Ireland’s Taoiseach (the Irish equivalent of Prime Minister), Micheál Martin, has publicly wished Team Ireland good luck ahead of their Rocket League qualifying matches for the Esports Nations Cup last week.

Martin, who has led the country’s government since January 2025 and has headed the Fianna Fáil party since 2011, sent a message of support to the squad before their matches. In his statement, Martin said he wanted to lend his support to Team Ireland as they took part in the Rocket League qualifiers.

He noted that 48 national teams are taking part in the Rocket League ENC competition, moving through group stages and playoff matches, with the qualifiers deciding which teams advance to the finals later this year. He said reaching the finals would be a strong result given the standard of competition involved and would also help establish Cork as a recognised name within the gaming industry.

Martin also referenced the National Esports Centre in Cork, Ireland, which he helped launch last year. He called it a strong addition to the city’s growing technology and enterprise scene and said he expects it to keep benefiting Cork economically, socially, and culturally in the years ahead.

Esports Leaders, the executive gathering at the 5-star Hôtel du Collectionneur will bring together senior decision-makers in and around esports and gaming during the closing days of the Esports World Cup. Find more details at this link.

He also pointed to how large esports and gaming have become worldwide, citing figures of over 3 billion gamers globally and more than 640 million people who follow esports either regularly or casually in an industry “worth millions”.

Martin closed his message by wishing the team luck, adding that above all, he hoped they would enjoy the experience.

Ronan Monaghan, the National Team Manager of Team Ireland for the 2026 Esports Nations Cup, shared the video in a LinkedIn post. He said that when he began building the squad, one of his goals was to strengthen Ireland’s standing in esports both at home and internationally and that receiving a message from the Taoiseach felt like recognition of that effort.

Monaghan said having government acknowledgement at this level shows how far Ireland’s esports scene has developed and thanked the Taoiseach for taking the time to send his wishes to the players and the esports community. The Team Ireland’s Rocket League team succeeded in qualifying for the main event.

Subscribe to our TER newsletters here! Including On The Radar a quick weekly wrap up of all esports business stories, and the fortnightly Heat Map, a deeper dive into the stories not to be missed across esports business and culture worldwide.

Follow The Esports Radar on social media: