3 times as many play soccer as GAA

THREE times more people play soccer than gaelic football here despite the Gaelic Athletic Association’s (GAA) membership being over twice as large as that of the Irish Football Association’s (IFA).

By Kevin Mullan

Published 2nd Apr 2013, 18:14 BST

Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín revealed that seven per cent of adults had played either indoor or outdoor soccer at least once in 2010/11.

Just two per cent of adults had played gaelic football during the same twelve months; just one per cent had played rugby union.

The Minister said the estimated participation rates of adults playing were available through the Continuous Household Survey (CHS), an annual household survey taken from across Northern Ireland. Despite the larger participation rate, the IFA has a much lower membership than the GAA.

In 2010/11 the IFA had 27,041 adult members; the GAA had 71,049; and the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) had 12,898 members.

GAA Northern Ireland