Picture it: your exams are all finished and the assignments turned in. You have a horrific hangover from the Twelve Pubs and the rain lashes outside, you have two weeks to do absolutely nothing. Luckily, the TV is brimming with sports action from across Ireland and beyond, to keep you occupied for the long days and longer nights over the Christmas period. Here’s your step-by-step guide on what sports to watch this Christmas. With something for everyone, you’re sure to find something! You might even get a solid ‘opinion’!
Soccer:
Football action rules the holidays, as per every year. Numerous competitions take place.
The Premier League runs every weekend, with over 40 matches to enjoy over the festive period. The biggest games of the Christmas season are Newcastle v Chelsea and Spurs v Liverpool at 12:30 and 17:30 on Saturday 20 December. On St. Stephen’s night Manchester United take on Newcastle, with Arsenal v Aston Villa on New Year’s Eve at 20:15. Manchester City v Chelsea is on 4 January at 17:30, and there’s a massive game in Arsenal v Liverpool on 8 January, at 20:00. Premier League games are available on Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
The Women’s FA Cup has some huge fixtures in the week leading up to Christmas, with four quarter finals taking place on Sunday 21 December – Liverpool v Chelsea, Manchester United v Spurs, Crystal Palace v Arsenal and West Ham v Manchester City. Channel 4 shows some games live, and the others can be found on TNT Sports.
The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) takes place bi-annually, this year running from Sunday 21 December to Sunday 18 January. The biggest games in the group stages look like Egypt v South Africa on St. Stephen’s Day, and Nigeria v Tunisia on 27 Dece,ber.
Sonny’s opinion: Morocco to win the AFCON, Egypt as a dark horse. Liverpool to beat Tottenham Hotspur on 20 December, Chelsea to beat Manchester City on 4 January.
Darts
Where would we be without the darts? The annual migration to the TV in the weeks around Christmas is a cornerstone of bringing the family together. For a few weeks in December and January, droves of passives flock to their TV screens to watch the high-octane action from the Ally Pally.
The PDC World Darts Championship continues until the final on 3 January. The last 16 ties take place on 30 and 31 December, the quarter finals on 1 January, and the semi-finals on 2 January. The PDC can be seen on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event – with big matches including the potential quarter-final matchup of Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price.
Sonny’s opinion: Don’t bet against Luke Littler to win it out, but never rule out Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen.
GAA
Nothing screams the comedown from Christmas like the GAA winter leagues returning. The FBD League returns for 2026, with Roscommon v Leitrim, Galway v London and Sligo v Mayo on the weekend of 3 and 4 January. The cup and shield finals are on 17 and 18 January. Elsewhere, the pick of the games in the O’Byrne Cup is Dublin v Laois on 3 January, with Limerick v Tipperary and Clare v Kerry in the McGrath Cup on 2 and 6 January. The Galway hurlers take on Kildare in the Walsh Cup on 4 January.
And while the majority of GAA athletes rest up after a hard season, the university stars take to the field for the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups, kicking off on 6 and 7 January. University of Galway play their first Sigerson game away to Queen’s University Belfast, while ATU Galway take on UCD and reigning champions DCU DÉ are away to 2024 champs Ulster University. In the Fitzgibbon Cup, University of Galway are seeded in Group B, alongside UCD and TUS Midwest, playing UCD on the week of 7 and 8 January and TUS on the week of 21 and 22 January. Other big Sigerson and Fitzgibbon games include DCU DÉ versus 4-out-of-5-chasing UL on 21 January.
All GAA action is available on Clubber TV, with some cup/league games on TG4 and the Sigerson/Fitzgibbon cups available on the @HigherEdGAA YouTube channel
Sonny’s opinions: Roscommon to win the FBD League, Dublin for O’Byrne Cup. Back UCD to win the Sigerson Cup, UL to win the Fitzgibbon.
Boxing
Ah, what a wonderful way to spend the shortest weekend of the year! A massive boxing match is on the cards with a quality undercard from the Kaseya Centre in Miami, Florida.
The Main Event: The title bout of the event is Anthony Joshua v Jake Paul. The brash American, Paul, takes on the seasoned Briton in Joshua, and a quality heavyweight fight is promised. You can watch the fight on Netflix at around 03:30 on 30 December, so make sure and bring the coffee!
The Undercard: Earlier in the evening some more exciting bouts are promised. Tyron Woodley v Anderson Silva in the cruiserweight division, and Alycia Baumgardner v Lela Beaudoin in the super-featherweight precede the main event.
Sonny’s opinions: Silva to overcome Woodley: the MMA legend has height, reach, record and experience on his side to counteract Woodley’s fresher legs.
Rugby
The Irish provinces have some massive fixtures to play over the Christmas period. So put the kettle on and sit in front of the fire for the United Rugby Championships (URC).
Connacht v Ulster and Munster v Leinster are at 18:30 and 20:45 on 27 December. Therefore no matter where on the island you hail from, you’re taken care of, and again on Friday 2 January when Ulster take on Munster and Leinster play Connacht on 3 January. The URC can be watched on Premier Sports, with many of the Irish teams fixtures on TG4.
Sonny’s Opinions: Connacht can surprise Ulster at the Dexcom Stadium in Galway on 27 January.
And more!
We’d be here all day and night writing about every single sport that’s on this festive season. So here’s a breakdown of a few more interesting ones.
Cricket: The Ashes. The Ashes continues with the third test from Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 December (at midnight), and the fourth test from Thursday 25 to Monday 29 December (at 23:30). All available on TNT Sports
: 3 ODIs. Ireland v South Africa women’s ODIs on 13, 16 and 19 December, at 20:00, 20:00 and 12:00
Golf: Mauritius Golf Open. Taking place in Mauritius from 18 to 21 December, available on Sky Sports Golf
Snooker: Scottish Open taking place from 15 to 21 December, and available on TNT Sports.
Horse racing: Leopardstown Racing Festival, highlight of the National Hunt Season. Paddy Power Champion’s Novice Hurdle on 27 December 27 at 13:47, Grade 1 Savill’s Chase on 28 December at 14:30. All can be viewed on assorted betting sites and highlights on @horseracingireland YouTube channel.
So, with this guide in mind, there’s something for everyone. So cook up the turkey, nurse the hangover gently, sit back, relax and enjoy the Christmas, folks!
Sonny McGreevy is SIN’s co-Sports Editor for 2025/2026. He is a third-year student of Creative Writing and a keen but mediocre golfer. It is his second-year writing for SIN. When he’s not slicing a golf ball into the nearest pond or peering over a fence at a local GAA pitch, he’s debating Irish foreign policy or ardently discussing the price of turf with a pint in hand in a sleepy pub in his native Roscommon.