On 15 November 2025, the Women in Coaching Network hosted a landmark “Self-Development, Challenge & Empowerment” workshop at the Kilashee Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare — bringing together 100 female coaches and leaders from across all sports and coaching levels. This annual event, which is a collaborative effort by Athletics Ireland, Cycling Ireland, Rowing Ireland, Swim Ireland and Triathlon Ireland, was supported by Sport Ireland and marked a powerful step forward in building a national network for women in coaching.
Over the course of the day, participants engaged in inspiring keynote presentations and practical interactive sessions. Among the highlights:
- Martina McCarthy OLY, Strength & Conditioning coach and Performance Director with Pentathlon Ireland, delivered an empowering talk on resilience, leadership, and navigating performance environments.
- Lynne Cantwell, former elite athlete and leading sports administrator with the IRFU, shared insights on balancing professional ambition with personal wellbeing and building strategic influence.
- Dr Emma Cowley led a reflective session titled “It’s Not You, It’s the System – Keeping Women in Coaching”, sharing current research insights and examining systemic barriers women face in coaching pathways.
- Carol Keenan, a performance life-skills consultant with the Institute of Sport, ran a workshop on “Finding Balance: Managing Time, Energy, and Well-being in a Busy World,” offering practical strategies for juggling coaching with life’s other demands.
A huge thank you to our speakers for their time, effort and invaluable insights.
The event format was designed to facilitate a rich mix of discussion and networking, hopefully attendees left with tangible takeaways: a strengthened sense of community, actionable self-development tools, and renewed motivation to drive change in their coaching careers.
A survey was carried out during the event and results which can be read in more detail below; demonstrated a clear appetite for structured support and connection among female coaches. By assembling 100 participants, the network underlined its potential as a catalyst for long-term growth, visibility, and retention of women in the coaching space across Ireland.
This survey was conducted with open ended questions, respondents were not prompted and wrote their answers descriptively.
| What are the biggest obstacles you face in your coaching journey right now, whether structural, cultural or personal? | |
| ‘Time’ | 33% of respondents mentioned |
| Balancing commitments: ‘keeping on top of it all’ | 14% of respondents mentioned |
| Unclear progression route | 11% of respondents mentioned |
| Male dominated space | 17% of respondents mentioned |
| Lack of high- level female role models | 5% of respondents mentioned |
| “What types of support, training, or professional development would have the greatest impact on your effectiveness as a coach?” | |
| Leadership training | 19% of respondents mentioned |
| Mentoring | 19% of respondents mentioned |
| Network of other coaches | 13% of respondents mentioned |
| What keeps you in coaching? ” | |
| Seeing young people develop and reach their potential (teenagers mentioned frequently) | 24% of respondents mentioned |
| Love of the sport | 17% of respondents mentioned |
| Fun/Enjoyment | 21% of respondents mentioned |
| Role model/promote women in sport/encourage girls to coach | 21% of respondents mentioned |
| Giving back | 14% of respondents mentioned |
| Sense of achievement | 10% of respondents mentioned |
A post event survey will be circulated shortly to all event attendees. Many thanks to all who attended and supported.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact womeninsport@rowingireland.ie
