The Irish Skateboarding Association’s first official All-Ireland Championship took place at the DC Skatepark in Derry in March 2025. This is after 4 years of myself and Dave Leahy

working together on getting the ISA’s recognition in the backdrop of tons upon tons of red tape. The bureaucratic process has been an exhausting, but I have to commend Dave’s dedication behind the scenes over the past decade. So much of the work that goes into an organisation like this is unseen—long, slow, and at times frustrating communication—but essential nonetheless.

Bringing the ISA out of the shadows and into the public eye was long overdue, and the DC All-Irelands was the finest way to do it. It is finally on track to becoming the organisation it was always meant to be: one run by and for skaters of all ages, across the entire island of Ireland.

The All-Ireland Championship at DC Skatepark felt like a long-awaited awakening after years of working behind closed doors. As the event gained momentum online, young skateboarders witnessed a major Irish competition for the first time, while older skaters reminisced about the golden days of past contests.

What truly struck me, however, was the reaction of the U12 winners. Seeing kids moved to tears, hoisting up an ISA trophy while their parents cheered them on, was a moment that hit home. I hadn’t witnessed anything like it in over a decade in Ireland. It brought me back to my own first All-Ireland in Limerick in the late 2000’s, where I was one of those kids eager to impress and earn a place in the competition. Experiencing it now from the other side—as an organiser and an older skater—was surreal.

This year's All-Irelands will be a defining chapter for Irish skateboarding. It marks the ISA’s first real public engagement and an open invitation to every skateboarder in Ireland to be part of something built for them. The goal is to ensure that skateboarding progresses with skateboarders at the helm.

The ISA exists for the benefit of every skateboarder in Ireland, whether they’ve been skating for a day or a decade. But its success doesn’t rest solely on the shoulders of a few individuals- it’s up to the entire skateboarding community to support and participate in it. This is our opportunity to shape skateboarding in Ireland on our own terms, and that’s something worth backing.

Bígí linn!

 

Under 12’s

1st: Jensen Smith

2nd: Reuben Blankley

3rd Matthew McKeown

Men Under 16

1st Donatas Budrys

2nd Jake Crothers

3rd Anton O’Brien

Women’s

1st Taylor Cruickshank

2nd Edith Millie

3rd Rachel Mellroy

Men’s 17-30

1st Cullen Green

2nd Cian Neale

3rd Cillian Fitzpatrick

Over 30

1st Dave Hurley

2nd Aaron McCracken

3rd Noel Hynes

* all photos are from Jay's book of the event but he's fed up posting them so don't ask for one.