Tesco to Sponsor All Ireland Post Primary Schools Competitions

The sponsorship includes both the Senior and Junior competitions which will now be called the Tesco All Ireland Post Primary Schools Competitions. The national secondary schools competitions are played at two age grades; U-15 and U-18 with three levels of competition in each age grade – A, B and C.

This is the 26th year of the Ladies Football Post Primary Schools competitions with over 400 schools competing each year across the 32 counties. In 2009, Mercy Convent Roscommon won the Senior A title 20 years after winning their only other top grade senior title. St Josephs Castlebar won the Senior B crown while namesakes St Josephs Abbey Feale claimed both the Senior C and Junior C All Ireland titles.

Loretto College, Omagh beat St Leo’s of Carlow to claim the 2009 Junior A title while Holy Rosary Mountbellew took the honours in the Junior B competition.

This latest partnership between Ladies Football and Tesco follows the announcement of a three year deal in late 2009 which saw Tesco become the title sponsor of the All Ireland Club Championships and Club Person of the Year Awards.

Pat Quill, President of Ladies Football, said, “Tesco have proven to be a fantastic partner to Ladies Football in the short time that we have been working together and we are delighted that they have extended their relationship with the Association.

The Post Primary Schools competitions produce the future stars of our game and in recent years we have witnessed senior inter-county stars competing for honours in the schools competitions which illustrates the quality of players involved at this level.”
Kenny Jacobs, Marketing Director, Tesco Ireland, commented, “We are delighted to sponsor the 2010 All Ireland Post Primary Schools Competitions. At Tesco we believe in community participation and promoting healthy lifestyles and this competition is a great fit with that ethos. Through our Tesco for Schools and Clubs scheme and the Green Schools Programme we already engage with schools at a very local level. I would like to wish all schools involved in the 2010 All Ireland Post Primary Schools Competitions the best of luck this year. ”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
Ladies Gaelic Football
Ø Ladies Football is the largest female team participation sport in the country with over 135,000 registered ladies footballers in the country. There are 1000 Ladies Football clubs
Ø Ladies Football has affiliated leagues in North & South America, the UK, Australia, Asia, and across mainland Europe.
Ø Ladies Football sponsors include: TG4, Bord Gáis Energy, Tesco, Lucozade Sport & O’Neills Sport

Tesco
Ø Tesco is Ireland’s leading retailer.
Ø The company employs 12,500 staff in 119 stores throughout the country
Ø Each year Tesco buys €2 billion worth of Irish food and drink products. €655m of these purchases are exported to Tesco stores around the world making Tesco a bigger export destination for Irish food and drink than France, Germany or the US.
Ø Tesco sponsor the Ladies Football All Ireland Club Championships and Club Person of the Year Awards
Ø The 2010 Tesco for Schools and Clubs scheme has just launched and will run until May 9th. The scheme provides schools and clubs throughout Ireland the opportunity to collect vouchers in Tesco’s 119 stores and exchange these for IT, sports, creative, educational and environmental equipment. Since 1998 over €15 million worth of equipment has been donated to almost 3000 schools and clubs in Ireland.

For More Information:
Helen O’Rourke, CEO, Ladies Gaelic Football: TEL: 01 836 3156
David O’Síocháin, Pembroke Communications TEL: 087 936 2440 / 01 649 6322
Seamus Banim, Tesco Ireland, TEL: 086 600 1149

www.ladiesgaelic.ie
www.tesco.ie