My first time attending this, as Down were playing, and I have to say it was a fantastic occasion. The colour, the enthusiasm, all six sets of supporters enjoying it immensely. The skill levels in all three matches were very high, and hats off to Croke Park, it was meticulously organised, and there was always something happening on the pitch, The excitement and the decibel level at the end of the senior watch was incredible, We couldn't hear each other speak
When you contrast the media exposure given to ladies rugby, with a playing population probably 100 times less than ladies football, it's time the GAA really got behind ladies football and supported it

befair (Down) - Posts: 237 - 29/09/2014 16:23:59    1658185

I don't think the GAA get enough credit for how they have developed the ladies sports, though there is certainly more that can be done. I see yesterdays attendance was over 27,000 which again is a great figure. I am sure there must be but is there another female sporting event in Europe that attracts such a large attendance? The womens FA cup in England, which is played by professionals, had 4k at it last year and 12k this year.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 29/09/2014 16:49:58    1658203

when you throw in both dublin and cork had senior hurling championship double headers taking place
at the same time as the womens final
27 thousand is a credit to the ladies gaelic football association.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 29/09/2014 17:25:03    1658223

The Ladies Gaelic Football Association is totally separate from the GAA, and I think could with advantage come under the umbrella. The LGFA, their counties and clubs, have absolutely no money and are seriously underfunded, + as as a rule attendances are lowish. One obvious option would be to e.g organise league matches as precursor to the men's league games

befair (Down) - Posts: 237 - 29/09/2014 18:47:07    1658271

When you consider that the highest ever attendance at a women's FA Cup Final in England was just over 25,000 yesterday's Croke Park attendance of 27,000 plus places Ladies Gaelic football among the leading women's sporting bodies anywhere in the world. The speed, skill and general athleticism in the ladies game is far ahead of that in other women's team sports. Only TG4 seems to recognise this. Time RTE woke up to a great product.

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 29/09/2014 19:58:08    1658301

soma positive stuff the gaa does doesnt make good reading or good headlines to the media in general..the galvin incident for example far more interesting to the media..ladies gaa is nothing compared to our 'brave' irish rugby warriors in france

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 29/09/2014 20:12:44    1658308

I don't think the attendance figures just reflect well on the GAA and LGFA, they also reflect well on the country as a whole because there are very few countries where ladies sports are so well attended. - which reflects on the respect the general public have for the athletes on show. To fully appreciate the attendance figures, there were over 10,000 more in attendance than the most recent mens FAI cup final and 8000 more than the Pro12 rugby final (though that was restricted by stadium capacity). I do think they should be striving to get that figure back to over 30,000 again and perhaps an advertising campaign promoting it as Europes biggest female sporting occasion could get them there. Great to hear that you had an enjoyable day befair, I have been to a few myself and my experiences were similar.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 29/09/2014 21:12:34    1658338

look at the big viewership figures tg4 also received last year for the final with no promotion at all

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 29/09/2014 21:20:05    1658344

Well done to those who attended etc but can those who are knocking rugby please stop. rugby has nothing to do with this thread.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 29/09/2014 21:23:30    1658348

Excellent football in croker yesterday well done ladies

elguapo (Meath) - Posts: 51 - 29/09/2014 21:52:05    1658367

First of all congratulations the Ladies football association on a fine exhibition of the very best the game has to offer. It was also a wonderful touch of class honouring the Irish Ladies Rugby team at HT by presenting these great women to the crowd who warmly received them. It was a great match, great atmosphere and one of the most enjoyable days out at Croke Park I've had in a long time.

But thats the end of the good stuff. My gripe is with the Dublin Ladies Football Association and the Dublin Camogie board who hammer duel players by the the fact they don't cooperate with fixtures. Take U14 girls playing both codes, they play Football Friday Night championship at 6/7 (light permitting) and they then play Camogie championship at 10.00 Saturday morning !! You couldn't make this up. It gets worse at U15/U16 championships run together so duel players play two matches every weekend. Throw in schools and you have a typical duel player playing up to 5 matches a week in total. This is killing the very bes5t players in both codes and driving girls in large numbers away from both sports.

So by all means clap yourself on the back but really take a long hard look at yourselves at who exatcly is being served by the current status quo.

