Irish Sports Council Report...18th Feb 2009

There was a piece on the Irish Examiner today proclaiming that 'half the population is active in sport'. Half ??....maybe I'm being a little bit cynical here but as far as I can see, most Irish adults do absolutely nothing.

It turns out the information for the article came from a report that has just been released by the Irish Sports Council. In it, there are a few interesting facts. Such as...

• 32% of adults are members of sports clubs
• Personal exercise activities (going to the gym, fitness classes, exercise machines etc.) are now the most popular sport and exercise activity in Ireland, followed by swimming
• Combining volunteering, membership and attendance, Gaelic games remain the leading sports for social participation, but there are now more gym members than GAA members
• 58% went for a recreational walk of at least 20 minutes during the previous 7 days

I presume it is the last one that led to the original claim in the Irish Examiner about half the population being involved in sport. It would seem as if they are counting 'casual walking' as a sport. Even allowing for this, I still think the numbers are a 'bit' high.

You can read the report in full HERE.

Comments...???