HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a sports massage in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A sports massage in Ireland costs €50–€100 per session, typically around €70. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a sports massage in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers sports massage work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — post-Event Recovery — post-event sports massage helps in reducing muscle soreness and fatigue after competitions.
- How does therapist's experience change the price?A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does duration of the session change the price?The duration you choose is the main thing you control. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does complexity of your specific needs change the price?It is the first thing a provider looks at on arrival. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Sports massage sessions generally focus on muscle manipulation and do not include other services like physiotherapy or medical treatments — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a sports massage job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No statutory register applies
No statutory register applies to this treatment in Ireland. The Department of Health's own position is that people who provide complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, though consumer, competition, contract and criminal law still apply to them. CORU registers health and social care professions by protected title — dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and the rest — and this is not one of them, so nobody practising it can be 'CORU registered' and a claim to be is describing something that does not exist. There are voluntary registers run by professional bodies, and they are worth something: a body that can strike somebody off is a body with a complaints procedure. None of them is the law.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Professional indemnity insurance, the insurer's name and the limit — for a hands-on treatment this is the only recourse that exists; The qualification and who awarded it, by name — then look the awarding body up yourself rather than taking the certificate on the wall as the check; Membership of a professional body, and whether that body has a complaints procedure you could actually use; How many hours of training the qualification took, because in an unregistered field a weekend course and a three-year diploma carry the same word on the certificate; What the session includes, how long it is and what a cancellation costs, in writing before the first one; Garda vetting where the treatment is for a child or a vulnerable adult, which is a legal requirement for that work under the National Vetting Bureau Acts.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability — ask for the insurer and the limit. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers sports massage work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — post-Event Recovery — post-event sports massage helps in reducing muscle soreness and fatigue after competitions.
A good answer: A provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The duration you choose is the main thing you control. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: It is the first thing a provider looks at on arrival. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Sports massage sessions generally focus on muscle manipulation and do not include other services like physiotherapy or medical treatments — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a sports massage job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability — ask for the insurer and the limit — improved Circulation — the techniques used in sports massage enhance blood flow, which can speed up recovery times.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the sports massage starts, and an itemised invoice after — injury Prevention — regular sports massage can help in identifying potential injury risks by assessing muscle tightness and imbalances.
Getting the quote right
- Therapist's experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in.
- Duration of the session — the duration you choose is the main thing you control.
- Complexity of your specific needs — it is the first thing a provider looks at on arrival.
- Travel distance — being far from the main towns narrows the choice and lifts the price.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: therapist's experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in
- They will not talk about it: duration of the session — the duration you choose is the main thing you control
- They will not talk about it: complexity of your specific needs — it is the first thing a provider looks at on arrival
- A price for the sports massage before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the sports massage has begun
What a sports massage costs: €50–€100 per session
The figures are for the job, per session, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Deep tissue massage and Trigger point therapy each carry their own band. Sports Massage price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Sports massages near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstTherapist's experience — a provider who guarantees the work prices that guarantee in — that is what the sports massage is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneDuration of the session — the duration you choose is the main thing you control — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfComplexity of your specific needs — it is the first thing a provider looks at on arrival — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherTravel distance — being far from the main towns narrows the choice and lifts the price — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the sports massage is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, discuss any medical conditions or injuries with your therapist before treatment.
- Muscle Tension Relief
- Sports massage targets specific muscle groups to alleviate tension and tightness.
- Injury Prevention
- Regular sports massage can help in identifying potential injury risks by assessing muscle tightness and imbalances.
- Improved Circulation
- The techniques used in sports massage enhance blood flow, which can speed up recovery times.
- Post-Event Recovery
- Post-event sports massage helps in reducing muscle soreness and fatigue after competitions.
- Deep Tissue Massage
- This involves applying firm pressure to relieve tension in deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue.
- Trigger Point Therapy
- This focuses on specific tight areas within the muscle tissue to alleviate pain and dysfunction.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a sports massage: questions people ask
The cost of sports massage can vary based on the therapist's experience, location, and the duration of the session. Higher rates are often associated with specialised therapists or clinics in urban areas.
A typical sports massage session lasts between 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the needs of the client and the specific areas being treated. Most clients opt for 60-minute sessions for a comprehensive treatment.
Many therapists offer same-day appointments, but availability can be limited, especially during peak times. It's best to contact the clinic directly for immediate appointments.
Typically, clients can schedule multiple sessions in one visit, but this may depend on the therapist's schedule and the duration of each session. Discussing your needs with the therapist beforehand is recommended.
Sports massage sessions generally focus on muscle manipulation and do not include other services like physiotherapy or medical treatments. If you have specific injuries, it may be necessary to consult a healthcare professional.
No statutory register applies to this treatment in Ireland. The Department of Health's own position is that people who provide complementary therapies are not subject to professional statutory regulation, though consumer, competition, contract and criminal law still apply to them. CORU registers health and social care professions by protected title — dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and the rest — and this is not one of them, so nobody practising it can be 'CORU registered' and a claim to be is describing something that does not exist. There are voluntary registers run by professional bodies, and they are worth something: a body that can strike somebody off is a body with a complaints procedure. None of them is the law.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in health & wellbeing
Sports massages near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Department of Health — complementary therapies (updated 26 October 2020)
- CORU — public protection FAQs: which registers are open
- Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010, Schedule 1 — exempt activities
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Courts Service — small claims
- Revenue — VAT rates
- Revenue — MASSAGE SERVICES ( Supply of ) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only