If you look at the fabulous Croke team with the amount of duel players on that team and compare to Dublin - it makes you laugh. There is a form of duel code apartheid being practised in even the larger duel code clubs in Dublin. This is not serving the girls as it is a player welfare issue which doesn't seem to ever be considered, it certainly is not producing the players in either code. Both Camogie and Football do fantastic work in their own right, but together? They should just look at Cork - whatever they are doing thats the model.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 30/09/2014 08:17:41    1658379

Ormand, read it again, no one is knocking rugby. They are knocking the comparative coverage which is not the same as knocking rugby.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 30/09/2014 08:37:14    1658387

Excellent attendance for the Ladies Finals - well done to all concerned.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3727 - 30/09/2014 09:15:08    1658399

anyone catch the junior final? that wexford keeper pulled off some saves the English premiership would be proud of!

mac21 (Leitrim) - Posts: 677 - 30/09/2014 09:25:33    1658401

30/09/2014 08:17:41 arock
First of all congratulations the Ladies football association on a fine exhibition of the very best the game has to offer. It was also a wonderful touch of class honouring the Irish Ladies Rugby team at HT by presenting these great women to the crowd who warmly received them. It was a great match, great atmosphere and one of the most enjoyable days out at Croke Park I've had in a long time.
But thats the end of the good stuff. My gripe is with the Dublin Ladies Football Association and the Dublin Camogie board who hammer duel players by the the fact they don't cooperate with fixtures. Take U14 girls playing both codes, they play Football Friday Night championship at 6/7 (light permitting) and they then play Camogie championship at 10.00 Saturday morning !! You couldn't make this up. It gets worse at U15/U16 championships run together so duel players play two matches every weekend. Throw in schools and you have a typical duel player playing up to 5 matches a week in total. This is killing the very bes5t players in both codes and driving girls in large numbers away from both sports.
So by all means clap yourself on the back but really take a long hard look at yourselves at who exatcly is being served by the current status quo.
If you look at the fabulous Croke team with the amount of duel players on that team and compare to Dublin - it makes you laugh. There is a form of duel code apartheid being practised in even the larger duel code clubs in Dublin. This is not serving the girls as it is a player welfare issue which doesn't seem to ever be considered, it certainly is not producing the players in either code. Both Camogie and Football do fantastic work in their own right, but together? They should just look at Cork - whatever they are doing thats the model. Fair play on the honouring of the Womens rugby side. A significant number of them had or still do play gaelic etc so good to see link promoted again, just like the pic of ladies team in their county jerseys earlier in the year
That's very poor form in terms of scheduling of games for DUAL players. Does no good in terms of helping player retention at older age groups

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 30/09/2014 14:01:02    1658582

arock
County: Dublin
Posts: 2374

1658379
First of all congratulations the Ladies football association on a fine exhibition of the very best the game has to offer. It was also a wonderful touch of class honouring the Irish Ladies Rugby team at HT by presenting these great women to the crowd who warmly received them. It was a great match, great atmosphere and one of the most enjoyable days out at Croke Park I've had in a long time.

But thats the end of the good stuff. My gripe is with the Dublin Ladies Football Association and the Dublin Camogie board who hammer duel players by the the fact they don't cooperate with fixtures. Take U14 girls playing both codes, they play Football Friday Night championship at 6/7 (light permitting) and they then play Camogie championship at 10.00 Saturday morning !! You couldn't make this up. It gets worse at U15/U16 championships run together so duel players play two matches every weekend. Throw in schools and you have a typical duel player playing up to 5 matches a week in total. This is killing the very bes5t players in both codes and driving girls in large numbers away from both sports.

So by all means clap yourself on the back but really take a long hard look at yourselves at who exatcly is being served by the current status quo.

If you look at the fabulous Croke team with the amount of duel players on that team and compare to Dublin - it makes you laugh. There is a form of duel code apartheid being practised in even the larger duel code clubs in Dublin. This is not serving the girls as it is a player welfare issue which doesn't seem to ever be considered, it certainly is not producing the players in either code. Both Camogie and Football do fantastic work in their own right, but together? They should just look at Cork - whatever they are doing thats the model.

Would it help if they were part of the GAA as opposed to separate organisations or would that make it worse I wonder?

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 30/09/2014 14:17:33    1658591

mac21
County: Leitrim
Posts: 673

1658401
anyone catch the junior final? that wexford keeper pulled off some saves the English premiership would be proud of!

One of her saves was absolutely sensational!

The standard of goalkeeping has really improved in the last few years.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 30/09/2014 14:23:19    1658594