A reflexive thematic analysis exploring gender disparities among elite Gaelic games student-athletes at third-level education in Ireland

Gender inequalities continue to shape athletes’ experiences within amateur sport, yet limited research has examined these disparities in the dual-career context of Gaelic games. This study explored gendered differences in the academic and athletic lives of elite Gaelic games student-athletes at third-level education in Ireland. Four focus groups (N = 14; 7 men, 7 women) were conducted to investigate support structures and access to resources across academic and sporting domains. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) identified three interrelated themes: unequal access to training facilities and resources, competing academic and athletic priorities, and financial inequities in support. Findings reveal that the amateur status of Gaelic games operates unevenly across gender lines, creating systemic barriers that place greater financial, temporal, and psychological burdens on women athletes. This study extends existing dual-career research by introducing the concept of gendered amateurism, demonstrating how structural and cultural norms reproduce inequality within an ostensibly shared amateur framework.