Top 5 Irish Sporting Moments That Defined 2025
2025 has been an excellent year for sport, with countless unforgettable moments taking place across the calendar year. Tennis fans were treated to a classic at Roland Garros, as Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the longest French Open final in history. In Formula 1, the championship battle went right down to the final race, with Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris all in contention. Norris ultimately clinched the title with a third-place finish.
Elsewhere, Liverpool claimed the Premier League title, PSG finally lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy, and Luke Littler became the youngest-ever winner of the PDC World Darts Championship back in January.
In this article, however, we focus specifically on the greatest Irish sporting moments of 2025, ranking the top five based on opinion and impact.
#5 Katie Taylor’s Trilogy Win
On 12 July 2025, Ireland’s Katie Taylor secured one of the defining victories of her illustrious career by defeating Amanda Serrano in their trilogy fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. Taylor retained her undisputed super-lightweight world titles with a majority decision, as the judges’ scorecards read 97–93, 97–93 and 95–95, completing a 3–0 sweep in one of women’s boxing’s most iconic rivalries.
The bout headlined a historic all-women’s boxing card streamed globally on Netflix, further cementing Taylor’s legacy as a trailblazer for women’s boxing and as one of Ireland’s greatest-ever sporting icons.
#4 McIlroy’s Irish Open Glory
At the Irish Open at The K Club in September, Rory McIlroy produced one of the shots of the year when he needed an eagle on the 18th hole to force a playoff. McIlroy struck a sublime eight iron to the heart of the green before calmly rolling in a 28-foot putt to tie Joakim Lagergren.
McIlroy would go on to win the playoff, but the moment that forced it was truly special. The 18th green was packed with Irish supporters willing the ball into the hole, with countless young fans witnessing a moment that will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of Irish golfers.
#3 Lowry’s Ryder Cup Putt
Staying with golf, we arrive at a moment that could easily top this list. Shane Lowry was enjoying an outstanding Ryder Cup as Europe headed into the final day in a strong position. Team USA mounted a comeback on Sunday, and Lowry knew how important his match was as it reached its conclusion.
After turning a likely defeat into a half-point draw, Lowry faced a crucial six-foot putt on the 18th hole. Moments after Russell Henley missed a putt that could have won the match for the USA, Lowry calmly holed his effort to retain the Ryder Cup for Europe. Europe would go on to win 15–13, with Lowry’s putt serving as the defining turning point, and his emotional celebration one of the most memorable scenes of the week.
2025 has been an excellent year for sport, with countless unforgettable moments taking place across the calendar year.
#2 Troy Parrott’s Heroics
What more can be said about this moment than simply: wow. Ireland needed to win their final two group matches to qualify for the World Cup play-offs. The challenge was immense, hosting Portugal before travelling away to Hungary.
Troy Parrott rose to the occasion, scoring twice against Portugal in a famous 2–0 victory. That was only the beginning. Ireland then defeated Hungary 3–2 away from home, with Parrott scoring all three goals, including a dramatic 96th-minute winner that sent the nation into pure joy and pandemonium. This moment could easily rank as the greatest Irish sporting achievement of 2025—if not for one extraordinary moment earlier in the year.
#1 McIlroy Wins the Grand Slam
In April 2025, Rory McIlroy returned to Augusta National carrying the weight of a decade-long quest to complete the career Grand Slam. Having chased the Masters title since 2015, McIlroy arrived in top form and among the favourites.
On Sunday, he led for much of the round, enduring multiple moments where it appeared the chance might slip away, only to battle back each time. McIlroy eventually defeated Justin Rose in a playoff, sinking the winning putt to claim the green jacket finally.
The emotion that followed told the story of the pressure McIlroy had endured over the years. By winning the Masters, he became only the sixth golfer in history to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Given the magnitude of the achievement and the long wait to achieve it, this stands as the greatest Irish sporting moment of 2025.
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Jack Guing
Jack hails from County Offaly in Ireland and joins the team as a Content Writer and Performance Analyst. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and History from Maynooth University and a master’s degree in Sports Performance from the University of Limerick. Jack is a keen sports fan with a love for performance analysis and wishes to use this data-driven style that is seen in performance analysis in his writing to deliver informative predictions.