The Women’s Gaelic Players Association awarded their first 12 scholarships yesterday to students who are playing inter county Camogie or Ladies Gaelic Football.
The awards will help to ease the tension that exists between maintaining a full time study course and training and playing sport at the highest level.
The awards represent another step forward in the strong start that the WGPA has made since its launch only at the start of this year. Membership of the Association has already reached 700 players from across the country.
The twelve players to receive their scholarships yesterday at Carton House were Westmeath camogie player Julie McLoughlin, Kildare ladies footballer Mikaela McKenna, Derry camogie player Karen Kielt, Limerick camogie player Judith Mulcahy, Laois dual player Laurie Marie Maher, Mayo ladies footballer Sarah Tierney Donegal ladies footballer Kate Keaney, Offaly dual player Sinead Daly, Sligo ladies footballer Grainne O’Loughlin and Donegal ladies footballer Emer Gallagher.
The awards were made on a day when a prominent report by Cambridge University placed Ireland fifth in the world for Female Economic Power. The survey was conducted over a period of ten years and took into account factors including the average length of time women spend in education and the percentage of women in the workplace. Australia, Norway, Denmark and Finland were the only countries to beat Ireland, all of which have a strong tradition in Women’s sport.
Ireland still has some way to go with the number of women on boards representing below the EU average but areas where equality can be pushed to the fore, especially in sport which is such a strong reference point for society and the way it sees itself will only be to our collective long term advantage.
The research was commissioned by Newton Asset Management who will see their sponsorship of the University Boat Race on the River Thames in London tomorrow double up with the Women’s Race sharing TV billing with the Men’s for the first time, and by BNY Mellon.
Image Credit: Sportsfile
