Ireland competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twenty-first appearance at the Summer Olympics, having attended every edition, either in its own right or as part of a Great Britain and Ireland team before 1924, with the exception of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany.

The Olympic Council of Ireland fielded a team of 77 athletes, 51 men and 26 women, across 14 sports at the Games. It was the nation's largest delegation sent to the Olympics since 1996, due to the historic comeback of the men's field hockey squad after a century-long absence. Apart from field hockey, Ireland also made its Olympic return to diving after nearly seven decades, as well as its debut in golf (new to the 2016 Games) and women's track cycling.

The Irish roster featured four Olympic medalists from London 2012, namely defending boxing champion Katie Taylor in the women's flyweight division, boxers Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes (bronze in 2008 and 2012), who was selected as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony, and race walking veteran Robert Heffernan, who became the first Irishman in history to participate in five Olympics. Kevin Kilty was named as Team Ireland Chef de Mission for the Games.

Ireland returned home from Rio de Janeiro with two silver medals. Brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan etched their names on Irish sporting history by winning the country's first ever medal in rowing, and instantly became internet sensations after several videos of them being interviewed went viral. Meanwhile, Laser Radial sailor Annalise Murphy banished her pain of missing out the podium at London 2012 with a silver-medal effort in the Laser Radial class, ending Ireland's 36-year-old drought on the sport. For the first time in 12 years, Ireland failed to collect a single medal in boxing, as none of its boxers progressed beyond the quarterfinal round.

Ticket scandal

On 5 August police in Rio arrested two people for attempted illegal resale of hundreds of tickets allocated to the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI). One of the two was employed by THG Sports, which was the OCI's authorised ticket reseller (ATR) in 2012 but not 2016; the OCI denied any involvement. Shane Ross, the Minister of State at the, promised a "robust inquiry". Pro 10 Sports Management, the OCI's 2016 ATR, said the man arrested was working as their agent to distribute tickets which had been paid for legitimately. On 17 August, Pat Hickey, the OCI president, was arrested in Rio in connection with the investigation.

Medallists Medal Name Sport Event Date Gary O'DonovanPaul O'Donovan RowingMen's lightweight double sculls Annalise Murphy SailingWomen's Laser Radial Medals by sportSport TotalRowing0101Sailing0101Total0202

Medals by dateDate Total12 Aug010116 Aug0101Total0202

Medals by genderGender TotalMale0101Female0101Total 0 2 0 2

Athletics

Irish athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):

Following the end of the qualifying period on July 11, 2016, a total of 17 athletes (8 men and 9 women) were officially named to the Irish track and field roster, with race walker and London 2012 bronze medalist Robert Heffernan becoming the first Irishman in history to be selected for five consecutive Olympics.

Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankMark English800 m1:46.403 Q1:45.935Did not advanceThomas Barr400 m hurdles48.932 Q48.391 Q47.974Mick ClohiseyMarathoncolspan=4 2:26:34103Paul Pollockcolspan=4 2:16:2432Kevin Seawardcolspan=4 2:20:0664Alex Wright20 km walkcolspan=4 1:25:2546Brendan Boyce50 km walkcolspan=4 3:53:5919Robert Heffernancolspan=4 3:43:556Alex Wrightcolspan=4

Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankCiara Everard800 m2:07.918Did not advanceCiara Mageean1500 m4:11.512 Q4:08.0711Did not advanceFionnuala McCormack10000 mcolspan=4 Withdrew before raceMichelle Finn3000 m steeplechase9:49.4511colspan=2 Did not advanceKerry O'Flaherty9:45.5314colspan=2 Did not advanceSara Louise Treacy9:46.2412 qcolspan=2 9:52.7017Breege ConnellyMarathoncolspan=4 2:44:4176Lizzie Leecolspan=4 2:39:5757Fionnuala McCormackcolspan=4 2:31:2220

Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionTori PenaWomen's pole vault4.3027Did not advance

Badminton

Ireland qualified two badminton players for each of the following events into the Olympic tournament. Two-time Olympian Scott Evans was selected among the top 34 individual shuttlers in the men's singles based on the BWF World Rankings as of 5 May 2016, while Chloe Magee picked up one of the spare athlete berths from the doubles as the next highest-ranked eligible player in the women's singles.

AthleteEventGroup stageEliminationQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankScott EvansMen's singlesW (9–21, 21–17, 21–7)W (21–8, 19–21, 21–8)1L (16–21, 12–21)Did not advanceChloe MageeWomen's singlesL (7–21, 12–21)L (14–21, 19–21)3Did not advance

Boxing

Ireland entered eight boxers to compete in the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan were the only Irishmen finishing among the top two of their respective division in the World Series of Boxing, and qualified from that method. Conlan and Joe Ward earned spots at the 2015 World Championships. Conlan's results in the World Championships took preference, allowing others to qualify through the WSB. Steven Donnelly had initially finished outside the qualifying places in the WSB, but eventually received the unused spot, following a box-off between both Russian qualifiers (through WSB and World Championships).

