Lidl and The Ladies Gaelic Football Association Announce Landmark €1.5m Partnership

Lidl and The Ladies Gaelic Football Association today announced a new partnership that will see the brand become Official Retail Partner to the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and title sponsors of the Lidl Ladies National Football Leagues.

21 January 2016; In attendance at the announcement of Lidl’s three year partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association is Karen McDermott, Westmeath. The partnership, which sees the largest investment in women’s sport in over a decade, sees Lidl become title sponsor of the National Leagues, post primary schools competition and the Gaelic4Mothers and Others Programme. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

Croke Park was the venue for the partnership announcement that will see Lidl invest over €1.5 million in Ladies Gaelic Football in year one of a three year deal, making this the most significant partnership announcement in Irish women’s sport in the past decade. Lidl will also be title sponsor of the Lidl Ladies National Football Leagues which get underway on January 31st throughout the country.  They will also be title sponsors of the Lidl Post Primary Schools Competitions, the Lidl Gaelic4Mothers & Others programme as well as offering supporting during the Championship.

 

Lidl have committed to running a vibrant advertising campaign to help promote the sport which includes online advertising, print media advertising and a very strong television campaign that will all be rolled out in the coming weeks. This commercial partnership will give Ladies Gaelic Football players an unprecedented level of promotion and will have a very positive impact on the sport at every level from grassroots right up to intercounty level. A social media campaign using the hashtag #SeriousSupport will also accompany all activities. Additional activations planned by Lidl focus on county bursary schemes and in store competitions to promote the post primary school and league sponsorships.

 

The Lidl National Football Leagues were also launched today at Croke Park with representatives from each of the competing 31 counties represented by their captains. The League gets underway on January 31st and will be one of the most competitive editions of the competition in recent years.

 

In Division 1 all eyes will be on Cork, who will begin a new era without Eamonn Ryan at the helm of their senior team for the first time in over a decade, the defence of the Rebellette’s crown will begin with a home match against Mayo on January 31st. Dublin will be amongst the favourites for the Division 1 crown and they will open with a home fixture with Kerry providing the opposition. Tyrone will hope for a fast start to the campaign when they welcome last year’s beaten finalists, Galway whilst it will be an all-Ulster tie in Monaghan when Armagh make their return to the top division.

 

Speaking at the official announcement of the partnership between the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and Lidl, LGFA president Marie Hickey said ‘This is a great day for the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, we have shown continuous growth year on year and this is what has attracted such a prestigious sponsor as Lidl. They have immediately shown their commitment to our sport through their impressive and eye catching advertising campaign and their financial investment in the sport will have a huge effect on the game throughout the country. With a partner like Lidl we know that we can continue to develop the sport and continue with the impressive growth that the game has experienced over the past decade.  This will be an exciting three years for all associated with Ladies Gaelic Football.’

Speaking on behalf of Lidl, Managing Director John Paul Scally says ‘We launched our sponsorship with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association in a blaze of publicity last week. Now for us the real work starts – we are committing at least €1.5million in year one to support the game, not just at county level but right down to the grassroots in schools and local clubs. As a retailer who is deeply rooted in communities all over Ireland, our first engagement with our customers will be around a kit competition for schools. As a brand we identify with the association’s ambition and drive and we are looking forward to building a fantastic working relationship with everyone involved in Ladies Gaelic Football and being the biggest supporter of women’s sport in Ireland.’

 

Lidl Press Contact Details

press@lidl.ie

Aoife.Clarke@lidl.ie

087 672 7786

 

Ladies Gaelic Football Association Contact Details

derek@ladiesgaelic.ie

087 738 9386

 

Lidl National Football League Round 1 Fixtures (all matches to be played on January 31st unless otherwise stated)

 

Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 1

 

Dublin v Kerry

Cork v Mayo

Tyrone v Galway

Monaghan v Armagh

 

Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 2

 

Westmeath v Donegal

Meath v Sligo

Cavan v Kildare

Laois v Clare

 

Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 3

 

Waterford v Tipperary

Fermanagh v Leitrim

Roscommon v Offaly

Down v Wexford

 

Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 4

 

Limerick v Carlow

Derry v Louth

Wicklow v Antrim

Longford bye

 

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