Local derby’s, new sponsors, fierce rivalries and battle hardened campaigners will be on show this weekend as the AbbVie Mayo GAA football league finals are all down for decision.

Westport biopharmaceutical company AbbVie is the new sponsor of the Mayo GAA Adult Football Leagues for the next three years and this week John King and Carolin Heescher from the company were at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park to wish the teams well and officially launch their new partnership with Mayo GAA.

This new sporting partnership further underscores the biopharmaceutical company’s support of local communities and sports organisations. AbbVie is also the main sponsor of Sligo GAA and LGFA senior football teams.

Established in 1977, AbbVie’s Westport facility is a centre of excellence for aseptic sterile manufacturing. Many of the company’s 1,400-plus employees are currently involved in the GAA and have previously played the sport at various levels.

Darren Egan, Site Head at AbbVie Westport said: “We are delighted to partner with Mayo GAA as official sponsor of all the Adult Football Leagues. The GAA plays an incredibly important role in the lives of many of our employees in Westport, and indeed employees at our other sites in Cork, Sligo and Dublin, so it’s pleasing to be in a position to help nurture and support the game across the county.”

Welcoming AbbVie as a new sponsor this year, Mayo GAA Cathaoirleach Seamus Tuohy said the County Board and all the GAA clubs in Mayo were looking forward to working with such a reputable local and global company in the weeks and months ahead.

“AbbVie is a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with a significant footprint now in Mayo and we are all delighted to welcome them on board as new sponsors this year. AbbVie is a world leader in research and development and like Mayo GAA one of their goals is to help people lead healthier lives.”

In the AbbVie Division 1 final Westport face Castlebar Mitchels, Ardnaree Sarsfields take on Crossmolina in the AbbVie Division 2 final with Eastern Gaels and Breaffy B in the Division 3 final and Ballinrobe B and Kilmaine B rounding off the weekend of finals in the Division 4 final.

 About AbbVie

AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

AbbVie’s Irish heritage dates back to 1974 and the company now employs more than 2,700 people across six locations in Ireland. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.