Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington has been named Ireland’s most marketable athlete in a survey of members of the Marketing Institute of Ireland.

Harrington is one of five female athletes in the top six most marketable sports stars, alongside Solheim Cup star Leona Maguire, Paralympic gold medallist Ellen Keane, Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore and boxer Katie Taylor. 

The only male athlete in the top six is golfer Shane Lowry.

Sponsorship consultants ONSIDE and the MII say the survey shows the marketing industry’s growing enthusiasm for women’s sport, a conclusion evidenced by Onside announcing that the Ladies Gaelic Football Association partnership with Lidl was ‘best overall sports sponsorship’ last year.

Onside chief executive John Trainor commented: “Momentum has been building around women’s sport in Ireland, with Katie Taylor and the women’s hockey team blazing a trail.

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“What we’ve seen for the first time in 2021 is female athletes dominate the news agenda for a sustained period, from Rachael Blackmore’s ground-breaking successes at Cheltenham and Aintree, through to Leona Maguire’s inspirational performances at the Inverness Club in September.

“In the middle of all that were the Olympic and Paralympic Games and, again, it was the female stars that shone brightest. Kellie Harrington’s boxing gold medal has catapulted her to the top of the most marketable athletes in the minds of key marketing budget holders for 2022.”

MII chief executive David Field added: “Many of the most effective sponsorships in the eyes of Ireland’s marketing industry were in place pre-pandemic and remained in place over the last 18 months. This has seen brands and rights holders maintain relationships during tough times, and they are now seeing the benefits of the sponsorship — which is ultimately long-term brand building.”

There’s more detail from the Onside/MII survey here.

Photo: RTE's Darragh Moloney (left) discussing sports sponsorship trends with Jo Harrington of Live Nation Ireland and Paul Dermody, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, at the SpaceTo studio in Dublin.