564:
87:
579:. The game was brought to Belfast by Canadian businessman Bob Zeller in 2000. The team won the British Ice Hockey Superleague Championship in 2002 and were crowned the Elite League Champion in 2006. Ex-NHL star
27:
where almost six out of ten (59%) of the adult population regularly participate in one or more sports. Belfast has several notable sports teams playing a diverse variety of sports including football (
63:
is run annually on May Day, and attracted 14,300 participants in 2007. Cycling, triathlon and athletics are also popular as both participation and spectator sports, with the first two stages of the
323:, Casement was regularly host to finals in the Ulster Hurling Championship, which Antrim dominated before it was suspended. Football finals, traditionally have been played in
116:
who died in
November 2005. On the day he was buried in the city, 100,000 people lined the route from his home on the Cregagh Road to Roselawn cemetery. Since his death the
490:
278:
109:
97:
32:
288:, one of the most successful teams in Ireland until it withdrew permanently from the Irish League in 1949. The club was refounded in 2019 when
431:
71:
event being held in the grounds of
Stormont Castle every year until 2009. The Stormont Estate is also one of the four home grounds for the
396:
68:
529:
376:
330:
262:
182:
166:
117:
153:
656:
637:
536:
242:
178:
563:
454:, Belfast. The Ireland cricket team plays many of its home games at this venue, which, in 2006, also hosted the first ever
364:
170:
877:
845:
689:
670:
308:
471:
435:
289:
834:
951:
451:
427:
388:
230:
474:
played a triangular series of one-day internationals at
Stormont, and in 2008 the qualifying tournament for the
361:
521:
423:
202:
47:), traditional Irish Gaelic games, and North American sports such as American football and ice hockey (at the
808:
572:
544:
482:
324:
234:
206:
52:
86:
502:
455:
419:
623:
are both professional snooker players from
Belfast. The city also runs its own District Snooker League.
548:
505:
are in
Section 1; BISC are in Section 2; and Cooke Collegians, Dunmurry and Newforge are in Section 3.
75:, alongside Bready, Malahide and Clontarf, and also hosts the Northern Cricket Union provincial teams.
64:
903:
516:
is a major participatory sport in
Belfast, for both men and women. There are four senior men's clubs:
599:
584:
525:
498:
463:
334:
274:
246:
174:
127:
72:
467:
285:
250:
186:
120:
has been named after him and a trust has been set up to fund a memorial to him in the city centre.
101:
540:
475:
459:
392:
254:
222:
48:
929:
633:
588:
494:
410:
There are seven junior clubs in
Belfast: Belfast Met, CIYMS, Civil Service, Cooke, Grosvenor,
400:
372:
238:
214:
210:
198:
194:
145:
135:
663:
648:
415:
60:
40:
24:
782:
630:
626:
342:
300:
226:
218:
190:
157:
124:
652:
576:
346:
312:
270:
266:
138:
131:
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945:
737:
641:
316:
304:
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513:
368:
338:
258:
149:
105:
90:
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676:
659:
recently announced that UFC 72 will take place at
Odyssey Arena on 16 June 2007.
580:
380:
113:
759:
552:
517:
486:
411:
384:
320:
307:, in West Belfast has a capacity of 32,000 which makes it the second largest
881:
620:
161:
303:
is the one of the most popular spectator sports in the island of
Ireland.
933:
849:
447:
350:
20:
404:
587:
in the league during his time there. Home matches are played at the
666:
is run annually on May Day, attracting 14,300 participants in 2007.
812:
562:
85:
383:
clubs in
Ireland. There are three Belfast clubs in the league:
67:
starting from Belfast City Centre, and the annual high profile
19:
Watching and playing sports is an important part of culture in
647:
Belfast has produced several world champion boxers including
403:
are also competitions entered by senior rugby clubs in
341:. This is the top division championship of university
709:"Chapter Twelve: Sport and Recreation as an activity"
575:
by Ireland's first professional ice hockey team, the
713:
The Organisation of Sport & Recreation in the UK
732:
730:
872:
870:
715:. Central Council of Physical Recreation. 2005
481:At club level, Belfast has nine senior teams:
108:. Belfast was the home town of the renowned
8:
880:. Coors Belfast Giants. 2007. Archived from
679:, a professional wrestler, is from Belfast.
