Analysis: The initiative has introduced (or re-introduced) thousands of women to Gaelic football in a fun, non-competitive and social environment
It's 50 years this year since the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) was founded. One of the recent successes of the association is the Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others initiative, which has brought thousands of new participants to ladies football in a spirit of openness, flexibility and friendliness.
For women specifically, sport provides opportunities to improve physical and mental health, increase social support, and experience empowerment as they resist stereotypes about age and gender. Within the context of Gaelic games, the remit of clubs is no longer just to cater for more experienced, competitive sports participants, but increasingly to offer opportunities for those with more recreational and social motivations to be involved in clubs.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
From RTÉ Radio 1's Oliver Callan Show, Cork mother Rosaleen O'Brien talks about going back to Gaelic football in her forties after giving it up in her teens and the craic the game brings her on and off the pitch
Enter Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others, a way for women to play Gaelic football in a fun, non-competitive and social environment. Gaelic 4 Mothers & others began through the Women in Sport initiative which was introduced to clubs in 2008. Its overall objective was to increase levels of female involvement in sports in areas of participation, coaching, volunteering and leadership and the LGFA certainly understood the brief when they developed Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others.
Its target group is women aged 25 years and older who are not currently playing competitively with a club team. The mission is to promote ladies football in a flexible and relaxed way that allows them to meet and socially interact with other women in the community or from nearby areas. The initiative began with a small number of clubs and has steadily risen to over 400 active clubs in Ireland. Even in this short period, many important steps have been achieved, including the visibility and normalisation of mothers playing sport on a regular basis and players over 25 taking up the sport or joining a club for the first time.
Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others is about the people, rather than about the LGFA or GAA as an institution. Advertisements in local newspapers for Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others clubs place emphasis on the welcoming and fun nature of the training sessions. 'Come along for the craic and exercise too' beams the Naomh Padraig club in the Donegal News. The Rhode club in the Offaly Topic in 2012 repeatedly made clear in their club notes that ‘all new members will be made more than welcome’.
Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others works because it combines both the formal and informal elements of ladies football. Formal in that training sessions happen on time and are run and structured by qualified personnel. Likewise, blitzes and matches are officiated properly. The more informal elements are that the training sessions are on a drop-in basis, giving flexibility for participants who have other life commitments. The willingness to acknowledge these commitments and provide flexibility for players is an essential part of its success.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage PreferencesFrom RTÉ Radio 1's Like Family, Brenda Donohue meets the women on the Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others team at Sheriff St Ladies Gaelic Football club in Dublin
In the last few years, Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others has gained increasing visibility. The fun and colours of blitzes have sparked media interest and positive media coverage can only encourage more participants. Without a doubt, the highlight of the Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others calendar is the national blitz, which draws over 2,500 participants in a wonderful burst of colour, fancy dress, face paints and comradery amongst teams.
The day kicks off with a collective warm-up to an uplifting playlist of songs to set a rejoicing tone that ensures until the last players get on the team bus home. Adding an international element, blitzes are now being held by Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others teams in New York, Barcelona and Paris, with many Irish teams travelling overseas to participate.
LGFA and GAA clubs still need to be more inclusive and place emphasis on creating a friendly and motivating environment for the many people who do not wish to play competitive sports. They also need to better communicate the benefits of social football to women, particularly those who may not have any experience playing sport. Many participants in Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others are personally recruited by someone else, but the limits of these social networks must be recognised and more channels of encouraging new participants need to be developed.
Regarding facilities and resources, GAA clubs inevitably favour competitive teams in terms of funding, equipment, and access to facilities. A more equitable balance for Gaelic 4 Mothers and Others teams would demonstrate the value that this initiative has for clubs and communities. It would also show dedication to ensure active lifelong participation for all by providing inclusive facilities and environments that go beyond championships and trophies.
From RTÉ Brainstorm, how Ladies' Gaelic football went from a carnival sideshow to filling Croke Park
The present-day success of Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others is the culmination of years of effort by participants, trainers and administrators. When future sports historians document and reflect upon the history of the LGFA, they will almost certainly identify the establishment of Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others as one of the association’s key successes.
The Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others National Festival of Football takes place this Saturday, September 7th, at Naomh Mearnóg and St. Sylvester's Clubs in Dublin
Follow RTÉ Brainstorm on WhatsApp and Instagram for more stories and updates
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
