Taoiseach launches 2003 season of TG4 Ladies Football

Taoiseach launches 2003 season of TG4 Ladies Football

The 2003 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships were
launched by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, at a reception
in Croke Park today. TG4 has been the official sponsor of
the All-Ireland Ladies Senior and Junior Football Championships
for the past two years and also holds exclusive live television
rights for both championships. At today’s launch TG4 and Cumann
Peil Gael na mBan also announced an extension to their partnership
to 2006.

This year’s All-Ireland Finals will be played in Páirc an
Chrócaigh on Sunday October 5th and will be broadcast live
on TG4. For the first time ever, the finals will also be streamed
live on the TG4 website (www.tg4.ie). In addition to live
coverage of the All-Ireland finals, TG4 will also broadcast
some other matches live and will provide highlights of all
stages of the championships in its popular Tuesday night GAA
2003 programme. (Coverage details are enclosed).

In his comments An Taoiseach said that “Ladies Gaelic football
is going from strength to strength in Ireland and has been
hugely successful in attracting large numbers of supporters.
The popularity of the sport is clear as more than 33,000 supporters
attended the football final in Croke Park in 2002”. An Taoiseach
also referred to the hard work and commitment of those involved
in every sport at all levels and he especially praised the
wonderful partnership between Cumann Peil Gael na mBan and
TG4.

TG4 Ceannasaí, Pól Ó Gallchóir also welcomed the extension
of the partnership with Ladies Football to 2006. “Our mutually
beneficial relationship with Cumann Peil Gael na mBan is one
of which we are particularly proud,” he said. “Live ladies
Football was a winner for TG4 and has made a major contribution
to the growing popularity of the channel where the audience
share has grown six-fold”, he added.

Geraldine Giles, Uachtarán, Cumann Peil Gael na mBan said
that the skills on display and the interest of the public
in Ladies Football has never been higher and she was confident
that 2003 would be the best season yet for Ladies Football.

ENDS

More information:
Rónán Ó Coisdealbha, Spórt TG4 091-505050 / 087 2472841 www.tg4.ie
sport@tg4.ie
Helen O’Rourke, Cumann Peil Gael na mBan 01-8363156 / 087
2585958 info@ladiesgaelic.ie
Fr Liam Kelleher,P.R.O. 021- 4886128 / 087 8516984

Information on the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championships
can be obtained on the website of the Ladies Gaelic Football
Association www.ladiesgaelic.ie and on Aertel page 248