551:, Queen's University, CIYMS, NICS, PSNI,
379:is the national league for the 50 senior
311:ground in Ulster. It was named after Sir
700:
602:was founded in 2010, and was the first
98:Northern Ireland national football team
33:Northern Ireland national football team
583:played for the team and was named the
414:and PSNI; and six schools play rugby:
535:There are nine senior ladies' clubs:
345:in Ireland. They also compete in the
7:
432:Royal Belfast Academical Institution
353:university championship equivalent.
315:, one of the revolutionaries of the
43:, home of former European champions
811:. George Best Trust. Archived from
783:"A city mourns for the Belfast Boy"
100:, ranked 54th in the February 2019
69:Belfast International Cross Country
39:), rugby (including at Ravenhill's
904:"Giants clinch Elite League title"
740:. Belfast City Council. 7 May 2007
14:
781:McCann, Nuala (3 December 2005).
493:are in the Premier League of the
446:Belfast boasts Ireland's premier
335:University of Ulster, Jordanstown
279:Ballymena & Provincial League
591:and watched by up to 7000 fans.
263:Northern Amateur Football League
183:NIFL Premier Intermediate League
154:Harland & Wolff Welders F.C.
760:"FIFA/Coca Cola World Rankings"
636:teams represent Belfast in the
290:Sport & Leisure Swifts F.C.
844:. Gaelic Athletic Association
657:Ultimate Fighting Championship
571:Belfast is represented in the
491:Civil Service North of Ireland
284:Notable defunct clubs include
1:
738:"Mutai wins Belfast Marathon"
532:; and one junior club: PSNI.
835:"Information and Statistics"
809:"George Best Memorial Trust"
606:league in Northern Ireland.
130:teams are based in Belfast;
16:Overview of sport in Belfast
846:Gaelic Athletic Association
690:Sport in the United Kingdom
671:World Police and Fire Games
309:Gaelic Athletic Association
296:Gaelic football and hurling
243:St Patrick's Young Men F.C.
968:
179:Sport & Leisure Swifts
104:plays its home matches at
787:BBC News Northern Ireland
669:In 2013 Belfast held the
428:Methodist College Belfast
878:"Belfast Giants History"
617:Alex "Hurricane" Higgins
424:Grosvenor Grammar School
51:where the multiple time
930:Roller skate revolution
573:Elite Ice Hockey League
325:Clones, County Monaghan
235:Rosario Youth Club F.C.
207:Dunmurry Young Men F.C.
53:Elite Ice Hockey League
842:GAA Attendance Figures
615:Double world champion
568:
375:in South Belfast. The
93:
31:being the home of the
908:BBC Sport: Ice Hockey
762:. FIFA. December 2011
566:
456:one-day international
420:Belfast Royal Academy
89:
815:on 29 September 2007
640:, competing for the
600:Belfast Roller Derby
585:most valuable player
466:. In 2007, Ireland,
397:Ulster Senior League
247:Shankill United F.C.
231:Orangefield Old Boys
73:Ireland cricket team
395:(Division 2B). The
286:Belfast Celtic F.C.
251:Short Brothers F.C.
187:Albert Foundry F.C.
102:FIFA World Rankings
569:
541:Belfast Harlequins
530:Queen's University
476:ICC World Twenty20
436:Wellington College
393:Belfast Harlequins
391:(Division 2A) and
389:Queen's University
377:All-Ireland League
331:Queen's University
317:1916 Easter Rising
255:Sirocco Works F.C.
171:Queen's University
167:Intermediate-level
94:
65:2014 Giro d'Italia
928:Alex Gulrajani, "
634:American football
567:The Odyssey Arena
495:NCU Senior League
401:Ulster Senior Cup
373:Ravenhill Stadium
215:Grove United F.C.
211:East Belfast F.C.
199:Crumlin Star F.C.
146:NIFL Championship
136:Cliftonville F.C.
959:
952:Sport in Belfast
937:
936:, 18 August 2010
926:
920:
919:
917:
915:
900:
894:
893:
891:
889:
874:
865:
864:
862:
860:
854:
848:. Archived from
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820:
805:
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798:
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772:
771:
769:
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749:
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745:
734:
725:
724:
722:
720:
705:
664:Belfast Marathon
649:Wayne McCullough
478:was held there.
