Taoiseach launches 2004 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship

Taoiseach launches 2004 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship

An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern TD, launched the 2004 TG4 All-Ireland
Ladies Football Championship 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 three years and also
holds exclusive live television rights for both championships. This
year will now be year one of a new three-year sponsorship deal between
TG4 and Cumann Peil Gael na mBan.

In his comments An Taoiseach said: “It is clear that there is a
wonderful partnership between the Ladies Gaelic Football Association
and TG4. Participation in Ladies Football continues to make unprecedented
strides and media coverage has a very significant role to play in
fostering the ever-increasing interest in the game too. Record viewing
figures for last years final shows just how far Ladies Football
has come in such a short period of time.”

Ladies Gaelic Football is recognised as the fastest growing sport
in Ireland, with now over 90,000 participants in over 900 clubs.
Last year’s All-Ireland final attracted a crowd of close to 40,000
and was watched by a by 175,000 viewers on TG4 – a record for the
Irish language station.

This year Mayo will be out to win an historic three in a row in
a competition they have dominated for the last five years, but they
will face stiff opposition from the likes of Galway, Dublin, Monaghan,
Kerry, Waterford and Cork. In the Junior Championship, last year’s
runners-up Kildare are favoured here but Tipperary, Leitrim, Armagh
and Cavan will also have realistic ambitions.

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 2004 would be the
best season yet for Ladies Football. Mrs Giles said, “The 2004 TG4
Championship looks to be an open contest this year and while realistically
eight counties may to be in contention, it would be difficult to
bet against Mayo. However, Galway is looking the in-form team at
present, while the progression of the Cork Ladies cannot be overlooked.
This is a testament to the growth of the game that the same teams
no longer dominate the championship year after year.”

TG4 Ceannasaí, Pól Ó Gallchóir said he was looking forward to the
coming season of Ladies Football. “Our partnership with Cumann Peil
Gael na mBan has been one of the most satisfying in the channel’s
history,” he said. “It is no coincidence that for each of the past
three years, our live coverage of the All-Ireland Final has set
a new audience record for TG4”.

This year’s All-Ireland Finals will be played in Páirc an Chrócaigh
on Sunday October 3rd and will be broadcast live on TG4. Match coverage
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 2004 programme.

LIVE LADIES FOOTBALL COVERAGE ON TG4 2004

Saturday, September 11

1:15pm Peil na mBan Beo TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Semi-Finals
(Double header) Live from O’Moore Park, Port Laoise

Sunday, October 3

1:00pm Peil na mBan Beo TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Finals –
Junior (1:15pm) and Senior (3:10pm) Live from Páirc an Chrócaigh

HIGHLIGHTS COVERAGE ON TG4

TG4 Ladies Football Provincial Finals 2004 Sunday, July 25

Leinster Football Final (Venue: Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow)

Sunday, August 1 TG4

Ulster Football Final (Venue: St Tiernach’s Park, Clones)

Sunday, August 8 TG4

Connacht Football Final (Venue: Tuam Stadium, Co. Galway)

Sunday, August 15 TG4

Munster Football Final (Venue: Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork)

Highlights from the Ladies Football Provincial Finals on GAA 2003
on Tuesday nights at 10:30pm.

TG4 will also be broadcasting highlights from the following matches:

TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Quarter-finals (Saturday, August 28)