The Women’s Gaelic Players Association will be launched later this morning at an event in Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre.
It is a timely advance for players who put in as much training and time as their male counterparts in hurling and football but have not until now had a representative platform through which to provide understanding and support for life at the elite end of Irish sport.
The group has come together over time and built a strong foundation with representatives in every county in the country. It will represent players in Camogie and Ladies Football and offer individual support and counselling to players that have reached inter county level.
This mirrors the reach of the Gaelic Players Association under Chairman Donal Og Cusack and CEO Dessie Farrell who have provided similar service in the men’s game since it’s coming to life in 1999.
The GPA is supporting the Women’s version though the two will run as separate organisations.
Aoife Lane, a lecturer at the School of Health Science at Waterford Institute of Technology has been the focal point of discussions that have taken place over the last 12 months.
She will be centre stage at today’s launch, backed up by an initial committee including Anna Geary and Valerie Mulcahy from Cork’s All Ireland Camogie and Football Champions; Gemma Begley, Fiona McHale, Deirdre Murphy and Kate Kelly.
Sport for Business understands that representatives from the corporate world including Liberty Insurance and PwC will also be in attendance.
We will shortly be announcing a new initiative based around encouraging support for women’s games this summer.
Image Credit: Inpho.ie
