Anti-doping

This page provides up-to-date information from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Irish Sports Council and GAA rules and regulations in the area of doping.

Under the Irish Sports Council Act 1999, the Council was given the task of combating doping in sport. Immediately the Council established the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Programme, which was launched in the autumn of 1999. It comprises three main elements; testing, education and research. The Council is proud to have put in place a programme that is recognised nationally and internationally as being of the highest quality.

As such, the GAA as a national sports body must adhere to these guidelines and rules. In July 2001 the GAA agreed to begin drug testing of Senior inter-county players as part of an agreement with the Irish Sports Council and their policy to cooperate with an international anti-doping campaign.

Download the Irish Anti-Doping Rules April 2010 - note the file is large at 7MB.

Further detailed information about substances on the WADA prohibited List can be found here.

The best source of up-to-date information on anti-doping is found at the Irish Sports Council website. 

Check your medications (Republic of Ireland) at http://www.eirpharm.com/. 

Check your medications (Northern Ireland) at http://www.globaldro.com/. 

Eirpharm is an Irish pharmacy and health website designed specifically for Irish people, specific to Irish medical needs. The purpose of the website is to provide free, Irish-specific, up-to-date, comprehensive information and is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between the user and his/her pharmacist and/or medical doctor. All of the information refers to products available in Irish pharmacies. The website lists all licensed over-the-counter and prescription medications which have a Product Authorisation (PA) number.

The Global Drug Reference Online (Globaldro) provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of specific substances based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.

Visitors can search the Globaldro website for specific information on products sold in the Northern Ireland.

Real Winner is an interactive e-learning education programme about Anti-Doping, brought to you in partnership with the Irish Sports Council. It gives athletes and their support personnel an understanding of key topics such as doping control procedures, the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list, whereabouts systems, therapeutic use exemptions and the consequences of doping. Real Winner consists of nine interactive modules, ranging from five to ten minutes per module, plus an introduction module; the entire course can be completed in just over an hour. Anyone can access the programme by visiting, www.irishsportscouncil.ie/realwinner. On the 'Login' section of the Real Winner homepage, enter your Name, Email address, select your Sport and Status and click 'Log In'. (Remember these details as you have the option of either completing all modules at once, or you can exit at any time and return to where you left off when you next log in.) When you have completed all modules, you can print a Certificate of Completion.