The Sport Ireland Women in Sport Summit took place on Saturday, November 8th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, bringing together more than 200 delegates from across the Irish sporting landscape. The event, themed “From Progress to Impact: Leading the Next Chapter for Women in Sport,” celebrated the collective effort driving greater representation, visibility, and leadership opportunities for women in sport.
Neasa Russell, Chief Operations Officer at Paralympics Ireland, featured as a panellist on the “What’s Next in Women’s Sport” discussion, moderated by Nora Stapleton, Sport Ireland’s Director of Strategic NGB Programmes. She was joined on stage by Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, and Lynne Cantwell, Head of Women’s Strategy at the IRFU.
Together, the panellists explored how Irish sport can continue to foster inclusive environments for women in leadership and high-performance roles. Neasa shared powerful insights on collaboration, culture, and the importance of visible pathways for women across all levels of sport from grassroots to governance. Her contribution was both engaging and solution focused, highlighting the progress already achieved and the shared responsibility to drive the next phase of advancement.
The Summit featured two exceptional keynote speakers Marie Gleeson and Professor Fiona Chambers who brought distinct yet complementary perspectives on leadership and change in sport. Marie Gleeson, a former Naval Officer and Captain turned leadership consultant and coach, shared powerful lessons from her experience breaking barriers within the Irish Navy, speaking about resilience, human performance, and courageous leadership. Professor Fiona Chambers, Professor of Education at UCC and a recognised global leader in sport innovation, delivered an engaging and creative session focused on human centred design and collaboration. Recently named among the 50 Most Influential Women in Sport in both 2023 and 2024, she inspired attendees to think differently about how to drive the next chapter of progress for women in sport.
Paralympics Ireland President Lisa Clancy and Vice President Patrice Dockery were also in attendance, joining representatives from national governing bodies and sporting organisations across the country.
Thanks you to Sport Ireland for hosting an excellent, event one that continues to shape the conversation and drive real progress for women in Irish sport.
