It’s a big week for padel in Ireland — and the FIP Silver in Dublin comes amidst a boom period for the sport across the nation.
Openplay.ie has this week released a report, The State of Padel in Ireland 2026, which pulls together search-demand data, court-infrastructure announcements and global benchmarks to show where the Irish market sits in 2026, and where it is heading.
The report shows that, as of this month (July) padel has now reached all corners of the island, with a flagship eight-court facility opening in Dublin in August.
Here, Openplay.ie founder Jakub Pieczonka (pictured) picks out five key findings from the State of Padel in Ireland 2026 which indicate the direction of travel for the industry (spoiler alert: it’s upward!).
- Demand is up 23x in five years — and it’s structural, not a spike
Irish Google searches for “padel” were ~220/month in January 2021, rising to ~5,200/month in April 2026 (Ahrefs).
Crucially, after the 2025 surge, demand held a floor of 4,000–5,400/month rather than falling back. Intent has matured too. The search term “padel racket” alone is at ~2,500 searches/month.
- A €5M capital-backed court rollout
Padel 100 raised €5m (EIIS, Sept 2025) to build 300 courts by the end of 2027. It is currently installing up to 12 courts/month. 150+ of those are confirmed, with a Playtomic partnership across ~140 courts, and 40+ community venues (schools, GAA, golf clubs) offering 150,000+ free playing hours a year.
- June-July 2026 was the month padel went island-wide
In four weeks:
- Donegal’s first courts (Finn Valley, opened by the Sports Minister on 27 June)
- North Galway’s first venue (The Padel Factory, Tuam)
- East Belfast’s biggest indoor club (7 courts at Shorts Club) and 6 more in Tyrone.
- Northern Ireland added 11 clubs in a year, and NI operator Let’s Go Padel has confirmed its first Republic sites (Sligo and Ballyshannon).
Openplay.ie’s national tracker now lists 120+ locations live or announced across the island. The Padel Federation of Ireland puts operational courts at 50+ (definitions are in the report).
- Dublin’s flagship lands within weeks — and the supply gap says this is only the start
West Wood Club Leopardstown (pictured above) opens Ireland’s largest indoor padel facility (8 courts under an air dome) at the end of August.
Cork’s €2m six-court project in Douglas follows (planning approved May, targeting end of 2026).
For scale: Spain has ~17,300 courts, Ireland a few dozen operating, offering years of runway. Ireland is forecast to deliver 832,000+ player sessions in 2026.
- It’s a beginner-led market
The overwhelming majority of Irish racket demand sits at entry/improver level, and every new venue creates a local wave of first-time buyers within weeks — Tuam being the latest.
Jakub Pieczonka, founder of OpenPlay.ie, said: “Every county that gets its first court gets its first hundred players within a month.
“Ireland isn’t discovering padel gradually — it’s discovering it everywhere at once. The only thing growing faster than demand is the waiting list for peak-time courts.”
