The Association was established in 1996. A not-for-profit organisation, the IIHA is a full member of Sport Ireland, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the Federation of Irish Sport (FIS) and the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI). The IIHA was accepted as a member of Sport Ireland in 2016 and worked closely with the National Governing Body office over the course of its 2-year probationary period. The IIHA became fully recognised as a National Governing Body of Sport for the sport of ice hockey on the 4th of September 2018.[citation needed]