Ireland. Eire. Part III. Фомина И.В. - 22 стр.

                                         SPORT

       Ireland is a sportsperson’s paradise; every imaginable kind of sport at-
tracts enthusiastic followings. Sports centres encourage participation, although
the North is better endowed with facilities than the South. Cycling is a minority
sport in Ireland, but the victory of Stephen Roche in the 1987 Tour de France,
hailed as the greatest Irish sports win ever, attracted an immense degree of popu-
lar attention and enthusiasm. Ireland’s recent world and Olympic medalists in-
clude Sonia O’Sullivan and Gillian O’Sullivan in athletics, the Men’s trap shoot-
ing team, Sam Lynch and Gearoid Towey in rowing, Dermot Lennon in show
jumping while Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke are among the world’s top
golfers.
       In the Republic, Gaelic games enjoy the greatest support. Among the most
popular sports are the traditional games, Gaelic football, hurling and camogie,
which are played almost exclusively in Ireland. These amateur sports of football
and hurling are run by the Gaelic Athletic Association, founded in 1884 to en-
courage Irish national sports. These sports are also are also popular in the North
of Ireland and the All-Ireland championships, usually played at Croke Park in
Dublin, have attendances of over 70,000.
       Soccer is popular in all parts of Ireland; it is played at many levels, from
schoolboy to senior. Two separate leagues, one in Northern Ireland, the other in
the Republic, organize the major competitions. Each part of Ireland organizes its
own international team. However, with the limited opportunities in Irish soccer,
many local players, from Danny Blanchflower to Liam Brady and Franc Scaple-
ton, have gone on to become international stars. The Irish national soccer team,
managed by Jack Charlton, has achieved notable successes. The team qualified
for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
       Rugby has a big following in all parts of Ireland. Competitions are run at
every level, starting with schoolboys, culminating in the senior League and Cup
competitions in each province. The Irish team is drawn from the whole country
and in addition to playing in the home championships with England, Wales,
Scotland and France, plays in test matches in such countries as Australia and
New Zealand. Irish rugby players have participated in the British and Irish Lions
tours as players, coaches and managers.
       Golf is a major interest sport in both parts of Ireland. In total, Ireland has
over 400 golf courses, many set in outstanding landscapes, with excellent facili-
ties. The major Irish (and international) tournament is the Carrolls’ Irish Open,
held each summer. Many provincial and national contests are held every year.
All-Ireland teams compete in international amateur golfing competitions with
the major Irish tournaments on the international professional circuit being the
Nissan Irish Open and the Smufit European Open. Ireland has produced a num-
ber of world-class golfers over the past thirty years, including Harry Bradshaw,
Christy O’Connor, John O’Leary, Eamonn Darcy and Ronan Rafferty.
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