Analysis: the knock-on effects of the upsurge in media coverage have been transformative in a very short period of time
Just a few hours after the Irish team had made history by qualifying for its first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup, a creative video of Amber Barrett's winning goal was doing the rounds on Twitter. "Amber Barrett's goal, but it's Reeling in the Years 1990," tweeted the video's creator Adam Moynihan. The 30-second clip combined Barrett’s goal with footage of fans celebrating Ireland’s famous penalty shootout against Romania at Italia 90, all set to The La's 1990 chart topper 'There She Goes'
Amber Barrett's goal but it's Reeling in the Years 1990 #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/wCJtquF0fG
— Adam Moynihan (@AdamMoynihan) October 11, 2022
The video captured the moment perfectly and made a very important point: Ireland’s women’s national team had achieved its very own Reeling in the Years moment. It was one of those rare moments of complete collective national pride, celebration and euphoria that will be replayed for decades to come. We now have a new entry for a new generation to go alongside Alan McLoughlin's winner in Windsor Park, Katie Taylor's gold medal and Paul and Gary O’Donovan's heroics in Rio.
Besides the goal, Barrett’s emotional interview with RTÉ’s Tony O’Donoghue after Ireland’s win in Scotland also went viral. The Donegal woman dedicated her goal and her team’s achievement to the victims of the recent disaster in Creeslough. "I’m dedicating it to those 10 beautiful souls who unfortunately perished," she said. "For all their families. Because I know they touched their lives. They certainly touched ours. This is for Creeslough. This is for Donegal."
From RTÉ Sport, post-match interviews with the Irish team and manager Vera Pauw
For the striker to speak so eloquently in the aftermath of such a victory speaks volumes of her personality. It was another reminder of the type of characters that are spread throughout the squad. Chloe Mustaki's battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Katie McCabe's campaigns for the LGBT community and manager Vera Pauw's brave public statement that she had been the victim of sexual assault are all insights into a team filled with admirable role models who have overcome adversity and stand up for social justice.
They are players and coaches we have become more familiar with in recent years thanks to increased media exposure. Ireland’s playoff victory, and the coverage surrounding it, felt like a national moment. Not only had Pauw and her players done what no other Irish women’s team had done before — qualifying for an international tournament - but they had done so in an environment where the media coverage reflected the significance of their achievement.
As recently as 2017, when players held a press conference demanding better treatment and explaining how they had to change in airport toilets and hand back tracksuits, media coverage of the national team was still lacking. Back then, coverage across most major platforms was minimal. Only high-profile games were shown on TV. It was difficult to find out basic information like what time qualifiers were taking place, how to buy tickets, who the star players were, and what their stories and personalities were. This was only five years ago.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime in April 2017, report on Irish women's soccer team's press conference over their dispute with the FAI over pay and conditions
Fast forward to 2022 and the media coverage of Ireland’s women's team has drastically improved. Every single qualifier, home and away, is broadcast on television. Analysis on RTÉ has made great strides, with pundits like Lisa Fallon, Karen Duggan and Stephanie Roche giving excellent in-depth insight to enhance our understanding and knowledge. Players like captain McCabe and Louise Quinn are household names who adorn billboards across the country and appear in television adverts.
For Irish football fans craving media content specifically focussed on the women’s teams, there are now a plethora of podcasts to keep informed, including Off the Ball’s COYGIG podcast and the FAI’s in-house productions like the WNL Wrap. There's also an abundance of UK podcasts by The Athletic, The Guardian and the BBC that cover England’s Women's Super League, where Ireland’s stars play for clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton.
Irish online media like Off the Ball, The42.ie and HerSport.ie provide indepth coverage of the women’s international team, on top of improved efforts from national newspapers who now send journalists and reporters all over the world to cover Pauw’s team. For this World Cup campaign, the Irish media has sent a healthy number of reporters with the team to Finland, Sweden, Georgia and Slovakia.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport in 2021, interview with Vera Pauw ahead of the Irish team's World Cup qualification matches
This was unprecedented until very recently and is an important reflection of the seriousness with which editors now treat the national team. They are more willing than ever before to put resources towards their coverage of women’s sport. It is a sad fact that sending a journalist abroad to cover a women’s international game was once seen as unworthy. It is a backwards media mentality which is slowly beginning to change thanks to the tireless work of sports journalists like Marie Crowe, Cliona Foley and countless others.
Academics like media theorist Manuel Castells argue that an event is only as significant as the media coverage that surrounds it. "The media are not the holders of power," he said. "But they constitute by and large the space where power is decided." If an event is not widely covered and given prominence, many people will not be aware it is taking place.
So, without media coverage, women’s football cannot grow. But if there is not enough interest to begin with, some argue, how can the media justify providing coverage in the first place if no-one cares? Record-breaking attendances at Tallaght Stadium over recent years, combined with increasing viewing figures on RTÉ have highlighted two important facts. First of all, there is interest and, secondly, there have always been incredible female footballers in Ireland. The difference is that these players are now being given the attention and media coverage their talent and dedication deserves.
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From RTÉ 2fm's Game On, goalkeeper Courney Brosnan talks about the win over Scotland and next year's World Cup
Media coverage has a positive knock-on effect, giving more recognition and appreciation for accomplishments that were hidden away and ignored in the past. An increase in coverage means more viewers (350,000 watched Ireland's playoff with Scotland), sponsors (Ireland's team stands to make €5 million in new sponsorship deals), advertising, revenue and resources. All of this increases the standard of play on the pitch. It comes full circle, resulting in even greater media coverage. More people pay attention because the product is getting better to watch as a spectacle.
With a media environment that is more willing to give the Irish women's team its due, the team has grown from strength to strength. It is no coincidence that, after the recent 20x20 campaign to increase coverage of women’s sport, Ireland have secured a landmark equal pay deal with the FAI, agreed a four-year sponsorship with Sky and now ensured qualification for its first ever World Cup. Increased media coverage did not cause all of these successes, but it has been an instrumental part of the process.
This is all reflective of a wider trend of increasing coverage of women’s football. The BBC and Sky Sports recently agreed an £8 million broadcast deal to show the Barclays Women’s Super League on its channels. Closer to home, TG4 broke new ground by televising Irish Women’s National League games this season too.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Lisa Fallon on the long road taken by the Irish women's soccer team over the last five years
Streaming services like the FA Player, which show every English WSL game free of charge, and the Irish equivalent LOITV, which streams domestic Irish club games, have made watching women's soccer more accessible than ever. These groundbreaking TV deals and free streaming services ensure fans can watch their favourite players on a regular, consistent basis every week or weekend.
Ireland qualifying for its first ever FIFA Women's World Cup is a seismic moment and a culmination of years of hard work. Having battled in the dark for so long and being ignored by the media for decades, the improved, enhanced coverage seen today has shown the seismic impact of sustained, in-depth media exposure on women’s football in this country.
The knock-on effects of the upsurge in media coverage have been transformative in a very short period of time
With more work still to be done, it is only when we step back and highlight the upsurge in volume of media coverage that we can begin to assess its impact. With a plethora of podcasts, online publications, TV, radio and newspapers now providing in-depth coverage of the Irish team and the clubs they play for, the knock-on effects have been transformative in a very short period of time.
Ten years ago, Barrett’s goal would not have registered the same impact as today. But thanks to enhanced media spotlight, Ireland’s national team are beginning to receive the recognition and plaudits they deserve as we look ahead to next year’s World Cup. Like Barrett's goal to secure qualification, Irish fans will hope there are more Reeling in the Years moments to come in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
