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Access in Sport in Northern Ireland

Armagh v Monaghan
Dungannon v Bohemians

Getting in the Game: Issues of Access in Sport in Northern Ireland

Sports Council for Northern Ireland

Professor Hastings Donnan 

Funded by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland

This project examined issues of access to local sport within the context of increasing globalisation of local sport structures.

A number of factors affect sporting opportunities in Northern Ireland, including the well-documented historical associations between some sports and the religious divided.  The project used a mix of historical research, secondary source material and semi-structured interviews to address the following in relation to ice hockey and rugby (including its relationship to GAA football):

  • Local political history of each sport
  • Background of local athletes in each sport
  • Socio-economic background of major supporters
  • Location of major spectator facilities
  • Locals’ access to facilities for competition
  • Policies towards cross community development