You may not have played it yet, but there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of padel. It’s the sport that has captured the imagination of the Irish (and international) public in recent years which has resulted in a spike in demand for coaching and facilities.

If you’re thinking to yourself, ‘sure, isn’t it just like tennis?’, you’re half right. Mark Johnston is a committee member and coach at Cavan Lawn Tennis and Padel Club and he believes that padel is more “forgiving” than tennis.

“The underarm serve makes it much easier for beginners to get started in padel,” he says. “In tennis, the serve has a lot of moving parts and can take quite a while to master, whereas in padel you can get the ball in play almost straight away.

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“Padel is also a more forgiving game. The walls give you a second chance, so if a ball gets past you, the rally isn’t necessarily over. In tennis, if the ball goes past you, the point is finished. In padel, it can rebound off the glass and you’re right back in the rally. That keeps points going for longer, makes the game more exciting, and helps new players build confidence from the very first time they step onto the court.”

Cavan Lawn Tennis and Padel Club was a very early adopter of the game, opening two padel courts in 2014, making it the first club outside Dublin to introduce the sport.

Mark Johnston is a committee member and coach at Cavan Lawn Tennis and Padel Club.

“At the time, padel was virtually unknown in Ireland,” says Mark, “but we believed in its potential and wanted to bring something new to the region. We were very lucky to have amazing people with the foresight and belief to bring this project to life.”

David O’Brien is the director of Kerry Padel Centre – the first dedicated indoor padel centre in Co Kerry with five indoor courts. The centre launched in September 2025 and the response has exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“We knew there was growing interest in padel, but we’ve been amazed by how quickly people of all ages and abilities have embraced it,” he says.

David also contends that the easier nature of the game has played a role in its’ growing popularity.

“We’ve seen complete beginners arrive expecting to struggle, only to be playing enjoyable rallies within 15 or 20 minutes. That immediate sense of achievement is something very few sports can offer.

“It’s also incredibly social. You always play doubles, so you’re constantly interacting with other people, whether that’s friends, family, work colleagues or people you’ve just met through the club.”

Padel camps

And it’s not just adults having all the fun on padel courts. Summer camps are being set up around the country for children who want to try out the popular sport for themselves.

Kerry Padel Centre is one of several companies who have spotted the demand for lessons for the next generation of players.

“Our junior summer camps are designed to introduce children to padel in a fun, safe and engaging environment,” says David.

“The emphasis is very much on enjoyment, building confidence and developing fundamental movement and racket skills through games and activities rather than intense coaching.”

As the week progresses, players begin learning tactics, teamwork and match play, all while making new friends and staying active during the summer holidays.

Maeve Carey playing at Kerry Padel Centre.

Ryan Smith playing padel at Cavan Lawn Tennis and Padel Club. \ Lorraine Teevan

“One of the great things about padel is that it’s suitable for children of all sporting backgrounds, whether they’ve played tennis before or are picking up a racket for the very first time.”

Despite the glorious sunshine Ireland has experienced this summer, for the most part, weather is one of the biggest obstacles to enjoying a game of padel here. The relatively limited number of indoor courts available and high demand at peak times means that fans of the sport are often left frustrated. As a result, countries like Spain and Italy are becoming popular destinations for padel enthusiasts looking for a week of fitness with a side of socialising in the sun. Après-padel is already a thing.

Co-founder of Padel Breaks Will Edmonds.

Padel travel

Will Edmonds is the co-founder of Padel Breaks – a company that makes playing padel in the sun with top professional coaches accessible to as many people as possible. He and two of his friends, from the UK and Gran Canaria, relocated to Barcelona and ‘caught the padel bug’ in 2023. Around that time, they noticed that the sport was really taking off in the UK.

“I was travelling back to the UK on business and tried to organise games there – courts were expensive, almost impossible to book, and, of course, it was raining. It was a world away from the experience in Spain, and it opened our eyes to how lucky we were with the facilities, coaching and weather on our doorstep,” Will said.

Sasha Pastukhova from Ukraine, Gina Woods who lives in Australia, Anna Penado from Spain and Vanessa Pinheiro from South Africa brought an international vibe to Cavan Lawn Tennis and Padel Club recently. \ Lorraine Teevan

Conall Reddy enjoying playing padel at Cavan Lawn Tennis and Padel Club. \ Lorraine Teevan

When people from Ireland and the UK started visiting purely to get some coaching in and play in the sun, the three friends spotted a gap in the market and Padel Breaks was born. Most of the Irish bookings it has received so far have come through stag parties.

In fact, Will says that stag and hen parties have been their biggest surprise of 2026. “We’ve welcomed over 200 guests across ten locations in Europe this year, with bookings already coming in for 2027. There’s a clear trend of stag and hen groups wanting to build something active and competitive into the trip rather than just nights out, and padel fits that perfectly.”

Maeve Carey, a freelance makeup artist and model from Co Kerry, started playing padel 18 months ago at a fitness camp in Spain. Immediately hooked, she was thrilled when Kerry Padel Centre opened near her home in Tralee and signed up for beginner lessons. It quickly became a passion so when the opportunity to go on a padel holiday came up, she took it.

“The padel holiday I chose was on in Tenerife. It was marketed for those who enjoyed padel, wanted to learn skills and enjoy a social side where we went on day trips and evening meals as a group,” said Maeve.

“It was better than I expected and very well run. I went with two girls I met in Kerry Padel Centre and met lots more like-minded people on the trip. I left wanting to book another one which is always a good sign!”

David O’Brien believes the uptake in padel tourism is a sign of how the sport has evolved.

“People are no longer just travelling for a game of padel. They’re travelling for the whole experience,” he said.

“It’s helping create a genuine padel culture, similar to what golf or skiing has enjoyed for many years.

“As more facilities open across Ireland, I think we’ll continue to see more festivals, corporate events, coaching weekends and international trips becoming part of the sport. It also shows that padel has developed into much more than simply another leisure activity – it’s becoming a lifestyle that people actively want to be part of.”

See kerrypadel.ie; padelbreaks.es; cavanlawntennisclub.ie