09/20/2026
What a weekend.
Hartford GAA was honored to host the inaugural LGFA & USGAA Ladies Development Weekend, bringing together players, coaches, referees and club leaders from across the country to share ideas, experiences and a vision for the future of ladies football in North America.
A huge thank you to the LGFA and especially Niall Mulrine, Head of Development, for traveling from Ireland to lead the weekend. From the rules workshop to the on-field demonstrations and training sessions, Niall provided invaluable insight while reminding us all of one of the most important themes of the weekend: we do this because it’s fun.
Thank you as well to Kathy Deery, LGFA referee, Aisling Kerr of USGAA LGFA, and Niall for an engaging panel discussion on building, growing and retaining strong ladies football teams, and the many ways a ladies team can strengthen and benefit a club.
One of the biggest takeaways from the weekend was the value of bringing clubs together. While every club’s journey is different, we share many of the same challenges, opportunities and goals. Open communication, learning from one another, and collaboration across clubs will continue to help grow the game and create better experiences for players.
Special thanks to the 2026 USGAA Ladies Football Workgroup for making this event possible, particularly Hartford’s own Christen McKeague, Deirdre Scully (Cleveland), and Christina McLaughlin (Boston Shamrocks) for their leadership and countless hours of planning.
Thank you to everyone who attended, shared ideas and contributed to the conversations. The future of ladies football is bright, and we’re excited to continue building it together.
Here’s to the first Ladies Development Weekend and many more to come.
