Helen O'Rourke has signalled her intention to step down as CEO of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) at the end of the year.
O’Rourke communicated the news at a meeting of the LGFA’s National Executive at Tullamore on Wednesday night.
In a statement, she said: "I have had the great honour to lead this wonderful association as CEO over the past 28 years and watched it grow into the strong, vibrant, progressive association it is today with the help of the amazing officers, volunteers and staff we have throughout the country and internationally.
"The time is now right for me to retire from the position but the LGFA will continue to remain close to my heart and I will endeavour to remain involved in some capacity."
O’Rourke has been one of the most influential and respected executives in Irish sport over the past three decades and has overseen unprecedented growth and exposure for her sport.
As a founding member of the Dublin Ladies’ Board she helped install a strategy and development plan with an initial focus on underage structures in clubs.
In 1990, she served as Secretary of the Dublin Ladies Football Board and went from player and volunteer to CEO in just a decade.
She drove momentum for schoolgirls to take part in the Cumann na mBunscol competition at primary level.
At national level she served as Cultural and Language Officer and National PRO for the LGFA.
In 1994, O’Rourke became president of the national LGFA before being appointed CEO three years later.
She subsequently carved out a career as one of the most successful and inspirational leaders in the country in both business and sporting spheres, helping ladies’ football peak at the top of female sports in Ireland.
A litany of successes ensued during her tenure. These included a successful and long standing partnership with TG4 and a multi million euro sponsorship deal with Lidl which were just two highlights.
The alliance with TG4 was a game changer in terms of exposure with today’s membership now standing at around 200,000.
In 2017, the 46,286 attendance at the All-Ireland finals in Croke Park was deemed a world record at a stand-alone female sporting event. In 2018, that figure was surpassed by an attendance of 50,141. A year later it rose again to 56,114.
The Association also proved to be proactive with rule changes and 1998 saw the introduction of a countdown clock and hooter system.
