Little information has been published on the uptake of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in rural areas or on the potential to associate a health promotion message with skills training. This paper describes CPR instructor and community training programmes in Ireland. Public interest in these programmes has been strongest in rural areas, which have constituted the main focus of activity to date. High-quality training of lay instructors has been a specific target of the programmes, which have included a significant health promotion message. In the pilot rural area, almost 2% of adults aged between 15 and 64 years attended a course during the first year of operation. However, the self-reported risk factor profile of participants suggests significant under-estimation of risk factors such as obesity, hypertension or raised blood cholesterol. While general population teaching programmes can attract large numbers of participants, even in isolated rural areas, the perceived relevance of an associated health promotion message may be very low.