The development of women's football in Ireland has been given a huge boost with the unveiling of Castleknock Hotel as the primary sponsor of the Football Association of Ireland's Girls Centre of Excellence Programme.
The recently refurbished Castleknock Hotel, which boasts 190 rooms along with a purpose-built spa, hosts both the Republic of Ireland Men's and Women's Senior teams ahead of crucial home games to provide everything that they require.
Now, Castleknock Hotel are further extending their partnership with the FAI by supporting the Girls Centre of Excellence Programme, which has regional centres around the country and provides girls with the opportunity to receive professional coaching to hone their technical skills.
"It is fantastic to have Castleknock Hotel onboard to sponsor a really worthwhile programme that helps develop female players from an early age right through to elite level," said FAI CEO John Delaney.
"When you see that graduates of the Programme include Republic of Ireland Women's Senior internationals like Katie McCabe, Denise O'Sullivan, Megan Connolly and Amber Barrett, then it is clear how vital it is to the overall development of women's football."
Guy Thompson, General Manager, Castleknock Hotel, said: "We are delighted to be supporting the FAI's Girls Centre of Excellence Programme. We are very proud to host both the Men's and Women's Senior International teams and be involved with the development of women's football."
The Girls Centre of Excellence are part of the Elite Player Pathway for female players and are run by Ireland Women's Under-19 Head Coach and Head of Women's Underage Development Dave Connell, along with a skilled and experienced set of coaches.