Stars from the competing counties gathered at Croke Park today to officially launch the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships.
All roads lead to Croke Park on Sunday August 13, which will be an historic occasion to mark the 50th TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Final.
The captains of the 1974 All-Ireland Senior Final teams – Tipperary’s Kitty Ryan-Savage and Offaly’s Agnes Gorman – joined current players at Croke Park today to launch the 2023 campaign.
The very first All-Ireland Senior Final, won by Tipperary, was played in Durrow, county Laois, in 1974.
To acknowledge this, TG4’s Peil na mBan Beo lead anchor Máire Ní Bhraonáin was joined at Durrow Castle recently by Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry), Maria Reilly (Mayo), Aimee Mackin (Armagh) and Niamh O’Sullivan, from TG4 All-Ireland Senior champions Meath, for a promotional photoshoot.
Intermediate representatives Síofra Ní Chonaill (Clare) and Amy Hamill (Monaghan) were also present, alongside Junior players Claire Dunne (Sligo) and Ruth Bermingham (Carlow), to help launch the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Championships.
TG4 have been title sponsors of the All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships since 2001 and the partnership has evolved into one of the most recognised and innovative in world sport.
In 2022, TG4 announced a five-year extension of their sponsorship of the All-Ireland Ladies Football inter-county championships, with this deal set to last until the conclusion of the 2027 season.
The TG4 Senior Championship is due to get underway on Saturday June 17, with the Junior Championship roaring into life on Sunday June 18.
TG4 and the LGFA will shortly reveal details of another bumper TV schedule which will run until the conclusion of the Championships at Croke Park on Sunday August 13.
The LGFA and TG4 are also delighted to confirm that the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-finals will be played as a double-header at Semple Stadium in Thurles, county Tipperary, on Saturday July 29.
The 50th year of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, which was founded in Thurles on July 18, 1974, will officially commence on July 18, 2023.
The 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Finals will be staged as a triple-header once again at Croke Park on Sunday August 13, with the Junior Final at 11.45am, followed by the Intermediate decider at 1.45pm and the Senior Final at 4pm.
Peil na mBan Beo will be available to audiences globally on the TG4 Player and on the TG4 Mobile and Smart TV App.
Former Galway star Máire Ní Bhraonáin will lead TG4’s Peil na mBan Beo coverage once again for the forthcoming Championship season. The commentary team will be headed up by Brian Tyers.
They will be joined by expert panellists including former Cork TG4 All-Ireland Championship winners Rena Buckley and Rhóna Ní Bhuachalla, ex-Waterford ace Michelle Ryan, Dublin All-Ireland winners Sorcha Furlong and Sinéad Finnegan, Wicklow’s Niamh Russell and current Donegal player, Emer Gallagher.
TG4’s coverage will be produced by Waterford-based production company, Nemeton TV.
The LGFA and TG4 are also delighted to confirm that all other games that are not being televised in the TG4 All-Ireland Championships will be available to view via the LGFA’s live-streaming service.
Speaking on behalf of TG4, Director General Alan Esslemont said: “Agus muid ag tús comórtais eile Craoibhe, tá TG4 thar a bheith bródúil as ár gcomhpháirtíocht leis an LGFA mar urra agus mar chraoltóir ar Chraobhacha na hÉireann i bPeil na mBan. Samhradh stairiúil atá romhainn agus muid ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an 50ú Cluiche Ceannais Sinsir agus is ábhar sásaimh agus bróid dúinn go raibh baint thábhachtach ag TG4 leis an dul chun cinn atá á dhéanamh ag an spórt iontach seo.”
“There is so much to look forward to in this year’s TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships at all levels – Junior, Intermediate and Senior. The quality of inter-county football increases every year, as does the fierce rivalry and, from the evidence of this year’s Lidl National Leagues, we can expect one of the most open and competitive Senior Championships ever. The prize this year is the truly momentous and historic honour of becoming the winners of the 50th Senior All-Ireland Championship Final.”
“My admiration for the women and men who have built the LGFA knows no bounds. It is truly the key institution of women’s sport in Ireland and has been a pioneering leader in the long march towards parity of esteem with male sport. We see some progress in this direction but deep-rooted biases are always difficult to shift. As a minority language broadcaster, I believe that TG4 understands that struggle for some kind of societal equality and the solidarity between the two organisations is very strong.”
“That solidarity is very much founded on the strength of the partnership relationship which the LGFA has created with TG4 and the truly historic role which Chief Executive, Helen O’ Rourke, has played in building and maintaining that partnership. I also salute Uachtarán Mícheál Naughton, all the fantastic staff at the LGFA and everyone in club, county, provincial and national management structures who are driving Peil na mBan forward towards its 50th Senior Final and into its 50th year.”
“Ba mhaith liom buíochas freisin a ghlacadh le gach duine i TG4 agus i Nemeton as a saothar seachtainiúil ag cur clúdach spóirt den chead scoth ar fáil ar TG4 agus guím gach rath ar na foirne agus a lucht leanta a bheidh páirteach i gCraobhacha TG4 2023.”
