The seven-medal haul by Ireland’s sports stars at the summer’s Paris Olympics earned them the title of Team of the Year in the 2024 Teneo Sport & Sponsorship Index (TSSI). Ireland’s Olympians earned 28 per cent of the vote, an accolade they also won in 2021 after the Tokyo Olympic Games. Their four gold and three bronze medals ensured that the athletes feature prominently throughout the research based on interviews with 1,000 respondents.
The Ireland men’s rugby team, which was voted top team in 2023, took second place with 17 per cent after their successful defence of the Six Nations title earlier this year. The standout performances of Ireland’s women’s 4x400m relay team, European silver medallists and Olympic finalists, secure them third place on 145 per cent. The Irish Paralympics Team, which won six medals in Paris this summer, were voted fourth in team of the year with 12 per cent.
Admired
Female sports stars dominated the voting for Ireland’s most admired athlete. Katie Taylor’s only fight this year, defeating Amanda Serrano in a closely contested bout in November, was enough to secure her the title of Ireland’s most admired athlete for an incredible eighth successive year with 15 per cent of the vote. Sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke, who competed in both the European Championships and Olympics, was in second place on 11 per cent.
It was the first time the Tallaght athlete made the shortlist. Writing herself into the history books with a second Olympic gold medal, Kellie Harrington took third place on the list with 10 per cent of the vote. Her fellow back-to-back Olympic gold-medalists, rowers Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy, share fourth spot with Ireland and Connacht rugby centre, Bundee Aki, on seven per cent, with jockey Rachael Blackmore sixth on five per cent.
Despite a loss to England dashed hopes of back-to-back Grand Slams, the Ireland men’s rugby team winning a consecutive Six Nations title was voted the year’s top sporting achievement on 15 per cent. Team Ireland’s Olympic athletes occupy four of the top six spots. Harrington’s historic second Olympic gold took second place on 11 per cent, while Daniel Wiffen (above) winning gold and bronze in the pool, and Taylor’s victory were joint third.
In fifth place was Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy’s defence of their Tokyo gold medal earning eight per cent, followed by Rhys McClenaghan’s pommel horse gold medal in sixth on six per cent. Harrington’s unforgettable rendition of Sean O’Meara’s song ‘Grace’ with support from Irish fans at Roland Garros in Paris following her gold medal bout was voted the most memorable sporting moment by the Irish public, receiving 14 per cent of the vote.
In joint second place were O’Donovan and McCarthy’s defence of their Olympic title in the men’s lightweight double sculls and the moment Taylor (above) raised her hand in victory over Serrano. Three moments share fourth place on eight per cent: the women’s 4x400m relay team’s fourth place finish in the Olympic final, Wiffen’s charismatic poolside interview after his gold medal win, and Ciaran Frawley’s dramatic last-minute drop-goal to secure Ireland’s second ever men’s rugby test victory in South Africa against the world champions.
Ireland is a nation of sports enthusiasts, with almost nine in ten adults interested in the action. Gaelic games was voted the top sport for the seventh year in a row, on 20 per cent. Soccer remains Ireland’s second favourite sport with 18 per cent, followed by rugby on 15 per cent. Tennis and golf share fourth position on five per cent, while athletics drops one place to sixth, taking four per cent of the vote alongside horse racing and motorsport.
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Next year’s Six Nations rugby tournament, when Ireland bid for a third successive title, is the most anticipated sporting event of 2025 by a significant margin with 30 per cent of the vote. In second place on 15 per cent is the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, while the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is in third spot on 12 per cent. Although the Irish team did not qualify, the Women’s UEFA European Championships ranks fourth on seven per cent.
One in five of all adults volunteered at a sporting club or sports event in 2024
Kelli O’Keeffe, Teneo, said it was an incredible year for Irish athletes and teams, with the achievements in Paris. “The Olympic Games isn’t just a global sporting event but also a cultural one, which is evident as Team Ireland and its athletes feature extensively throughout the research. While Katie Taylor retains her place as Ireland’s most admired athlete, it’s fantastic to see that she’s now joined by Ireland’s newest superstar, Rhasidat Adeleke.”
