Golf Ireland is delighted to have been named National Governing Body of the Year at the Federation of Irish Sports’ Irish Sport Industry Awards ceremony last night.
Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly accepted the overall award on behalf of the organisation and shared his delight at winning when speaking with host Sean O’Rourke.
“It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s a really tremendous time to be involved in golf. Our organisation is only five years old, so winning this is just an incredible testament to the work,” said Golf Ireland CEO Mark Kennelly.
2025 was a milestone year for golf in Ireland both on and off the course, as the governing body capitalised on Rory McIlroy’s Grand Slam success and The Open returning to Royal Portrush to continue to grow participation, while also implementing a plethora of initiatives across sustainability, inclusion and women in golf, plus enhancing supports for both member clubs and volunteers.
Kennelly went on to pay tribute to the staff and volunteers who executed this wide range of strategic goals.
“We have a fantastic staff team working alongside 400 volunteers, some of them are here tonight, others aren’t. There’s been a really tremendous effort over the last five years to deliver the potential of Irish golf, and there’s a lot more potential to be delivered on in the future,” said Kennelly.
There were two reasons to celebrate on the night for Golf Ireland at The College Green Hotel, as ‘Drive The Green’, the sustainability action plan, was recognised as the Best Initiative to Promote Sustainability in Sport & Physical Activity.
Drive The Green was launched in March 2024, and in its first full year saw 103 member clubs involved in a bespoke sustainability leader’s programme, with free access to a selection of sustainability experts. The plan was spearheaded by Head of Sustainability Ann Courtney, who accepted the award alongside Kennelly.
Golf4All, golf’s national inclusion programme, was also nominated for Best Initiative to Promote Disability in Sport & Physical Activity. The award went to Special Olympics Ireland, a community partner of Golf Ireland, and we wish to congratulate them on their success.
