Ladies' Gaelic football is a women's team sport. It is the women's equivalent of Gaelic football. Ladies' football is organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association. Two teams of 15 players kick or hand-pass a round ball towards goals at each end of a grass pitch, since May 2022 women Gaelic footballers have to wear shin pads. The sport is mainly played in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, where the two main competitions are the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League. Both competitions feature teams representing the traditional Gaelic games counties. The 2017 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final was the best attended women's sports final of 2017. The 2019 final, after the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, was the second largest attendance at any women's sporting final during 2019. Historically Cork and Kerry have been the sport's most successful counties. Waterford, Monaghan and Mayo have also experienced spells of success. In more recent years, 2017 to 2020, Dublin have been the dominant team.
The All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship is the premier inter-county competition in the game of ladies' Gaelic football in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association and are played during the summer months, with the All-Ireland Final being played at Croke Park. The qualifiers were introduced in 2008.
The 2011 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Monaghan. This was the second of three All-Ireland Ladies' football finals between 2008 and 2013 that saw Cork play Monaghan. According to a report in the Irish Independent, "just two soft goals separated (Cork) from Monaghan". The first goal came after just 21 minutes when goalkeeper Linda Martin opted for a short kick-out which badly back-fired when Nollaig Cleary intercepted it and chipped her. That goal gave Cork a 1–3 to 0–4 half-time lead. Within 10 minutes of the restart, Monaghan scored three unanswered points, one from Ciara McAnespie and two from Niamh Kindlon. The turning point came when Cork's Orla Finn was rugby tackled by Monaghan's Isobel Kierans which resulted in a penalty. Rhona Ní Bhuachalla subsequently scored from the spot to give Cork a three-point lead. Points from Caoimhe Mohan, Laura McEnaney and Cathriona McConnell pulled it back to a point with just five minutes remaining. However Rena Buckley scored a late point for Cork to see them win by two points.
The 2008 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Monaghan. This was the first of three All-Ireland Ladies' football finals between 2008 and 2013 that saw Cork play Monaghan. They would also play each other in 2011. Cork won a fourth successive All-Ireland title. Valerie Mulcahy scored 3–2, including two penalties, as Cork defeated Monaghan by 14 points. Mulcahy provided the game's opening score, a penalty in the third minute, following Christina Reilly's foul on Mary O'Connor. Although Monaghan would get back to within a point of Cork on three separate occasions, they subsequently trailed all the way to the finish. At half-time, just three points separated the sides, with Cork leading by 1–8 to 0–8. The crucial goal for Cork came five minutes after half-time, when Mulcahy palmed home a disputed second goal to open up a 2–8 to 0–8 lead. Any faint hopes of a Monaghan revival ended when substitute Ciara O'Sullivan scored a goal with her first touch of the game. Five minutes from the end, Mulcahy completed her hat-trick of goals when she netted a second penalty. Aside from Mulcahy and O'Sullivan, other notable performers for Cork included Juliet Murphy in midfield who scored 0–3, substitute Rhona Buckley, who scored 0–2 and Briege Corkery who produced a fantastic diving block midway through the second half to prevent a Monaghan goal.
The 2009 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Dublin. Dublin made their first appearance in the final since 2004. Cork would win their fifth successive All-Ireland title. In a closely contested final, Cork scored four points in the final eight minutes to clinch the title by a single point.
The 2010 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final featured Dublin and Tyrone. This was Dublin's fourth final and Tyrone's first. On the three previous occasions Dublin had reached the final in 2003, 2004 and 2009, they had finished as runners-up. In 2010 they would win their first title. On their way to the final, Tyrone had knocked out Cork in the quarter-final, interrupting their monopoly of the All-Ireland for one year. However Tyrone proved to be no match for Dublin in the final. At half-time Dublin led by 2–8 to 0–5. With twenty minutes remaining, Dublin led by 16 points and that margin would separate the two teams at the finish. Sinéad Aherne scored 2–7 to claim the Player of the Match award.
The Cork county ladies' football team represents Cork GAA in ladies' Gaelic football. The team competes in inter-county competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship, the Munster Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League.
The 2013 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Monaghan. This was the third of three All-Ireland Ladies' football finals between 2008 and 2013 that saw Cork play Monaghan. They had also met in the 2011 final. Cork claimed their eighth All-Ireland title in nine years after they got the better of Monaghan by 1–10 to 1–9. Cork led 1–6 to 0–6 at half-time thanks to a Valerie Mulcahy goal. A second half penalty goal from their goalkeeper, Linda Martin, helped Monaghan lead by a point with eight minutes remaining but Juliet Murphy and Mulcahy added late points as Cork edged it by a solitary point. The match was broadcast live on TG4.
