REVEALED: Study ranks Tipperary as most outdoorsy county in Ireland

New research from BUNAC has revealed which Irish counties produce the most outdoorsy personalities that make the most natural camp counsellors.

Every summer, thousands of young Irish people swap home for an American summer camp, spending nine to twelve weeks teaching children to swim, climb, kayak and sail.

In 2025, Ireland sent 1,724 camp counsellors to the US, making it one of the top sending countries in the world.

Camp directors look for the same qualities year after year.

Young people who are comfortable outdoors, happy leading a group of children, and able to teach a sport or skill.

To find where those qualities run deepest, BUNAC combined data across Mountaineering Ireland, home to the country's hillwalkers and climbers; Scouting Ireland, including its sea scouts; and the GAA, the backbone of community sport in almost every county.

BUNAC measured each county's activity against its population using CSO Census 2022 figures. Each measure was scored from 0 to 100 and combined into a single Camp Counsellor Index, giving a fair, like-for-like picture of where the country's natural counsellor talent is strongest.

Tipperary tops the list with a camp counsellor index score of 92 out of 100.

The county is home to 571 Mountaineering Ireland members and 15 scout groups.

With 107 GAA clubs across a population of 168,000, that's about 64 clubs per 100,000 people, one of the highest rates in the country.

And with Galtymore and Slievenamon among its most popular mountain ranges, someone who can coach a team and lead a hike is exactly who camp directors are looking for.

Just missing the top spot is Wicklow, on 91.9.

The Garden of Ireland is scouting central, with 19 scout groups and 4 sea scout groups across a population of 156,000.

Add 675 Mountaineering Ireland members, plus the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough on the doorstep, and you get young people who grow up hiking, camping and leading groups outdoors. Basically, a camp counsellor in training.

Galway ranks third with a score of 90.8, as Ireland's hillwalking capital.

With 1,542 Mountaineering Ireland members across the county, that's about 558 per 100,000 people.

With 26 scout groups and 80 GAA clubs to its name, plus Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Way and a young, restless, festival-loving crowd, it's no surprise Galway turns people into adventurous outdoor types.

The sunny southeast comes next.

Waterford ranks fourth with an overall index score of 90.7.

It scores well across all three measures, with 14 scout groups, 486 Mountaineering members (about 382 per 100,000) and 50 GAA clubs (about 39 per 100,000).

With the Comeragh Mountains and the Copper Coast to explore, Waterford turns out young people who are more than ready for a summer of adventure.

Cork rounds out the top five with an overall index score of 89.1.

The rebel county has the most Mountaineering Ireland members outside Dublin (2,591) and by far the most GAA clubs in the country (259), plus 42 scout groups and 4 sea scout groups.

Even after adjusting for its huge population of 584,000, it holds firm in the top five.

From Beara to Sheep's Head to the hurling pitches up north, Cork raises the best people for the outdoors.

“Every summer, thousands of young people from every corner of Ireland head off to work at an American camp, and this research shows just how much of that talent is built at home, on our hills, in our scout halls and on our GAA pitches,” said Head of Ireland & Advocacy at BUNAC.

“The counties at the top of this table are producing exactly the kind of confident, outdoorsy young leaders that American camp directors travel across the world to hire. With 17 camps coming to our Dublin hiring fair this January 28th, there has never been a better time for them to turn those skills into the summer of a lifetime.”

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