Let’s sort out fixtures list for women’s GAA
I am a senior camogie player with Limerick, and I also play football for my county. For the past two years a number of the fixtures in both league and championship have clashed.
Last year, for example, the first round game of the inter-county camogie championship, against Cork, was fixed for the same day as the first round of the football also against the same opposition.
On that day, I had to play one match at two o'clock (the camogie) in Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork, and then had to hop into a car and drive to Charleville where I played the football at six o'clock.
The change in time for the football fixture cost us home venue that day.
I realise that there are only so many weekends in the year, and that the associations in question are trying not to clash with any major intercounty hurling or football fixture, but shouldn't the priorities of the associations not be more focused on facilitating its own players first?
The set-up at the moment gives no chance to young players like myself who just want to play and enjoy both games.
The general consensus is 'choose one or the other, camogie or football, but not both'. How can the association truly encourage the playing of its games if these kind of limitations are imposed?
The same situation has also arisen this year the first round of the inter-county junior football championship, and the senior inter-county camogie championship.
Due to the proposed amalgamation of the Cumann Peil Gael na mBan, and the Cumann Camogaíochta na nGael into the GAA.
I would hope that this situation would be easier for the associations in question to rectify. I would propose a certain amount of interaction between both boards with regard to the setting of fixtures.
Ask yourself if a dual inter-county male was asked to play two championship matches on the same day what would happen?
The answer is that there would be total uproar.
Why is it that female players, who do the same amount of training, commit the same amount of time and effort, year in, year out, do not get the same opportunity to play and enjoy both?
Meadhbh De Nais,
Churchtown,
Newcastle West,
Co Limerick.
