Skiing/Snowboarding
AS YOU MIGHT expect from a country not famous for producing Winter Olympians, your choices are limited but there is the Ski Club of Ireland‘s artificial slope in Kilternan, one of only two such facilities in the country (the other being in Craigavon).
They provide lessons in both skiing and snowboarding and all equipment is included in the booking price.
There is also the Ski Centre in Sandyford. Their ‘revolving slope technology’ offers something a little different than an artificial slope and the company claim participants, especially inexperienced skiers, will benefit from the longer lessons.
Ice hockey
There is an Ice Hockey Association of Ireland and though there are only a limited number of teams and facilities, you can still take part in one of the world’s fastest, toughest sports in the world on these shores.
There’s also the Belfast Giants, but you’re probably some way off that standard at the moment.
Figure skating
The Ice Skating Association of Ireland run the Emerald Skate programme, a nationally recognised learn-to-skate programme which teaches the fundamentals of skating to novice skaters.
Once you’ve done that, you can begin to compete in competitions and even become part of the Irish national squad. Who knows, you and a friend might be the next Torvill and Dean.
Curling
Because of the relative success of Team GB in Sochi, curling was rarely off our television screens.
If you liked what you saw, the good news is that there is an Irish Curling Association.
The bad news, sadly, is that there are no rinks that allow curling in Ireland at the moment so participants must take the ferry to Stranraer in Scotland to compete.
