The Paris Olympics were historic, but what’s next for Irish sport

Ireland’s Olympic heroes were welcomed back to Dublin on Monday with the sort of fanfare and excitement that had been the reserve of the International football team in the past, and few could disagree that they deserved every bit of it.

The country has watched on with joy and amazement over the last few weeks as our Olympic team delivered the country’s best Olympic performance, bringing back four Gold Medals and three bronze medals, a total of seven medals from Paris 2024, beating the old record of six from London 2012. Daniel Wiffin won gold and bronze in the 800m and 1500m pool, and Mona McSharry joined him in delivering a bronze in the 100m breaststroke. Rhys McClenaghan achieved his dream of winning Gold on the Pommel Horse in Gymnastics, while in boxing and rowing Kellie Harrington and the team of Paul O’ Donovan and Fintan McCarthy backed up their respective Golds from Tokyo, proving they are undeniably the best in the world in their fields.

Daire Lynch and Phillip Doyle also achieved bronze in the rowing competition as the Irish rowers matched their Tokyo result with one gold and one bronze.

The important thing for Irish sport, however, is that the effects of these Olympic Games and what the athletes have achieved are not just short lived for a few weeks after the highs of Paris, but long-lasting moving forward towards Los Angeles in 2028, Brisbane in 2032 and beyond.

To do this, greater investment in sport is needed in Ireland, both in the high-performance sphere and at a grassroots level. Ireland’s high-performance sports were granted €25 million in funding in 2024, bringing the total funding for the Paris Olympic cycle to around €89 million. Contrast this with Greyhound and Horse racing, which received approx. €95 million between them in 2024 alone, and it's clear that there is a need for an increase in what our Olympic athletes are awarded.

The athletes in Paris have proven that by increasing the funding and support from where it was for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, greater results can be achieved by our Olympians, and this must be increased again as we look ahead to L.A. in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

In an announcement by the Irish Government €400 million is set to be invested in Irish sport to improve Stadia and deliver world class infrastructure and facilities to the country. This funding includes a brand new first of its kind in Ireland National Velodrome to benefit Irish Cycling and afford our track cyclists the ability to train on these shores, and a National Badminton Centre. But more will be needed.

New stars of the track hoping to follow in the example of Rhasidat Adeleke or Ciara Mageean who won Gold at the European Championships this year need greater access to athletic tracks right around the country. This kind of investment will not only help pave the way for future Irish Olympians, but easy access to athletic facilities can only be of benefit to the wider society, improving the general health and well-being of everyone who can use it.

Daniel Wiffin and Mona McSharry have undoubtedly inspired a new generation of fans to swim with their exploits in Paris, but access to world-class 50-metre swimming facilities in Ireland is not widespread. In Ireland, there are only six 50-metre swimming pools on the island. For Swim Ireland to continue the magnificent work they have managed to do over the last few years, funding will be needed to make access to top-quality aquatic facilities much easier if we want to mould new Wiffins or McSharrys into the future.

It's worth noting that many of Ireland’s success stories from Paris have been aided by coaching regimes in the US or the UK. The development and building of facilities like the Sport Ireland Institute has proven over the last decade or so that if facilities are provided, results can be achieved by Irish athletes.

A key next step in the continued growth of sport in Ireland is to make sure that these new facilities, which are earmarked and hopefully delivered by the new investment strategy from the Irish government, are shaped and managed by top-level coaches and staff. If Ireland could keep and develop more world-class coaches and fund them adequately enough that they can stay in Ireland to work, days of Irish athletes feeling like they have no choice but to move abroad to gain high-level coaching and training would hopefully be over.

What Team Ireland’s exploits in Paris have proved to decision makers is that if sport and athletes are invested in financially and professionally by strategies and plans such as the Sport Ireland Institute, the payoff to the whole country can be inspirational.

This investment, such as what the Government has already announced, must persist and continue if Ireland wants to build on the platform set by the country’s Olympic heroes, who, over the past month, have delivered unforgettable sporting moments that will live long in the memory.

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