History of IWA-Sport

IWA Sport is the national governing body (NGB) in Ireland for sport for people with physical disability.
The Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) was founded in 1960 by a small group of wheelchair users committed to improving the lives of people with physical disabilities in Ireland.

Right from the very beginning sport was a priority in the desires of our founder members. At the 1960 Rome Paralympic Games an Irish Team lined out in what was the start of the Paralympic movement.

Since those early days the IWA Sports had grown from strength to strength and is now supported by the Irish Sports Council. The main aim of the Sports Section is to develop and promote opportunities for people with physical disabilities to participate in sport at a level of their choice. What this means is that whether you want to be a top class Paralympic athlete or whether you simply want to keep fit and enjoy sport, we are here to support you.

IWA Sport promotes sport and recreation through clubs, IWA Resource Centers and schools. The service also supports high performance athletes in reaching their full potential at both National and International Standard. Our high performance athletes represent Ireland at European Championships, World Championships and Paralympic Games. IWA sport is heavily involved with the Paralympic Council of Ireland.