Biopharmaceutical giant AbbVie has extended its existing support of Sligo men’s GAA to include the Ladies Football team.
The company announced a new three-year partnership yesterday which will deliver much-needed funding to develop and grow the game across the county.
Abbvie has a major facility on the Manorhamilton Road in Sligo where the announcement was made yesterday.
The new 2020 season Sligo LGFA jersey will be revealed in advance of the team’s Division 3 Round 5 fixture against Longford on March 8th next.
AbbVie’s support of wellbeing, mental health initiatives and female employee development has also helped the company secure an Ibec KeepWell award and recognition as a Great Place to Work for Women by the Great Place to Work Institute.
The partnership is obviously built on strong foundations, emerging from a company-wide commitment to equality.
AbbVie’s new partnership with the Sligo LGFA also means that it is now the only multinational pharmaceutical company in Ireland to support an inter-county team in either code regardless of gender.
Amgen supports Cuala GAA club in Dublin across both Men’s and Women’s.
It is a high-value employment sector though where a greater potential for supporting sport is undoubted.
Many of the company’s 400-plus employees at two plants in the county are currently involved in GAA and the LGFA or have previously played the sport at various levels.
“We are delighted to be extending our existing sporting partnership to include the Sligo Ladies LGFA senior football team,” said Columba McGarvey a Director of the company in Ireland.
“AbbVie has been a strong supporter of the men’s teams for the past four years and this new partnership is a natural progression for our company, particularly as many of our female employees are involved in the sport.”
“Embracing equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to AbbVie and we hope that our support of Sligo LGFA will help to showcase and foster the incredible sporting talent that exists across the county,” added fellow Director Darren Egan.
“AbbVie is a company with a significant presence in Sligo and across the Northwest and it is great to have them on board with our Ladies team now as an extension of their partnership with Gaelic Games in the county,” said Raymond Carden, Chair of Sligo Ladies Football County Board.
“I am confident that the relationship with AbbVie will benefit the development of ladies football in Sligo and, as a county board, we are striving to increase participation at all levels in the county.”
Read More: LGFA Creating Leaders
Read More: Dive deeper into our coverage of Ladies Football across the country
Image Credit: James Connolly
