Ladies Gaelic Football

ladiesgaelic.ie // 19 LORRAINE HESKIN OF GOURMET FOOD PARLOUR Volume 14 | Issue No 1 | PEIL Spring By Jackie Cahill ANAGING Director Lorraine Heskin has described Gourmet Food Parlour's title sponsorship of the Ladies HEC third-level championships as "a positive turning point" in the company's history. Owners Lorraine Heskin and Lorraine Byrne created Gourmet Food Parlour in 2006 and the company now boasts nine outlets in total, including a catering and event business. On January 18, it was announced that Gourmet Food Parlour would sponsor the Ladies HEC championship for a three-year period, covering 2018-2020. Coming on board with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association to sponsor the HEC championships has been an "incredibly empowering and very positive" experience," Lorraine Heskin explained. "We love working with many di"erent sports teams but the fact that this was female-focused meant a lot to us". Lorraine was on hand to present Dublin City University captain Aishling Moloney with the player of the match award following the epic GFP O'Connor Cup final against University of Limerick at the GAA's National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown. "I felt that the energy within Abbotstown was electric," Lorraine added. Women Supporting Women "The players were very focused on the matches that were ahead of them, and so excited. "You could sense the adrenaline within all of them and the anticipation as they prepared for semi-finals and finals. "Our association with the competitions has been just incredible and people have been coming up to us to congratulate and thank us. "The fact that we're able to do this and give something back is great because it hasn't always been easy to stay in business. "There's nobody more grounded than Lorraine and I. We always want to give something back and support these girls in their journey through college. "To have this extra-curricular sport in association with their studies creates a really good vibe and feeling." Lorraine adds: "With everything, there's always an element of risk and chance but from the day of the launch, I was in no doubt that this would be a really good partnership, and mutually beneficial on both sides. "Everybody involved from the LGFA, the HEC and the colleges brought an energy to the room that day and collectively enabled the launch to be so e"ective. "We really felt that and it's always such an important factor. The fact that everybody was so positive and that there are really good people involved helped to bring it all together." The hashtag #GFPColleges trended heavily throughout the competitions on social media, while the hashtag #womensupportingwomen also proved hugely e"ective. Lorraine says: "It's simple but goes a long way and it's very e"ective. "Lorraine and I, having opened the business together, are now in a position to give something back to ladies coming through colleges. "They're evolving and progressing in their careers and that captures the whole viewpoint." Gourmet Food Parlour have recently launched new a la carte and early bird menus at their Santry, Swords and Dun Laoghaire outlets, a sign of further evolution and improvement. But Lorraine says that GFP's involvement with Ladies Football and the HEC championships has brought a new dimension to the business. When asked for her competition highlights, Lorraine suggests two. She smiles: "Number one was definitely the launch morning, and the excitement and energy around that. "That's something I'll cherish forever. It was a really proud day for our company as well and there was a real sense of achievement, in being able to give something back. "Number two was standing behind Aishling (Moloney) when she delivered her winning speech. "I looked at both teams and noticed the camaraderie between them. "UL lost and DCU won but they stuck together and didn't lose that camaraderie. "I was very proud of them and that was a stand-out moment for me" M "we're able to do this and give something back is great because it hasn't always been easy to stay in business."

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