Spend about €1,700 or less per bill
Spend about €850 or less per bill
Spend up to about €6,000 per bill
Spend up to about €3,500 per bill
Spend about €6,000 or more per bill
Spend about €3,500 or more per bill
02.02.10
Ladies NFL Season Launched at Croke Park
The 2010 Bord Gáis Energy National Football Leagues were launched today at Croke Park ahead of the first weekend of competitive inter-county football of the new year.
Ladies Gaelic Football has expanded the league format from three divisions to four in order to increase competition across the divisions and to ensure the continual development of emerging counties.
A streamlined Division 1 has been reduced to eight teams from the 12 that competed in the top division in 2009. There will now be eight teams competing in all four divisions with the top four teams in each division qualifying for the knock-out stages.
Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Galway. Laois, Mayo, Monaghan and Tyrone will compete for the Division 1 title. Round 1 sees a replay of last year's thrilling All-Ireland Final between Cork and Dublin as the Rebelettes seek to get their league title defence off to a winning start.
The eight teams competing for promotion and the Division 2 title are Armagh, Clare, Donegal, Down, Kildare, Meath, Sligo and Tipperary. Last year's Division 2 winners Down will be looking to push for promotion while the tie of the opening round is an all-Leinster affair between Kildare and Meath.
Division 3 will be contested by Cavan, Fermanagh, Longford, Roscommon, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. Waterford are the sleeping giants in Division 3 having won the Division 1 title five times in the past while Fermanagh will want to build on their All-Ireland Intermediate Final appearance.
Antrim, Carlow, Derry, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth and Offaly make up the new re-constituted Division 4. Reigning Junior All-Ireland champions Antrim will face a tough task in securing promotion with Derry, Leitrim and Limerick all contesting for honours in recent years.
Pat Quill, Uactharán Peil Gael na mBán, said, "Ladies Football is constantly looking at ways to improve the inter-county structures so that each team gets as many competitive games as possible. It is as important for the country's top counties as it is for developing counties. As ever our game is indebted to our sponsor Bord Gáis Energy who have enabled Ladies Football to continue to develop and improve our National Leagues."
David Bunworth, Managing Director of Bord Gáis Energy said, "Bord Gáis Energy is very proud to be embarking on the second year of its partnership with the Ladies National Football Leagues. Our commitment to Gaelic Games is very strong and our involvement with ladies football, the fastest growing female sport in Ireland, plays a very significant part in this. The Ladies Gaelic Football Association is a very progressive organisation and this is something that sits very well with our own Bord Gáis Energy brand."
The highly popular Bord Gáis Energy Team of the League awards return for the new season. The top performers in each position are selected in a dream team for their respective divisions.
In addition, a new Manager of the Month scheme is to be introduced in 2010 which will cover all four divisions. Ladies Football and Bord Gáis Energy have set up the scheme to recognise the achievements of the inter-county Bainisteoir and a Manager of the League award will be presented at the end of the league campaign.
Ger Cunningham, Sports Sponsorship Manager, Bord Gáis Energy said, "The 2009 Leagues were hugely competitive and I'm looking forward to another exciting season of ladies football in 2010. We are delighted to be supporting ladies football and to be expanding the popular Bord Gáis Energy Teams of the League to cover all four divisions in 2010.
"The new Bord Gáis Energy Manager of the Month and Manager of the League awards add a new dimension to the competition this year and will rightly honour the special achievements of inter-county managers throughout the campaign."
Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Galway, Laois, Mayo, Monaghan, Tyrone |
Armagh, Clare, Donegal, Down, Kildare, Meath, Sligo, Tipperary |
Cavan, Fermanagh, Longford, Roscommon, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow |
Antrim, Carlow, Derry, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth, Offaly |
Bord Gáis Energy NFL Division 1 Fixtures |
Cork v Dublin |
Kerry v Galway |
Laois v Mayo |
Tyrone v Monaghan |
Bord Gáis Energy NFL Division 2 Fixtures |
Clare v Armagh |
Donegal v Down |
Kildare v Meath |
Sligo v Tipperary |
Bord Gáis Energy NFL Division 3 Fixtures |
Cavan v Fermanagh |
Longford v Roscommon |
Wicklow v Waterford |
Wexford v Westmeath |
Bord Gáis Energy NFL Division 4 Fixtures |
Derry v Antrim |
Carlow v Kilkenny |
Louth v Limerick |
Leitrim v Offaly |
Patricia Monahan,
Ladies Gaelic Football
Tel: 01- 865 8641
www.ladiesgaelic.ie
David O'Siochain,
Pembroke Communications
Tel: 01-649 6322 /
087 936 2440
Stiofáin MacDháibhéad,
Bord Gáis Energy.
Tel: 01 602 1116
/ 087 799 1206
www.bordgaisenergy.ie