Two All-Ireland winners have launched the first ever sports clothing line aimed exclusively at ladies Gaelic football players.
Field Queens is a high quality GAA and leisurewear brand, designed by female players for female players. The duo driving the new enterprise are Oonagh Whyte who represents Clann Mhuire and Dublin LGFA and Orlaith Duffy who represents Dee Ranger Ladies and Meath LGFA.
The two ladies have put their county rivalries aside to create a business catering to their fellow LGFA players throughout the country.
Speaking to the Dublin Gazette about their brand new business venture, Oonagh and Orlaith feel that there is a gap in the market for women’s sportswear particularly for ladies GAA gloves. “We’re really excited about it, definitely looking forward to doing it and see it come to life after all the work we’ve been doing with it,” said Oonagh.
“There’s a bit of nerves but good nerves, we’ve worked hard on it and hopefully now it’ll all come to life,” added Orlaith.
Both Oonagh and Orlaith decided to take action when they noticed that no other company supplies gloves exclusively for girls playing GAA.
“We hardly even realised that because it was so normal for us to just go into a shop or buy online this standardised size which is for males, so it’s hard to believe it hasn’t been done before. So we’re just really excited to bring it to the market now and be able to give women and girls that choice when they go into a shop,” explained Oonagh.
Orlaith said that in their new business they intent to challenge the norms and push boundaries, much like the LFGA has over the years.
“It’s surprising when you think about it that no other company has done this. But it’s great for us, it gives us that unique point that we can hopefully gather momentum from it. But I think in 2021 that it’s about time there was a market for women seeing as there’s been such a rise in membership of Ladies GAA,” added Orlaith.
At the moment Oonagh and Orlaith are gearing up to launch the website for Field Queens with customers being able to order gloves on the website as well as their social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram.
They have also been approached by shops interested in stocking their products.
In terms of how the current Covid-19 pandemic has affected them, both Oonagh and Orlaith have devoted much of their time to working on their new business as well as their jobs as primary school teachers.
Oonagh said that the pandemic has given them both a chance to nurture their idea for the business.
“In terms of the pandemic, it’s given us more of an opportunity instead of a setback as it’s given us the time to sit back and realise this and put the time into what we’re doing because we weren’t training and all the other things in life took a back seat, it gave us more time. I suppose we have had difficulty with some deliveries and stuff have taken longer and that but we really see the pandemic as more of an opportunity for us,” she said.
Orlaith confirmed that the girls have ‘big dreams’ for their unique new business. “We’re starting off small with our first product the gloves and then hoping to branch out into other gear related to training. As players ourselves we know the gear and products that we use ourselves, or what we would like to see being used.”
At the moments the ladies do not have a shop for Field Queens but they say that they may consider opening one down the line.
Meanwhile both Oonagh and Orlaith are also looking forward to being able to play with their clubs once restrictions ease.
For more information visit fieldqueens.ie and check them out on Field Queens | Facebook and Instagram.
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