New owners with lofty ambitions for Treaty United

Treaty United chief operating officer Marie Curtin says her aim is to professionalise the League of Ireland club and ensure it gets a foothold among the Limerick sporting public.

Last week Treaty United confirmed that Vancouver-based Tricorps Pacific Capital has completed a takeover in partnership with the former Republic of Ireland international and current Treaty player Ciara McCormack.

The development means the Canada-born McCormack, a Yale University graduate with a masters in sports management from the University of Connecticut, becomes the first female co-owner and CEO of a men's and women's club in the League of Ireland.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Cathy O’Halloran, COO Curtin outlined how the takeover could transform the club’s fortunes, starting with embedding itself in a competitive sporting landscape in Limerick.

"It’s so important that we get into the community," she said.

"We know rugby has a strong foothold, so has hurling, and we need that for soccer. And I think that the city is crying out for it.

"It’s really exciting to be at the beginning of that journey. I want to do a really good job for the club, and the city.

"My goal in year one is to come in and professionalise things. From a playing perspective, the men and women are only training twice a week. The academy is only training twice a week. An elite player in other countries would be training a lot more. In my eyes, that’s an easy first step."

Playing at Markets Field, Treaty United was founded in 2020 and the women's team immediately featured in the then-Women's National League, while the men's team were accepted into the SSE Airtricity First Division the following year.

The 44-year-old says it is crucial for development of the women’s team to keep pace with the