With the new Lidl National Football League season just around the corner, a drive to accelerate interest and attendances at women's games is being ramped up across the board.
Irish female athletes sent records tumbling in 2023, with the likes of Katie Taylor, Rhasidat Adeleke and the Republic of Ireland women's soccer team breaking ground in their respective sports.
A poll commissioned by the supermarket chain found that 59% of Irish people have never attended a female sports event, and are five times more likely to go to a male sporting event over an equivalent female sporting event.
On Wednesday at Croke Park, the league launch doubled up with the unveiling of the 'Get Behind the Fight' campaign, which aims to boost league crowds.
There's momentum behind the growth of women's sport, but as Dublin captain Carla Rowe put it: "You surf that wave as long as possible while it's there."
"There's definitely areas for growth and opportunity there."
And, of course, there's always more work to do.
"That's the dream; we aren't too far off it," Rowe told RTÉ Sport when asked if she believed the Dublin ladies would ever consistently get a similar level of support to that enjoyed by the men's team.
"It's possibly a couple of years away from Hill 16 [being full] and the 82,000 that Croke Park can hold but I don't think it's impossible.
"[In the past] to play in Croke Park, it was an All-Ireland final day. That was the only time you'd play in Croke Park. The league final is going to be in Croke Park for whichever two teams are in it, you sometimes get All-Ireland semis, All-Ireland quarters. We're definitely getting those chances more often.
"It's getting there. It's just [about] trying to get it to happen as quick as possible would be fantastic."
Kerry's Síofra O'Shea is still only 21, but she's been on the scene long enough to see significant changes to the landscape in the women's game.
Almost 60% of Irish people have never attended a women's sports event, and are five times more likely to go to a men's event than the equivalent female one, according to a poll which was launched with the aim of increasing spectator numbers at the games. pic.twitter.com/yYhVHCWNf1
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 10, 2024
"There's definitely challenges, but since I've come and been playing maybe the last six years you've seen the growth as well," she said.
"I think the standard of the game has increased and the product has increased. That's going to happen when the standards of training and the work the players are putting in goes up and up each year.
"There's still a long way to go to get the attendances, not just at the All-Ireland final or the league final, but to get them up at all the games.
"There's definitely areas for growth and opportunity there. Hopefully one day we get on a par with the men. That would be the aim. We want to get there and hopefully it's done sooner rather than later."
Grace Clifford captained Kildare to a sweet TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title last summer.
She implored any casual supporters who ordinarily would not go to women's game to at least give it a chance.
"I just think they've to give it a chance and go and watch it themselves," said Clifford.
"It's easy to sit at home and say it's not great, it's not as skilful [as the men's game]. You need to go and witness it. It's a different game, absolutely. It has its pros and negatives like any other sport.
"Go and give it a go. Women need to support women as well. We need to go out and support each other too a bit more."
