The Women's Gaelic Football Association yesterday announced a new coaching-development programme to help accommodate the major growth of the game in Ireland. Entitled "Unlocking the Potential", it aims to increase the current number of 153 qualified foundation-level coaches to around 600 by 2006. Ian O'Riordan reports.

Over 90,000 now play women's Gaelic football across the 32 counties, and it is recognised as the fastest-growing sport in the country.

The president of the women's association, Geraldine Giles, said at yesterday's announcement in Croke Park: "Unlocking the Potential is an apt title for this new coaching syllabus. This initiative, developed and formatted by seven aspiring coaching tutors, will be one of the most important developments in our sport in recent years."

The aim of the coaching programme is to ensure quality coaching for all those involved in the game, while also improving the existing support structures.

The new initiative follows several other recent developments in women's football, with the first women's All Star tour next month travelling to New York.

Helen O'Rourke, the chief executive of the women's association, also summed up just how important this new development is for the game.

"The new coaching syllabus shows that the association is serious about the future of the game," she said. "It is true that we have made major strides and our games have grown, but if this is to continue we must have vision."