In 2025, elite Irish female athletes once again delivered on the world stage. World and European medals were won across athletics, swimming, rowing, para-cycling, cycling and boxing to name but a few. An Irish player lifted the Champions League trophy. A Six Nations Player of the Tournament emerged. The quality on show in ladies football and camogie remains high and the women’s LOI gets better and better.
These achievements are no longer outliers – they are becoming a pattern.
Little wonder, then, that the judges deliberating over The Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year faced an unenviable task. Choosing a single winner in a year defined by excellence across disciplines is a challenge – and a welcome one. It speaks not just to individual brilliance, but to the systems, structures and people behind Irish sport, and a lot of the work being done by organisations such as Sport Ireland, are delivering tangible results.
The Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index (TSSI), an annual nationally representative survey of 1,000 adults, has tracked Irish attitudes to sport and sponsorship for 16 years, with a specific focus on women’s sport over the past eight. Our findings offer a lens through which to examine where Irish women’s sport stands today – and where it needs to go next.
RM Block
For the ninth consecutive year, Katie Taylor has emerged as Ireland’s most admired athlete, securing 14 per cent of the vote. Notably, this recognition comes from the entire adult population, not just sports fans – a reminder of her rare status as a cultural figure as much as a sporting icon.
In previous years, female athletes dominated the top five in this category. That was not the case in 2025. The next women to feature on the list were double Olympic boxing champion Kellie Harrington and recently retired jockey Rachael Blackmore, who shared fifth place on 4 per cent.
Encouragingly, heptathlete Kate O’Connor emerged as a new entrant in the top 10, signalling the arrival of the next generation of admired Irish sportswomen.
Elite success does not exist in isolation. It is underpinned by participation, and here the picture is broadly positive. Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of women surveyed said they participate in sport in some form – competitive, social or fitness-based. Given that the survey captures adults over 18, these figures are encouraging and they continue to trend upward year on year.
Health remains the primary motivator, cited by 88 per cent, with mental health close behind at 70 per cent. The most significant barrier is fatigue (43 per cent), followed by lack of time (30 per cent) – challenges that reflect broader societal pressures rather than a lack of interest.
Participation, however, is only one strand of sporting involvement. Volunteering remains the foundation of sport in Ireland, sustaining clubs, competitions and development pathways. In 2024, Sport Ireland reached its target of a 40 per cent female quota on boards of funded sporting bodies – a significant and necessary milestone. But sustaining that figure will require continued effort, beginning with volunteering at grassroots level.
While one in five Irish adults belongs to a sports club (excluding gyms), a stark gender divide persists: 26 per cent of men are members compared to just 14 per cent of women.
Nonetheless, one in five women reported volunteering in sport over the past 12 months. Maintaining and increasing this number is critical – not just for clubs, but to ensure that women can progress through county, provincial and national governance structures, ultimately sustaining representation at national board level.
Women who volunteer cite supporting their club’s development (57 per cent) as their primary motivation, followed by giving back to the community (48 per cent) and family involvement (46 per cent). Time pressure remains the biggest barrier to volunteering (35 per cent), but two other obstacles deserve attention – and action. Some 15 per cent say they lack confidence to put themselves forward to volunteer, while 9 per cent are unaware of suitable opportunities. Both are solvable problems and addressing them could unlock meaningful progress.
Globally, women’s sport is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by rising audiences, commercial investment and structural development across leagues, federations and media platforms. Ireland is moving in the same direction – but at a slower pace.
The growth of elite women’s sport is powered by three revenue drivers internationally: commercial partnerships, broadcast rights and matchday income. TSSI research shows progress across these areas domestically, but not at the pace experienced globally.
Attendance remains stubbornly flat. In 2025, 18 per cent of Irish people attended a women’s sports event. While this has grown from 13 per cent when we first asked the question in 2018, it is broadly unchanged in post-Covid times.
Intent tells a similar story. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) say they plan to attend a women’s sporting event in 2026 – a figure that has barely shifted in recent years. Converting good intentions into action remains a key challenge. Major set piece occasions with strong promotion for women’s sport all help here.
Media coverage, however, shows more momentum.
Half of the population now report watching women’s sport on television or online, up from 36 per cent in 2018. Continued collaboration between media organisations and rights holders will be essential to expand access while also building sustainable broadcast revenue.
Commercially, global brands are investing in women’s sport not just for audience growth, but for authenticity, values alignment and compelling storytelling. Engagement among younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, is accelerating. While women’s sport still accounts for a small share of the overall sports economy, its growth rate far exceeds that of men’s sport, positioning it as one of the most attractive investment opportunities of the coming decade.
In Ireland, belief in this potential is clear. Nearly 73 per cent of people believe brands should increase investment in women’s sport, while 69 per cent support greater Government funding. The support exists. The challenge now is translating intent into sustained action.
Irish women’s sport is progressing – visibly, measurably and deservedly. With patience, commitment and co-ordinated effort, the pace of that progress can, and will, accelerate.
♦ Kelli O’Keeffe is managing director Teneo Sports Advisory
