The third-largest audience for a women's soccer game in Irish history was in attendance for the EVOKE.ie FAI Women's Cup Final on Sunday.
More than 5,000 people watched on as goals from Jessie Stapleton and Pearl Slattery helped Shelbourne to secure a 2-0 victory over Athlone Town in Irish women's football showpiece event.
The record attendance for a domestic women's soccer match on Sunday came less than a month after that historic night at Hampden Park, and benefitted from the momentum generated by the national team and the online push from the cup's title sponsor.
EVOKE's sponsorship of the competition over the past two seasons, and wider promotion of the women's game in its content, has helped generate interest throughout the tournament, resulting in Sunday's record turnout.
"EVOKE is the premier site for women reaching over 1.2m unique Irish users every month," said Paul Henderson, CEO of DMG Media Ireland. “EVOKE is an anchor medium for all smart marketers targeting the female audience in Ireland.
In Association with
"Working closely with the new team at the FAI, we have been highly active in promoting the EVOKE.ie FAI Women’s Cup all season and particularly for the final through continuously great editorial coverage and promotions.
"The results speak for themselves. Record numbers in both attendance and TV audiences."
Prior to EVOKE joining as the title sponsor of the FAI Women's Cup, the final was played ahead of the men's final at the Aviva Stadium. The stand-alone fixture now gives the women's game its deserved time in the spotlight, highlighting the growing appetite among fans to go along to games and show their support.
With EVOKE on board, the final game of the club season has come out of the shadows of the men's game with growing numbers in attendance each year.
Among the 5,073 fans in the stadium was guest of honour President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, a keen football fan, Ireland manager Vera Pauw, keeping an eye on potential players for her team's upcoming clash with Morocco, and Minister of State, with responsibility for Sport, Jack Chambers.
Tallaght Stadium was also the venue for the other two best-attended women's football matches in Irish history: Ireland's 1-0 win over Finland in World Cup qualification in September (6,952), and their 3-2 victory over Ukraine in a Euro 2021 qualifier three years ago (5,328).
Vera Pauw's team famously beat Scotland in a play-off following that result against Finland, securing their place at next year's World Cup.
Photo: Shelbourne win the EVOKE.ie FAI women's cup final between Athlone town AFC and Shelbourne FC at Tallaght stadium. (Pic: Justin Farrelly)
