There needs to be some 'positive discrimination' towards women's sporting events.
Newstalk Breakfast host Shane Coleman was reacting to research which found 60% of Irish people have never attended a female sports event.
The survey from Lidl and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) revealed that despite 42% of people stating an interest in attending a female sporting event, and 74% thinking it is a shame that people don’t attend, more than half admit they have never attended one.
That is compared to just over one-quarter having never attended a live men’s event.
Going head-to-head, Irish people are five-times more likely to attend a premier men's event in person than an equivalent premier female event.
Newstalk Breakfast host Ciara Kelly said she is one of those people.
"I am among the 42% who express an interest in attending women's sporting events, I am among the three-quarters who think it's a shame that they are not well-attended," she said.
"I am also among the 60% of people who have never attended a women's sporting event.
"I hold my hand up and say, 'It's not right really, is it?' but I do absolutely nothing to make it any better.
"I think something needs to change because I do think that this is an important thing - particularly for our young girls coming through".
'It's a brilliant occasion'
Host Shane Coleman, who trains a female team and regularly goes to women's sporting events, said he wants more people to go and see them.
"The All-Ireland Women's Football Final is one of my favourite days of the year," he said.
"I go with my daughter every year, we go for a bite to eat afterwards, we kind of make a day out of it.
"It's a brilliant day, it's a brilliant occasion."
Players are seen as part of a new 'Get Behind the Fight’ campaign from Lidl Ireland. Image: SuppliedShane said he believes if people see it they will like it.
"I do think we need a bit of positive discrimination," he said.
"I think people need to actually make the extra effort and go, 'I'm actually going to go to one of those games'.
"I think when they do that they will see that the standard is really good, that it's really competitive, that it's really enjoyable.
"I've gone to see the Irish women's team play on a number of occasions, really enjoyable, I think the Gaelic Football and Camogie [teams] are really good.
"The Irish Women's Rugby Team had a tough enough time of late but they have had some success before that.
"I do think we need a little bit of positive discrimination with people actually making the effort to go," he added.
Shane said as more women play sports we need to "back that up" by attending those matches.
