Ireland’s padel boom is creating new business opportunities on and off court, with Dolan Padel Courts Ireland and Love Padel seeing growing demand as the sport attracts new players, new venues and increasing investment across the country.
Padel has exploded in Ireland. From just 30 courts, 14 clubs and an estimated 35,000 players in 2024 to over 250 active courts across 74 venues nationwide today. Industry estimates put the number of Irish players at approximately 66,000 by mid-2025. Ireland is part of a much bigger international growth story. More than 35 million people now play padel worldwide, with more than 77,000 courts and 24,600 clubs across 150 countries.
Two Irish companies operate at complementary ends of this rapidly developing market. Dolan Padel Courts Ireland design and build the courts on which the sport is played, while Love Padelsupplies the rackets, equipment, clothing and footwear to the growing community taking it up.
At the centre of the court-development side is Yvonne Dolan, who discovered padel in Spain almost 20 years ago, in 2006, long before most Irish people had heard of the sport. She subsequently represented Ireland six times in the sport and has now turned that experience into a business focused on developing padel facilities across Ireland.
Dolan Padel Courts Ireland works with clients from the earliest planning and design stages of a project through construction, installation and aftercare. Interest is coming from an increasingly diverse range of prospective operators, including sports clubs, leisure facilities, hotels, schools, developers and entrepreneurs exploring the commercial potential of padel.
“The change in Ireland has been extraordinary. When I discovered padel in Spain in 2006, very few people at home had even heard of it. Today, we are talking to people from right across the leisure, sporting and commercial sectors who are looking seriously at developing courts.
“What is particularly exciting is that Ireland is still at a relatively early stage. As more people discover the game, that creates demand for more places to play and I think there is enormous potential for the market to develop over the coming years.”
The consumer market developing alongside those courts is where Love Padel founder Merrill Goussot saw an opportunity. Goussot, an experienced entrepreneur who previously co-founded and sold a digital marketing business, launched Love Padel in Ireland in October 2024 after identifying growing demand for specialist padel equipment.
The Dublin-based Irish company supplies rackets, equipment, footwear and clothing through LovePadel.ie, serving everyone from newcomers buying their first racket to experienced players upgrading their equipment.
Together, the two businesses offer a snapshot of the wider commercial ecosystem beginning to develop around padel in Ireland; building the facilities to accommodate increasing participation on one side and a growing consumer market on the other.
“Padel has that rare combination of being easy to start, very social and something people can become passionate about very quickly. We see customers discovering the sport, buying their first racket and then making padel part of their weekly routine.” said Goussot.
“What’s particularly interesting from a business perspective is everything that grows around participation. More players mean demand for more courts, but also equipment, coaching, clothing, competitions and clubs.”
Usually played in doubles on an enclosed court where the surrounding walls form part of the game, padel combines elements of tennis and squash. Its accessibility and social format have helped transform it from a sport predominantly associated with Spain and Latin America into an international phenomenon.
Padel’s appeal also extends well beyond the court. The sport has developed a distinctly social culture, supported by slick booking apps that allow players to find available courts, organise games, invite friends and split the cost between players in just a few taps. Players can join matches even when they don’t have a full group, helping turn strangers into playing partners and creating communities around individual clubs.
With doubles the dominant format, every booking typically brings four people together, while the relatively short games and growing culture of coffee, food and socialising around padel venues have helped make it as much a social activity as a competitive sport.
Ireland’s competitive scene is also developing alongside recreational participation, with tournaments attracting players across beginner, intermediate, advanced and veterans categories.
For Dolan Padel Courts Ireland and Love Padel, the opportunity lies on two sides of the same rapidly expanding market – building the places where Ireland plays and equipping the people who play there.
For court enquiries, visit padelcourtsireland.com. For equipment and clothing, visit LovePadel.ie.