23 Counties to Benefit with Gaelic4Girls Programme

Gaelic4Girls has been one of the great success stories for Ladies Gaelic Football in recent times as it helps clubs to grow and expand their membership base. The programme returns in 2017 with 37 clubs selected to benefit from the programme.

37 clubs have been selected to be take part in the 2017 Gaelic4Girls programme with each province and 23 counties represented in the selection. The 37 clubs were selected from a huge amount of entries and can now plan to take part in the programme beginning with the co-ordinator training that gets underway later this month.

New clubs that have been formed within the last 12 months as well as clubs that are expanding by developing a sustainable underage structure are heavily represented amongst the selection with clubs like St. Pat’s Palmerstown (Dublin), Eire Og (Antrim), St. Michael’s (Donegal), Eire Og (Carlow) and Clonard (Meath) hoping to secure their future by expanding and attracting younger players into the club, through participation in the Gaelic4Girls programme.

Melvin Gaels from Leitrim are a great example of a club that has benefitted from taking part in an LGFA programme in the past that hope to do so again. They were originally a Lidl Gaelic4Mothers&Others club that grew rapidly through their involvement in that non-competitive programme and they now hope to attract younger members to the newly established club.

The programme takes place over a 12 week period and is suitable for girls aged between 8-12 with players of all abilities who are not currently registered to a club welcome. The club receives training for their coaches and co-ordinator along with resources to market and promote their club’s participation in the programme. The 12 week programme will see players learn all of the skills of the game in a safe and fun environment before they are integrated with existing club players

The 37 clubs that will take part in the programme will hope to implement the programme in March after their co-ordinators and coaches have been fully trained and they will be invited to take part in the Provincial blitzes that will take place in Connacht on July 1^st, Leinster and Munster on June 17^th and Ulster on June 10^th.

Paula Prunty, National Development Manager of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association said ‘Gaelic4Girls has had a hugely positive impact on the clubs that have taken part in the programme over the past decade and we are delighted to welcome these 37 new clubs into the initiative. These clubs will be given all the tools necessary to attract new players, to grow and secure their futures. There have been wonderful success stories like Shane O’Neill’s from Armagh that started as a Gaelic4Girls club and only 2 months ago they contested an All Ireland Club Final and have their first All Star in Aimee Mackin. This is the difference that Gaelic4Girls can make to a club and we are very optimistic that these clubs can follow a similar trajectory.’

2017 Gaelic4Girls Sites