Kepak roll back the years with new sponsorship deal
In what is a throwback to a golden age of football in the Royal County, the Kepak Group has announced a significant sponsorship deal with Meath Ladies football until 2022.
Kepak and Meath GAA enjoyed a long and successful relationship in the past with the company sponsoring the men's county senior football team for 14 years during the Sean Boylan era.
With its headquarters in Clonee, Kepak has been active in the local community since the foundation of the company in 1981 and the sponsorship of the men's team was part of that policy to make a contribution.
The sponsorship deal with Meath Ladies includes the provision of playing gear for teams at u-14, u-16, u-18 and senior levels with financial support also included in the agreed package.
The new sponsorship deal is part of a commitment to provide Meath Ladies "with essential funding which will positively impact teams at every level." The agreement also means Kepak’s logo will appear on Meath county jerseys and on new branding at Páirc Tailteann."
At the official launch of the sponsorship at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday players representing the various Meath teams sponsored by Kepak were in attendance.
Also at the launch were Jennifer Monaghan and Gillian Woods the mothers of Meath under-age players - Caragh Monaghan and Lauren Woods.
The presence of the mothers was an indication of the important role parents play in helping to promote ladies football particularly at under-age level.
Maire O'Shaughnessy the captain of the Meath senior football team expressed her view that the new sponsorship deal can only be good for the ladies game in the county.
"A lot of people will remember Kepak when they supported the men's team, it's a very well known comapny, and it's great to have a big company like that supporting ladies football in the county, it's very positive," she told the Meath Chronicle.
Also at the launch was former manager of the Meath senior men's team Mick O'Dowd who is the Agri-Business Development Manager with Kepak.
“Kepak is delighted to be reviving its support of Gaelic games in Meath. We proudly sponsored the men’s teams for more than a decade and are now looking forward to providing the highest level of support and loyalty to the fast-growing Meath ladies teams," stated O'Dowd.
"Our philosophy at Kepak is always to be ‘more than' we can be. In every aspect of our business we ensure we are living by our mission, from working and collaborating with local farmers to continuously innovate and deliver sustainable initiatives.
"In Meath LGFA, we see that same spirit and commitment and we hope our support over the next three years will provide stability and assurances to enable the teams to maximise their potential,” he added.
See this week's Meath Chronicle for more on Meath Ladies and KEPAK