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At the launch of the 2020 GFP Ladies HEC Third Level Championships were, from left, Laura McGinley of DCU and Dublin, Eilish Ronayne of UL and Mayo, Hannah O’Donoghue of UL and Kerry and Muireann Atkinson of DCU and Monaghan. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
HEC Ladies Football Chairperson Donal Barry has called on the public to come and stand on the lines to support the top ladies gaelic footballers in Ireland, as 18 teams travel to Tralee and Currans next month to participate in the Gourmet Food Parlour O’Connor Championship weekend.
“We are looking for gaelic football fans to come out and support the teams who will travel to Kerry on the weekend of March 13/14. This is one of the biggest events in the ladies football calendar outside the All Ireland finals, with 540 players from 18 teams contesting six championships in the Centre of Excellence in Currans, John Mitchel’s Complex with the O’Connor Cup final at Austin Stack Park Tralee,” said Donal.
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To mark the occasion, the organisers are looking to break the attendance record at an O’Connor Cup Final and are targeting the number 2,020 to smash the attendance record for such an event, which will be held at Austin Stack Park Saturday, March 14.
“With 2020 being a very important year in women’s sports we hope to tie in with one of the campaign’s targets to increase 20% more attendance at women’s games and events by the end of 2020 and we are calling on sports supporters in the Kingdom to help us make this an occasion,” said Donal.
At the launch of the 2020 GFP Ladies HEC Third Level Championships were, from left, Laura McGinley of DCU and Dublin, Donal Barry, HEC Chairperson, Eilish Ronayne of UL and Mayo, Helen O’Rourke, CEO LGFA, Lorraine Heskin, CEO, Gourmet Food Parlour, Hannah O’Donoghue of UL and Kerry, Tomás O Sé, GFP Ambassador, Muireann Atkinson of DCU and Monaghan and Con Moynihan, LGFA. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
To add a little more incentive, the club with the most club jerseys on the day will win set of 24 jerseys, socks and togs for their underage team.
The event, which was last held in Kerry in 2016, has doubled from three championships to six such is the growth in participation in ladies football in colleges throughout Ireland.
“Four years ago we had 1,300 registered players in 24 colleges; we now have over 2,000 for the first time ever with 39 colleges taking part,” added Donal.
The event — which will be supported by Kerry College — is set to bring upwards on €100,000 to the local Kerry community.
