IWA-Sport Becomes National Governing Body for Boccia in Ireland

IWA-Sport today (Sunday, 19 April) officially launches Boccia as the newest sport under its governance, marking a major step forward for disability sport in Ireland and allowing for the expansion of access to one of Paralympic sport’s most inclusive games.

The announcement, made at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena, was met with strong support from a packed room of IWA-Sport athletes, volunteers, staff, partners and supporters, reflecting the significance of this transition for the sport’s future.

Following a comprehensive process completed throughout 2025, in partnership with Paralympics Ireland and with support from Sport Ireland, IWA-Sport now becomes the National Governing Body for Boccia in Ireland.

A precision ball sport, Boccia is one of the most inclusive sports on the Paralympic programme. Its integration into IWA-Sport is expected to significantly increase opportunities for participation at both grassroots and competitive levels nationwide.

Speaking at today’s launch, Director of IWA-Sport, Nicky Hamil, says: “Today, we mark and celebrate Boccia coming under our wing. We take our responsibility to nurture and grow the sport in Ireland very seriously, and we are excited for its future. Our vision is to grow the sport within our clubs, in our community centres and through new programmes and competitions.”

Sports Development Officer for Boccia with IWA-Sport, Sean Mulligan, added: “This is about more people, in more communities, having the chance to take part in sport in a meaningful way. Boccia is accessible and fun, and we now have the structure to grow it.”

Today’s event also showcased Boccia in action, offering those in attendance at the Wheelchair Basketball Junior Blitz the chance to try the sport.

Well-established PK Boccia Club based in Ballyfermot shared their love of the sport and their wish to get more people involved. Coach Liam Bracken, who started the club eleven years ago, said: “We have roughly 20 players and 10 volunteers, and we love the game of Boccia. We travel up and down the country for competitions. It’s a close community, and we have made lots of friends from other teams. We can’t wait to have more people playing.” The club is very much a family affair, with many parents and grandparents volunteering. There’s plenty of talented players in the club too, with Caoimhe Daly having won the Nationals, and Jason Kearney will celebrate 40 years playing Boccia this year, having won bronze in the Paralympic Games in 1992.

In a powerful symbolic moment, Paralympic medallist Gabriel Shelly passes the torch to Caoimhe Daly of PK Boccia Club, signalling the next generation of Boccia talent.

IWA-Sport will now work with clubs, volunteers and local sports partnerships across the country to embed Boccia in communities, ensuring more people with physical disabilities can access sport locally.

IWA-Sport would like to thank Paralympics Ireland and Sport Ireland and everyone involved in supporting the transition and welcoming the sport to the IWA-Sport family.

For more information or to get involved, contact sean.mulligan@iwa.ie