Olympic Handball Ireland
Olympic Handball Ireland is the National Governing Body for Olympic Handball across all 32 counties of Ireland, running senior leagues, schools competitions, and cross-border Celtic Cups for clubs, schools, and universities, funded primarily by Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBlanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Olympic Handball Ireland does
Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI), formally the Irish Olympic Handball Association, is the National Governing Body for Olympic Handball across all 32 counties of Ireland. Founded in 1975 and structured as a company limited by guarantee, OHI is responsible for sanctioning official competitions, certifying clubs, developing elite pathways, and representing Ireland within the European Handball Federation and International Handball Federation. The federation operates from Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, under CEO Elaine Grant, with a small staff of approximately 6–10 people.
OHI's product surface is anchored by the Senior League (7 senior clubs, 10 clubs total), the OHI Cup, the Schools Competitions (65 teams from 21 secondary schools plus primary-school activity across 12 counties), the Celtic Cup, the Celtic Universities Cup, the Transition Year Programme, Walking Handball, and the Joint Injury Surveillance Project (launched July 2026 with the Scottish Handball Association and UCD). Technology partners include Spiideo (AI-automated match filming), Output Sports (wearable athlete testing), Cognito Forms, and MyGameDay.
OHI operates as a non-profit NGB. Its reported annual turnover is €350,000, sourced primarily from Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland grants, supplemented by member-club affiliation fees and tournament-related income. The business model is participation-and-grant-funded: revenue scales with public funding cycles, school and club membership growth, and the federation's ability to attract cross-border and academic partnerships. Strategic priorities visible across 2026 indicate a federation broadening its product surface (Walking Handball, Injury Surveillance), professionalising operations (Financial Controller hire), and embedding lightweight AI tooling (Spiideo, Output Sports) to lift coaching quality without significant capex.
Olympic Handball Ireland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Olympic Handball Ireland
- Legal name
- Irish Olympic Handball Association
- Website
- https://olympichandball.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Olympic Handball Ireland is the National Governing Body for Olympic Handball across all 32 counties of Ireland, running senior leagues, schools competitions, and cross-border Celtic Cups for clubs, schools, and universities, funded primarily by Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Olympic Handball Ireland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Federation Services
- NAICS
- Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Handball Leagues (MPAKAAAM), Anti-Doping & Integrity Bodies (WADA, match-fixing/integrity units) (MPAKAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Olympic Handball Ireland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Blanchardstown, Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Olympic Handball Ireland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Revenue from club membership registrations for players (senior and junior), coaches, and referees through the MyGameDay platform. Membership fees are collected annually for participation in OHI-affiliated club activities and competitions.
- Schools Competition Fees: Income from school participation in primary and secondary school handball competitions, including registration fees for teams and programmes such as the Transition Year Programme.
- Government and Public Funding: Core funding from Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland, and potentially European funding sources. This represents the primary funding stream for operations as a National Governing Body.
- Training Events and Programmes: Revenue from coach education, referee training, and the Transition Year Programme delivery, as well as occasional training events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Club membership registration for players |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Olympic Handball Ireland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Olympic Handball Ireland is the National Governing Body for Olympic Handball in Ireland, founded in 1975 and operating as a company limited by guarantee. It organizes national adult club competitions (Senior League, OHI Cup), cross-border Celtic competitions, schools-level handball competitions and a Transition Year Programme, and delivers coach education, referee development, Women in Sport and Walking Handball community programmes across all 32 counties of Ireland. It also runs a Joint Injury Surveillance Research system with UCD and the Scottish Handball Association, generating sports-science evidence to inform player welfare and policy.
