Women’s football and the traditional Irish sport of camogie will receive a €1m (£791,745, US$1.2m) boost from the Irish government over a two-year period.

Minister for Tourism and Sport Patrick O’Donovan announced the two-year deal to provide support for Inter-County Ladies Football and Camogie. Funds are being provided by Sport Ireland to support the joint proposal drafted by the Women’s Gaelic Players Association (WGPA), the Camogie Association and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA).

Money provided during 2017 and 2018 will go towards injury prevention and medical cover, maximising player and team performance, and access to training facilities.

O’Donovan said the “funding allocation shows the confidence held by the government in the success of our Inter-County Ladies Football and Camogie players” and that it “recognises the role of the teams, the volunteers and the supporters in forming strong community spirit throughout the country”.

He added: “Their success is important, not just at a sporting level, but also the ground level where they inspire young women to become involved in ladies football or camogie, and stay involved throughout school and into their adult life.”

Sport Ireland chair Kieran Mulvey said: “Government support for the players, distributed through Sport Ireland, is an indicator of the recognition that exists at national level for the unique contribution the players make as the leading exponents of our indigenous national games, the contribution that players make to the economic and social fabric of the nation and their commitment to play the game at the highest level possible.”