Brendan Irvine and David Joyce booked Olympic spots with box-off victories at the 2016 European Qualification Tournament in Samsun, Turkey. Meanwhile, London 2012 lightweight champion Katie Taylor had her sights set to her Olympic title defense in Rio with a quarterfinal victory at the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. Michael O'Reilly secured an additional Olympic place on the Irish roster at the 2016 AIBA World Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Longtime head coach Billy Walsh left the Irish Amateur Boxing Association for USA Boxing in October 2015 after a contract dispute; this was mooted as a factor in the team's disappointing results.

Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankPaddy BarnesLight flyweightL 1–2Did not advanceBrendan IrvineFlyweightL 0–3Did not advanceMichael ConlanBantamweightW 3–0L 0–3Did not advanceDavid JoyceLightweightW 3–0L 0–3Did not advanceSteven DonnellyWelterweightW 3–0W 2–1L 1–2Did not advanceMichael O'ReillyMiddleweightL Disqualified for failing a drugs testJoe WardLight heavyweightL 1–2Did not advance

Women AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankKatie TaylorLightweightL 1–2Did not advance

Cycling

Road Irish riders qualified for a maximum of two quota places in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of their top 15 final national ranking in the 2015 UCI Europe Tour.

AthleteEventTimeRankDan MartinMen's road race6:13:0313Nicolas Roche6:19:4329

Track Following the completion of the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Ireland entered one rider to compete only in women's keirin at the Olympics, by virtue of her final individual UCI Olympic ranking in that event.

Keirin AthleteEvent1st RoundRepechage2nd RoundFinalRankRankRankRankShannon McCurleyWomen's keirin5 R4Did not advance

Diving

For the first time since the 1948 Summer Olympics, Ireland entered one diver into the Olympic competition by virtue of a top 18 finish at the 2016 FINA World Cup.

AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankOliver DingleyMen's 3 m springboard399.8013 Q414.259 Q442.908

Equestrian

Ireland fielded a full squad of riders in the eventing competition by finishing sixth in the team event at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games. One dressage and jumping rider were each added to the squad by virtue of the following results in the individual FEI Olympic rankings: a top six placement outside the continental selection in dressage, and a top finish from North Western Europe in jumping.

Dressage Judy Reynolds and Vancouver K were named to the Irish roster on June 10, 2016.

AthleteHorseEventGrand PrixGrand Prix SpecialGrand Prix FreestyleOverallScoreRankScoreRankTechnicalArtisticScoreRankJudy ReynoldsVancouver KIndividual74.70021 Q74.09017 Q72.25079.14375.69618

Eventing The Irish eventing team was named to the Olympic equestrian roster on June 9, 2016.

AthleteHorseEventDressageCross-countryJumpingTotalQualifierFinalPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankClare AbbottEuro PrinceIndividual47.0029107.90112.60380.00112.6036Did not advance112.6036Jonty EvansCooley Rorke's Drift41.80922.8064.60160.0064.6013 Q0.0064.60964.609Mark KyleJemilla50.404550.80101.20358.00109.2033Did not advance109.2033Padraig McCarthySimon Porloe46.80 #26EliminatedDid not advanceClare AbbottJonty EvansMark KyleSee aboveTeam135.605123.80278.4098.00286.408colspan=3 286.408 "#" indicates that the score of this rider does not count in the team competition, since only the best three results of a team are counted.

Jumping Greg Broderick and Going Global were named to the Irish roster on June 8, 2016.

AthleteHorseEventQualificationFinalTotalRound 1Round 2Round 3Round ARound BPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankGreg BroderickGoing GlobalIndividual853 Q51350Did not advance

Field hockey

Ireland qualified for the Olympics after finishing fifth in the 2014–15 Men's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals. Australia's 3–2 victory over New Zealand in the 2015 Oceania Cup confirmed Ireland's qualification. It was the first time Ireland played in an Olympic field hockey tournament since 1908.

Summary

TeamEventGroup stageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankIreland men'sMen's tournamentL 2–3L 0–5L 2–3W 4–2L 2–35Did not advance10

Team roster

Group play

Golf

Ireland entered four golfers (two per gender) into the Olympic tournament. Pádraig Harrington (world no. 148), Séamus Power (world no. 290), and Leona Maguire (world no. 353) qualified directly among the top 60 eligible players for their respective individual events based on the IGF World Rankings as of 11 July 2016. Meanwhile, Stephanie Meadow received a spare Olympic berth freed up by the Dutch golfers, as second replacement, to join Maguire in the women's tournament. Paul McGinley is the non-playing team leader.

Harrington and Power were confirmed for selection on 14 July, three weeks after the withdrawal in quick succession of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Graeme McDowell (world ranked 4, 25, and 57 respectively). McIlroy and Lowry blamed the Zika epidemic while McDowell stated he wanted to be with his pregnant wife. McIlroy and McDowell are from Northern Ireland and there had been speculation in previous years about whether they would choose to represent Ireland or Great Britain, McDowell deciding in 2013 and McIlroy in 2014.

AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4TotalScoreScoreScoreScoreScoreParRankPádraig HarringtonMen's70716773281−3=21Séamus Power71677467279−5=15Leona MaguireWomen's74657469282 –2=21Stephanie Meadow77667172286 +2=31

Gymnastics

Artistic