Ireland at the Olympics

Ireland at the Olympics
IOC code	IRL
NOC	Olympic Federation of Ireland
Website	olympics.ie
Medals Ranked 51st	Gold 15 Silver 10 Bronze 17 Total 42
Summer appearances
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winter appearances
1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Other related appearances
Great Britain (1896–1920)

A team representing Ireland as an independent state or polity has competed at the Summer Olympic Games since 1924, and at the Winter Olympic Games since 1992.

The National Olympic Committee in Ireland has been known by three titles. It was originally called the Irish Olympic Council (IOC) from 1920 to 1952 (not to be confused with the International Olympic Committee, also abbreviated as IOC). It became the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) from 1952 to 2018. It then became the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) in 2018.

The Irish Olympic Council was formed in 1922^[1] during the provisional administration prior to the formal establishment of the Irish Free State. The Irish Olympic Council (IOC) affiliated to the International Olympic Committee (also "IOC") in time for the Paris games in 1924.^[1]

For many sports, the respective national federation represents the entire island of Ireland, which comprises both the Republic of Ireland (originally a dominion with the title the Irish Free State) and Northern Ireland (which following the founding of the Irish Free State as an independent dominion remained part of the United Kingdom). Northern Ireland-born athletes are entitled to represent either Ireland or Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as they are automatically entitled to the citizenship of both countries. As a result, athletes will tend to represent the National Olympic Committee of the nation to which their sport federation is aligned. The smaller competition pool will also see athletes choose to represent Ireland to ensure greater Olympic qualification chances, although athletes may also move in the opposite direction to increase medal chances, especially in team events. A number of athletes have represented both nations.

In addition, Ireland has regularly been represented by members of the Irish diaspora who are explicitly recognised in the nation's constitution, and who often have citizenship rights through family heritage, i.e. a parent or grandparent with Irish citizenship.^[2]

From the first modern-era games in 1896 until the 1920 games, Ireland was represented by the Great Britain and Ireland team. In early editions of the Games, 'Ireland' as a team was entered in certain events as one of several Great Britain and Ireland entries that mirrored the Home Nations. Ireland was one of the nations that boycotted neither the 1980 Moscow nor the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Ireland did, however, boycott the 1936 Berlin Games in protest at a 1935 IOC ruling that restricted the Irish Olympic Council's jurisdiction from the entire island to the territory of the Irish Free State^[3].

The 2024 Summer Olympics was the most successful Olympics in the history of the nation, with Ireland breaking their previous record medal haul of 6 at London 2012 with a total of 7 medals having been won. The team also surpassed the Atlanta 1996 record of 3 Olympics golds in a games, including both a first Olympic medal and Olympic gold medal in Gymnastics as well as a first ever gold for the men in Swimming. The 2024 Paris games also marked 100 years since Ireland's first appearance at the summer games.

The highest number of golds achieved in a particular Olympic games is four, which was achieved at Paris 2024 with gold medals in swimming, rowing, gymnastics and boxing.

Boxing is Ireland's most successful sport at the Games, accounting for more than 50% of the medals won. Athletics, boxing and swimming have provided the most gold medals, with four.

Many of the sports most popular in Ireland are either not Olympic sports (such as Gaelic games, horse racing) or have only become so relative recently (golf, rugby sevens), and this is reflected in a somewhat moderate overall record for Ireland at the Games outside of boxing. Notwithstanding this, however, Ireland has been a consistent and enthusiastic Olympic nation, and its medalists are widely publicised and celebrated, while Olympic qualification is highly valued even without medal success.