LGFA legends taking business world by storm

Galway stars (l-r) Nicola Ward, Kate Geraghty and Olivia Divilly wearing the new county kit 

Sportswear company secures third inter-county jersey contract

On the field or off the field, Galway 2019 All-Star winner Louise Ward applies the same dogged determinedness and unwavering ambition to succeed.

Having guided her native Kilkerrin-Clonberne to a sixth LGFA All-Ireland senior club final appearance following a semi-final victory over Comeragh Rangers of Waterford last weekend, it was back to business on Monday morning with her sportswear company, GOWA, which she co-owns with another LGFA legend, Noelle Gormley of Sligo.

Between the two of them, they have secured over 30 All-Ireland medals in Gaelic football, basketball, soccer and rounders, and it’s no surprise then that they are now taking the business world by storm with their fledging sportswear company, after GOWA secured its third inter-county jersey contract in two years in November.

The pair, who registered their company in October 2022 and subsequently left their public service roles two years ago to become full-time company directors, will fulfil all Galway LGFA inter-county gear orders in 2026 after announcing the partnership last month.

It is the third county that GOWA has signed up, having already been appointed the sole licensed agent for Sligo LGFA and Roscommon LGFA in recent times.

Understandably, Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s four-time All-Ireland senior club medallist Ward is thrilled to secure the signature of her home county, particularly as she hopes to once again wear the maroon and white in 2026.

“It is massive for me, because it is my county,” says Louise, “just as it was a big deal when Noelle signed Sligo because that is the county she has played for over the last 20 years. To own the company, produce the new Galway jersey, and play in it, it is going to be unique.”

The GOWA brand is growing and they now not only supply sports, school, and corporate wear to all sectors in the West of Ireland and, indeed, nationally, but also as far away as New York, Chicago and San Francisco in the United States.

“It has been a massive learning curve for us,” says Noelle. “We are just so lucky that people put their trust in us and allow us to support and guide them. We treat the company like we play sports. You don’t look too far ahead, but we do have a vision to provide the best we can for as many customers, and make as many teams as happy as we can.”

Galway captain Kate Geraghty

She notes that this enterprise couldn’t have got off the ground without the support of their clubs, her own St Nathy’s and Louise’s Kilkerrin-Clonberne, along with all the other clubs, men and women, within their home and neighbouring counties.

When setting up their sportswear company, another person they relied on was Galway LGFA’s 2004 All-Ireland winning senior manager, PJ Fahy, who, as owner of ECC Timber, is also a successful businessman.

“PJ has been massive,” says Louise. “I can’t stress how big of an influence he has been in getting us off the ground and he is always there for us or on the end of the phone for advice. He sat down with us for hours when we were getting started and every step we take, we like to seek his advice. So, we would like to highlight him, because he is never going to highlight himself.”

Family also have played their part. Louise and Noelle both say their respective families have put in Trojan work. “They have taken such an interest,” says Noelle. “They love seeing our brand around the place and even if they are in a different part of the world we would get a text, ‘I saw a GOWA jersey today’. It is personal to them, too.”

When launching the new 2026 Galway LGFA jersey, which Louise designed, she was able to call on her twin sister Nicola and club teammate Olivia, both of whom picked up 2025 All-Star awards recently, and Galway senior captain Kate Geraghty for the photoshoot.

The launch took place at The Claddagh in Galway City, which has significance. “I was only telling PJ [Fahy] that our idea for the jersey came from listening to his stories from 2004. He said the one thing from when they won the All-Ireland was that they were all such good friends. That is something we want to tap into, and that is why we went with the design of the Claddagh Ring in the jersey, because it symbolises love, loyalty and friendship.

“They are the three values that you want in any squad to perform. It was more than just throwing a jersey together to get it out there. It was about trying to tap into an ethos that obviously won an All-Ireland in previous years.”

It’s this attention to detail that they bring to each GOWA design, be it All-Ireland winning sides like Kilkerrin-Clonberne, who seek a fifth consecutive All-Ireland senior club title when they face Antrim’s St Ergnat’s Moneyglass on December 13; the Sligo LGFA minors; Super league basketball outfit Sligo All-Stars; recently crowned All-Ireland rounders champions Galway City Rapparees; or elite athletes like 400 metre runner Jack Raftery.

“We even have a music academy!” chimes Noelle. “We have done a lot of corporate wear as well. People like to personalise their brand and colours, so they come to us to see what we can do. Sometimes, I find it impossible to get across what we do, what we love to do. People might just see us as a business, but getting clubs and counties to put their trust in us, and take a gamble on a young company, we can’t thank them enough as it means a lot to us.”

With this latest contract signed with Galway LGFA, one suspects GOWA is only going to get busier and busier. Louise hopes so: “Word of mouth has been incredibly powerful for us, and our presence on our website and social media continues to reinforce the reputation we’ve built.

“While we’re always looking for ways to further enhance our marketing, we’re proud that clubs continue to come to us based on our track record and reliability,” she concludes.