Olympic Federation of Ireland

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) is the main organization that supports Irish athletes in the Olympic Games. It used to be called the Irish Olympic Council and later the Olympic Council of Ireland, but in 2018, it changed its name to the Olympic Federation of Ireland. This group works to help Irish athletes train and do their best at the Olympics.

Athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for Ireland through the OFI or join the team from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The goal of the OFI is to improve how Irish teams perform at the Olympics and to grow the Olympic Movement all across Ireland. It plays an important role in supporting sports and encouraging young people to take part in Olympic sports.

History

Main article: Ireland at the Olympics

The Irish Olympic Council began in 1920 during a time of big changes in Ireland. Leaders wanted Ireland to have its own team in the Olympics. After some discussions and challenges, Ireland joined the Olympic family in 1922.

Over the years, the group changed its name a few times. It became the Olympic Council of Ireland in 1952 and then the Olympic Federation of Ireland in 2018. Athletes from all parts of Ireland can choose to compete for Ireland or for the team of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Main article: 2016 Summer Olympics ticket scandal

In 2016, during the Olympic Games in Rio, some people were caught trying to sell tickets in a wrong way. The leader of the Olympic Council was arrested as part of the checks. A special report was made to look into what happened.

Operations

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) has a small team led by a Chief Executive and is located at Olympic House in Howth, County Dublin. The roles of President and IOC delegate are honorary, as required by the Olympic Charter.

Some sports groups linked to the OFI include players from all of Ireland, even from Northern Ireland. These groups sometimes choose athletes from Northern Ireland to compete in the Olympics. A few of these groups are small and work from "Sport HQ" in Park West business park.

Baseball Ireland used to be linked to the OFI, but it is no longer listed since baseball was removed from the list of Olympic sports after 2008.

Social media

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) uses several social media platforms to share updates. You can find them on an official Facebook page, as well as Twitter and Instagram accounts. The OFI also has its own YouTube channel where you can watch videos.