2005 Suzuki Ladies NFL launched in Cork

 

2005
Suzuki Ladies NFL launched in Cork

 

The
2005 Suzuki Ladies National Football League was
launched today in Cork by the Minister for Arts,
Sport and Tourism, Mr John O’Donoghue TD. This
will be the 27th Ladies National Football League
and the third year the competition will be sponsored
by Suzuki Ireland. Speaking today in Cork, Minister
O’Donoghue said: “Ladies Gaelic Football has been
a real success story over the last number of years
with increased participation and spectators. We
have shown a strong commitment to the development
of women’s sport in Ireland and I was particularly
pleased to allocate EUR750,000, through the Irish
Sports Council, for programmes to attract women
into sports in 2005. “I look forward to another
exciting year following on from last year’s great
spectacle of the All Ireland Ladies Final”.

Mr Niall O’Gorman, General Manager of Suzuki Ireland
expressed his delight at being involved with Ladies
Football for another year. Mr O’Gorman said: “We
in Suzuki are delighted to be associated with
the Ladies Gaelic Football Association through
our sponsorship of the National League. This is
our third year sponsoring this competition and
we are very impressed with the rapid growth of
Ladies Football at all levels. Credit is due to
the officers at both national and local level
for their professional approach to the running
of their affairs.”

This year’s Suzuki Ladies National Football League
will be divided into seven different divisions
with 41 teams. Divisions 1,2 and 3 are divided
into A and B sections of six teams, with a stand-alone
Division 4 featuring emerging counties like Wicklow,
Carlow and Kilkenny. All 32 counties are competing
in this year’s competition, and such is the strength
in depth in some places that eight counties have
entered B teams and Dublin have become the first
county to enter a C team – a sign that the game
in the capital is flourishing.

Ladies Gaelic Football is the largest female sport
in Ireland and its playing numbers and popularity
are also the envy of female sports worldwide.
Currently, there are 900 clubs throughout Ireland
and overseas the game is played in Australia,
USA, the UK, Asia, Europe and Canada. The Association
has grown at a phenomenal pace and now boasts
a membership of over 90,000. Structures are now
also in place at grassroots level to ensure underage
talent is nurtured.

The All-Ireland final on the first weekend of
October has attracted an attendance of over 20,000
for the last ten years, which compares more than
favourably with attendances at female sports events
throughout the world. In 2003, the All-Ireland
final between Mayo and Dublin was attended by
33,000, while the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final
between Sweden and Germany in the USA had an attendance
of 26,000. This year promises to be another competitive
League as Mayo go out to defend the title they
won in 2004.

In all, Kerry have won the tournament 11 times
since 1979, with Waterford next in the roll of
honour with five titles.

 

 


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