LAST UPDATE | 10 Jan
59% OF IRISH people have never attended a live women’s sporting event, according to new research from Lidl unveiled at the 2024 National Football League launch.
Lidl Ireland and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association [LGFA] presented unprecedented findings into support – or lack thereof – for female sport in Ireland at Croke Park this morning.
1,000 people were surveyed in November and December 2023, with the research nationally representative, conducted by Red C and commissioned by Lidl.
Their new ‘Get Behind the Fight’ campaign aims to increase LGFA attendances, with Division 4 league fixtures getting underway on Sunday. The full National League programme kicks off on Saturday, 20 January, with Division 1 heavyweights Dublin and Kerry meeting at Parnell Park [throw-in 5.15pm, lie on TG4] in a repeat of the 2023 All-Ireland final.
“The ultimate ambition is to increase attendances at Ladies Gaelic football games up and down the country,” JP Scally, CEO Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, told this morning’s event.
“It’s not just about championship final day in Croke Park or the Lidl League final day either, although they are the headline figures that everyone will look to. It’s about filling seats up and down the country at county games, club games, even people turning up on the sidelines to support our schools when they’re playing as well. It’s about people getting out there and supporting across the board.
“But I’d be lying if I didn’t say we didn’t have ambitions certainly to have a full Croke Park at some point – for TG4 championship final day, or who knows, maybe for a Lidl League final day at some point in the future as well. You have to set the bar high. If you do dream big, it is possible and we shouldn’t allow there to be any barriers.”
Research found that more than half of the population (59%) admit they have never been to a live female sporting event compared to just over a quarter (29%) never attending a male equivalent. That said, 42% stated interest in attending a female sporting event and 74% think it is a shame that people don’t attend.
Irish people are five times more likely to attend a premier men’s event in person than an equivalent premier female event, with 46% saying that men’s sport is generally better to watch. 59% would prefer to watch men’s sport on TV than attend a live female sporting event, and 38% think that the standard of play isn’t high enough to justify attendance.
Out of the 25% who do attend live female sporting events, spectators are more likely to be male (57%) than female (43%) and aged between 35 and 54. Parents of participating children are also more active in attending female fixtures.
According to the research, lack of media coverage is perceived to negatively affect public awareness and support, with 40% stating this as a reason for non-attendance at live women’s events. Almost two thirds (65%) of people think women’s sport does not get enough media coverage in Ireland and 83% believe that men’s sport is covered more comprehensively.
Other barriers to attending female sports events included venues not being easy to get to (37%), not knowing anyone that is playing (34%) and ticket prices being too high (34%), and the research found that perceptions and unconscious bias around women’s sport in Ireland continue to be key issues.
Half of people think there is a lack of Irish female sporting heroes.
The current record for attendance at a female sporting event in Ireland is 56,114 from the 2019 TG4 All-Ireland LGFA finals. The leading soccer crowd is 35,944, recorded at September’s historic Uefa Women’s Nations League clash between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.
Outside of showcase events, however, attendance figures are not consistently strong for female sporting events.
Dublin star Carla Rowe spoke to that at today’s event, noting that consistency of crowds in ladies football is “the dream”.
“That’s the dream for the Association, it’s the dream for the players. I do think it is shifting. We had an All-Ireland quarter-final away to Donegal this year, hours and hours away for fans. When we ran out on the pitch, we were so shocked at the number of Dublin fans that had travelled.
“I think it is shifting but to make it happen as quickly as possible, we have to promote it. Everyone needs to get behind it, players need to get behind it and use that social media outlet more. The Irish population in particular, we Gaelic players anyway, we kind of shy away from Instagram and putting ourselves out there but it’s probably up to us to also push for that as well. It would be brilliant to have more games earlier on in the season with big crowds.”
Lindsay Peterson, Nebraska Volleyball’s Director of Operations at the University of Nebraska and Holly Murdoch, Head of Operations, Women’s Professional Game at the English FA, also shared their insight, with Stephanie Roche and Gordon D’Arcy also in attendance.
A new Lidl / LGFA ad will air on TV this Sunday urging people to Get Behind the Fight.
- First published 6am, updated 4pm after today’s event.