The 2014 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship is the 41st edition of the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association's premier inter-county Ladies' Gaelic football tournament. It is known for sponsorship reasons as the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship. It will commence on 26 July 2014.
The 2014 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Dublin. LGFA president Pat Quill criticised the decision to have Cork and Dublin club championship fixtures occurring on the same day as the game, describing it as "unfair on those people, boyfriends and whatever, not being in a position to come along to support the girls".
The 2015 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Dublin. Cork defeated Dublin by two points in what an RTÉ Sport report described as "largely a defensive affair" and a "tight encounter". For the Dublin manager, Gregory McGonigle, it was his fourth defeat to Cork in an All-Ireland final. The two sides were level at half-time with 0–5 each.
The Dublin county ladies' football team represents Dublin GAA in ladies' Gaelic football. The team competes in inter-county competitions such as the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Ladies' Football Championship and the Ladies' National Football League.
The 2016 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Cork and Dublin. Cork emerged as winners after a controversial 1–7 to 1–6 win over Dublin. In the 22nd minute Dublin's Carla Rowe had a point disallowed. The umpires waved the effort wide but TV replays showed that Rowe's shot had actually gone between the posts. As Hawk-Eye was not used in the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship, the decision stood. At half-time Dublin were leading by 0–4 to 0–3. As the second half started Rhona Ní Bhuachalla came on as a substitute and scored with an assist from Ciara O'Sullivan. The teams were level at 1–3 to 0–6 with twenty minutes remaining before Cork scored four unanswered points between the 48th and 54th minutes. Doireann O'Sullivan scored three while Orla Finn was also on target. Dublin were four points down in the final minute when Sinéad Aherne scored from a penalty.
The 2017 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Dublin and Mayo. Dublin also played Mayo in the 2017 men's All-Ireland final. This was only the second time that the two finals featured teams representing the same two counties; the first time was in 1982, when Kerry played Offaly in both the men's and ladies' finals.
The 2018 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship was the 45th edition of the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association's premier inter-county Ladies' Gaelic Football tournament. It was known for sponsorship reasons as the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship.
The 2019 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship is the 46th edition of the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association's premier inter-county Ladies' Gaelic Football tournament. It is known for sponsorship reasons as the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship.
The 2019 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship Final featured Dublin and Galway. Dublin defeated Galway in a low scoring game, hindered by poor weather conditions. It rained throughout most of the game. Dublin led 1-00 to 0-01 at half-time. Hannah O'Neill provided the assist as Sinéad Goldrick scored a goal for Dublin in the 22nd minute. Galway remained competitive throughout the game and three minutes later, Sarah Conneally scored their opening point. Just fifteen seconds into the second half, Lyndsey Davey scored Dublin's first point. Davey would also provide the assist when Hannah O'Neill scored Dublin's second goal. Galway continued to remain in touch with Dublin thanks to two points via free kicks from their captain, Tracey Leonard. A point from her cousin, Roisín Leonard, made it a one-score game in the 54th minute. However a point each from Sinéad Aherne and Noëlle Healy subsequently secured the win for Dublin. Having started the decade without a single title, the result saw Dublin complete a three-in-a-row, winning their fourth title during the 2010s.
Sinéad Aherne is a senior Dublin ladies' footballer. In 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, she captained Dublin as they won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship. In 2010, when Dublin won their first All-Ireland title, she was both player of the match and the top scorer in the final with 2–7. She also captained Dublin when they won the 2018 Ladies' National Football League. In 2018 she was named the TG4 Senior Player's Player of the Year and received her seventh All Star award. She has also represented Ireland at international rules.
Sinéad Goldrick is a dual code footballer, playing at the highest level in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football. She captained Dublin ladies in the 2014 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final and was a member of the Dublin teams that won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She was also a member of the Dublin team that won the 2018 Ladies' National Football League. In 2019 she won her seventh All Star award. During the 2010s she was also a prominent member of the Foxrock–Cabinteely team that won Dublin and Leinster titles and played in All-Ireland finals. In October 2019 it was announced that Goldrick has agreed to play for Melbourne Football Club of the AFLW in 2020 and she won a premiership with the club in 2022.
Lyndsey Davey is a senior Dublin ladies' footballer. She was a member of the Dublin teams that won the All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship in 2010, 2017, 2018 and 2019. She captained Dublin in 2015. She was also a member of the Dublin team that won the 2018 Ladies' National Football League. In 2019 she received her fifth All Star award. She won her first All Star in 2005 at the age of 15.