Product overview
Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI) operates as the National Governing Body for Olympic handball across the 32 counties of Ireland, offering a multi-layered portfolio of competitive programmes, educational initiatives, and research-driven athlete development services. The core competitive structure centers on the Senior League (men's and women's divisions) with 7 clubs across Dublin, Cork, and Northern Ireland, complemented by the Schools Competitions programme providing pathways from primary through secondary school level, the Transition Year Programme for secondary students, and international competitions including the Celtic Cup and Celtic Universities Cup. OHI's development ecosystem includes coach and referee education programmes, the Women in Sport Programme, and Walking Handball for accessibility. A distinguishing feature is the Research Working Group's Injury Surveillance Project, conducted in partnership with the Scottish Handball Association and University College Dublin, which represents the first systematic injury surveillance programme in Irish handball and utilizes technology platforms including Spiideo for automated filming and performance analysis, Cognito Forms for injury reporting, and Output Sports for athlete testing technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Senior League
- Schools Competitions
- Celtic Cup
- OHI Cup
- Celtic Universities Cup
- Transition Year Programme
- Coach Education
- Referee Development
- Women in Sport Programme
- Walking Handball
- Joint Injury Surveillance Research
Quantifiable outcome
- 65 teams from 21 schools participated in secondary school competitions 2025/2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Olympic Handball Ireland
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Olympic Handball Ireland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Olympic Handball Ireland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Scottish Handball AssociationcoreJoint injury surveillance project launched July 2026, combining Irish and Scottish data to build evidence base for injury prevention. Led by OHI Research Working Group with Sport Ireland Research and Innovation Unit support.
- University College Dublin (Institute for Sport and Health)secondaryAcademic research partner in the joint injury surveillance project. Collaborated with OHI Research Working Group on methodology and data analysis.
- Output SportssecondaryDublin-based sports tech company demonstrating athlete testing technology at Astra Handball Club. Co-founded by national handball player Julian Eberle and UCD researchers. Used by 800+ sports organisations including Premier League clubs.
- SpiideosecondaryAutomated sports filming system trial at Celtic Cup Finals 2026. AI-powered camera automatically tracks play, streams live to YouTube, and provides performance analysis through Spiideo Perform platform.
- Sport Ireland (Research and Innovation Unit)coreProvided funding grant for injury surveillance research project in March 2025. Supports ongoing research and innovation initiatives.
- Sport IrelandcorePrimary government funding body and regulator for sport in Ireland. Provides core funding and governance standards. OHI is a member of the Federation of Irish Sport and adheres to Sport Ireland's Governance Code.
- Sport Northern IrelandcoreGovernment body supporting sport in Northern Ireland. OHI operates across all 32 counties of Ireland with Sport Northern Ireland recognition.
- European Handball Federation (EHF)coreContinental governing body for handball in Europe. OHI is affiliated with EHF and Irish teams compete internationally under this federation.
- International Handball Federation (IHF)coreWorld governing body for handball. OHI adheres to IHF rules and regulations including anti-doping requirements.
- Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs)secondaryNetwork of local sports partnerships nationwide collaborating with OHI for community handball programme delivery.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Olympic Handball Ireland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Olympic Handball Ireland social profiles
Digital presenceOlympic Handball Ireland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Olympic Handball Ireland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Olympic Handball Ireland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Olympic Handball Ireland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Olympic Handball Ireland
What does Olympic Handball Ireland do?
Olympic Handball Ireland is the National Governing Body for Olympic Handball in Ireland, founded in 1975 and operating as a company limited by guarantee. It organizes national adult club competitions (Senior League, OHI Cup), cross-border Celtic competitions, schools-level handball competitions and a Transition Year Programme, and delivers coach education, referee development, Women in Sport and Walking Handball community programmes across all 32 counties of Ireland. It also runs a Joint Injury Surveillance Research system with UCD and the Scottish Handball Association, generating sports-science evidence to inform player welfare and policy.
Is Olympic Handball Ireland a public or private company?
Olympic Handball Ireland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Olympic Handball Ireland founded?
Olympic Handball Ireland was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Olympic Handball Ireland based?
Olympic Handball Ireland is headquartered in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Olympic Handball Ireland make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are schools Competition Fees, government and Public Funding and training Events and Programmes.
Does Olympic Handball Ireland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Olympic Handball Ireland.
What industry is Olympic Handball Ireland in?
Olympic Handball Ireland's product category is Sports Federation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKACAD, Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional), with a secondary code of MPAKAAAM, Handball Leagues. Its NAICS code is 71121 and its SIC code is 7997.