416:Campbell College
61:Belfast Marathon
41:Kingspan Stadium
25:Northern Ireland
967:
966:
962:
961:
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736:
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698:
686:
631:Belfast Trojans
627:Belfast Knights
612:
597:
561:
511:
444:
359:
349:, which is the
343:Gaelic football
337:compete in the
301:Gaelic football
298:
275:St James Swifts
261:compete in the
227:Malachians F.C.
219:Immaculata F.C.
191:Bloomfield F.C.
181:compete in the
175:Newington Youth
158:Knockbreda F.C.
84:
78:
59:are based. The
17:
12:
11:
5:
965:
963:
955:
954:
944:
943:
939:
938:
921:
910:. 5 March 2006
895:
884:on 2 July 2007
866:
855:on 26 May 2006
826:
800:
773:
751:
726:
699:
697:
694:
693:
692:
685:
682:
681:
680:
674:
667:
660:
653:Rinty Monaghan
645:
624:
611:
608:
596:
593:
577:Belfast Giants
560:
557:
510:
507:
458:(ODI) between
443:
440:
358:
355:
347:Fitzgibbon Cup
313:Roger Casement
297:
294:
271:Donegal Celtic
148:teams include
110:Northern Irish
83:
80:
57:Belfast Giants
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
964:
953:
950:
949:
947:
935:
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739:
733:
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695:
691:
688:
687:
683:
678:
675:
672:
668:
665:
661:
658:
654:
650:
646:
643:
642:Shamrock Bowl
639:
635:
632:
628:
625:
622:
618:
614:
613:
609:
607:
605:
601:
594:
592:
590:
589:Odyssey Arena
586:
582:
578:
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558:
556:
554:
550:
546:
542:
538:
533:
531:
527:
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306:
305:Casement Park
302:
295:
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276:
272:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
223:Iveagh United
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
203:Dunmurry Rec.
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
144:
143:Linfield F.C.
140:
137:
133:
129:
126:
121:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
92:
88:
81:
79:
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74:
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66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
37:Linfield F.C.
34:
30:
26:
22:
924:
912:. Retrieved
907:
898:
886:. Retrieved
882:the original
857:. Retrieved
850:the original
841:
829:
817:. Retrieved
813:the original
803:
791:. Retrieved
786:
776:
764:. Retrieved
754:
742:. Retrieved
717:. Retrieved
712:
703:
610:Other sports
604:roller derby
598:
595:Roller derby
570:
534:
522:Cliftonville
512:
480:
472:South Africa
445:
409:
360:
339:Sigerson Cup
329:
299:
283:
195:Colin Valley
165:
125:Irish League
122:
118:City Airport
112:footballer,
106:Windsor Park
95:
91:Windsor Park
77:
45:Ulster Rugby
29:Windsor Park
18:
677:Dave Finlay
581:Theo Fleury
555:and Cooke.
381:rugby union
357:Rugby Union
292:rebranded.
114:George Best
35:as well as
766:3 February
696:References
559:Ice hockey
553:Instonians
545:Victorians
518:Instonians
487:Instonians
412:Instonians
371:, play at
367:champions
321:Antrim GAA
319:. Home to
123:Four NIFL
621:Joe Swail
450:venue at
267:Brantwood
239:St Luke's
162:PSNI F.C.
139:Glentoran
132:Crusaders
55:champion
49:SSE Arena
946:Category
934:BBC News
684:See also
503:Woodvale
452:Stormont
399:and the
365:European
333:and the
128:football
82:Football
537:Pegasus
499:Cregagh
464:England
460:Ireland
448:cricket
442:Cricket
351:Hurling
277:in the
259:Suffolk
150:Dundela
21:Belfast
914:18 May
888:18 May
859:18 May
819:18 May
793:18 May
744:18 May
719:18 May
655:. The
514:Hockey
509:Hockey
405:Ulster
385:Malone
369:Ulster
169:clubs
141:, and
853:(PDF)
838:(PDF)
789:. BBC
549:Knock
483:CIYMS
468:India
916:2007
890:2007
861:2006
821:2007
795:2005
768:2019
746:2007
721:2007
662:The
651:and
638:IAFL
629:and
619:and
528:and
526:NICS
501:and
489:and
470:and
462:and
434:and
387:and
362:1999
273:and
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177:and
160:and
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