centres that offer excellent facilities and tuition.

Watersports

An indented coastline makes county Cork a joy for sailors and watersports enthusiasts. Crosshaven has the world’s oldest yacht club and marinas at Kinsale and Schull are popular with international sailors. Windsurfers and canoeists can choose shallow estuaries or pounding Atlantic surf. Scuba Divers may be tempted to search for the Spanish Armada. Closer to shore, there’s abundant plant and sea life to explore in Lough Hyne.

Indoor Sports

Indoor sports are equally well catered for in the Metropolitan Cork area. Basketball, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Ten Pin Bowling, Yoga and Martial Arts and much more available  all year round. And high-tech gyms and fitness centres offer personalised programmes of aerobic, resistance or circuit training as well as spa facilities and beauty treatments. So, even if you're not the outdoors type it's easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle when you live in Cork city and its environs.