GAA defends clash of hurling, camogie

THE GAA are unhappy with criticism from the Camogie Association over the ‘clash’ between their senior and junior finals in Croke Park on Sunday and the Galway-Kilkenny All-Ireland U21 hurling final in Limerick.

GAC sources say last year’s decision to play the U21 decider the day before the camogie finals was a ‘once-off’ arrangement because of the 100th celebrations of the Camogie Association.

At a joint November meeting this was made clear and a proposal for the camogie and U21 finals to be played together at the same venue was turned down.

Up to recently, the understanding was that the senior camogie final would be at 4.30pm, leaving the U21 final to go ahead at 3pm.

Then the Camogie Association fixed the senior game for 3.15. To avoid controversy, the GAC got the hurling counties to agree to a 2pm start in the Gaelic Grounds.