In its 24th annual review for 2023, Sport Ireland publicised that a record number of 1,595 anti-doping tests were conducted across 32 sports. The bulk of the 1,826 samples gathered were from Irish rugby, thereby surpassing athletics, rowing, and cycling. The Irish Rugby Football Union recorded highest with 284 samples, followed by Athletics Ireland with 252, Rowing Ireland with 230, Cycling Ireland with 192, the Gaelic Athletic Association with 180, and Swim Ireland with 125.
This tally denotes a further escalation from the 1,415 tests administered in 2022. Notably, however, no anti-doping violations were detected that year. In contrast, there was one infringement reported in 2023, with Aidan Byrne of the Ballinastoe Tug of War Club in Wicklow testing positive for benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite. Following Byrne’s lack of dispute, he was penalised with a four-year ban. An additional regulation violation is currently under scrutiny for possible evasion or refusal to comply with the sampling process.
The 1,826 samples in 2023 encompassed various types of tests, such as urine, blood serum, Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), and Dried Blood Spot (DBS). In 2022, Athletics Ireland was the most scrutinised sport, followed by the IRFU, Cycling Ireland, Rowing Ireland, and the GAA.
The expense of the anti-doping initiative amplified in 2023, totaling €2,447,583—an increase from €2,051,706 in 2022. The diverse expenditures included €1,346,636 for testing, with an additional €596,477 allocated for consultancy fees, legal advice pertaining to the programme, and other related outlays.
During 2023, Sport Ireland received five Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) pre-test applications, with the TUE Committee approving four after receiving the necessary and current medical records. The fifth application was not deemed necessary because the athlete no longer required the specific medication. The granted TUE applications spanned different sporting disciplines.
The same year, Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping Unit (ADU) initiated the gathering of Dried Blood Spot (DBS) samples. This ground-breaking method of testing involves procuring a minimum amount of blood from an athlete’s fingertip or top of the arm, with no need for temperature-controlled transportation. A total of 116 DBS samples were collected over the course of the year.
Sport Ireland started the Medcheck website, replacing the Eirpharm database, in January 2023. The website offers athletes a platform to verify the status of any pharmaceutical products purchased within the Republic of Ireland. During the same year, the website recorded 16,333 searches.
According to Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May, the statistics in the 2023 Annual Report showcase the organisation’s commitment and innovation. The implementation of Dried Blood Spot testing and paperless testing methods resulted in an advanced efficiency of the system. The organisation’s forensic capabilities were also reinforced in 2023 through the finalisation of a data-sharing treaty with An Garda Siochána, demonstrating the ongoing importance of education and awareness for the programme’s progression and success.
In addition, an agreement for data sharing was finalised with An Garda Siochána, and a senior officer was nominated as the intermediary for Sport Ireland’s ADU.
Here is a sport-by-sport breakdown of the anti-doping testing samples from 2023:
American Football Ireland: 6
Athletics Ireland: 252
Badminton Ireland: 11
Basketball Ireland: 6
Camogie Association: 13
Canoeing Ireland: 28
Cricket Ireland: 16
Cycling Ireland: 192
Football Association of Ireland: 82
Gaelic Athletic Association: 180
Golf Ireland: 7
Gymnastics Ireland: 25
Hockey Ireland: 16
Horse Sport Ireland: 13
Irish Amateur Wrestling Association: 8
Irish Athletic Boxing Association: 82
Irish Judo Association: 15
Irish Martial Arts Commission: 10
Irish Rugby Football Union: 284
Irish Squash: 4.
The following list provides a breakdown of various sporting associations in Ireland and the corresponding numbers associated with each. Taekwondo Ireland has a count of 12, whereas Tug of War Ireland and Ladies Gaelic Football Association both have 8. The Irish Wheelchair Association Sport stands at 6 and Motor Cycling Ireland and Weightlifting Ireland have 13 and 15 respectively. Further, Motorsport Ireland reports 28 and Pentathlon Ireland, 7. Additionally, the numbers for Paralympics Ireland, Triathlon Ireland, Swim Ireland and Rowing Ireland are 51, 73, 125, and 230 respectively. The aggregate figure comes to a total of 1,826.