Lidl extends LGFA partnership with €7.5 million investment to boost women’s sport

Lidl Ireland has extended its partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) by five years to 2030, committing a fresh €7.5 million to women’s sport.

Since first engaging in 2016, Lidl’s total investment in the women’s game now reaches €22.5 million.

The announcement came at the launch of the 2026 Lidl National Football League at Croke Park, attended by Irish boxing star Katie Taylor.

Alongside the financial commitment, Lidl debuted a nationwide TV campaign designed to showcase the skill, intensity, and athleticism of Ladies Gaelic Football. The campaign addresses the ongoing disparity in coverage, with recent research showing the women’s game still receives only one article for every 15 covering men’s Gaelic football.

Marketing campaigns, Lidl notes, aim to “hijack” everyday ad breaks to place women’s sport front and centre, challenging the perception gap despite 65% of the public rating women’s sport as high quality. The campaign also leverages the “Katie Taylor effect,” with 83% of the public acknowledging her influence on future generations of athletes.

LGFA President Trina Murray described the extension as both a “vote of confidence and a challenge,” while Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland CEO Robert Ryan noted that “too many standout performances are still going unseen, and that is a loss not just for the game but for audiences and sponsors alike.”

Division 1 action of the 2026 Lidl National Football League begins this weekend with a Dublin vs Kerry clash, broadcast live on TG4. The competition also includes top teams such as Armagh, Cork, Galway, Kildare, Meath, and Waterford, culminating in finals at Parnell Park in April.

Explore the full details of Lidl’s extended LGFA sponsorship and its impact on women’s sport in the complete report.