Harte slates ‘scandalous’ venues
The eight-time All-Ireland medal winner believes Ladies Gaelic Football Association chiefs need to re-examine where, and how, they fix games if they are to boost attendance figures.
Harte said: “We have to look at where we play our matches. It’s scandalous.
“Over the years we’ve played All-Ireland semi-finals and quarter-finals in venues in remote areas, and I don’t mean to offend those areas, but a lot of the time they’re out of the way for supporters to get to.
“I think if the right people were asked in advance if we could use their facilities, it wouldn’t be a problem.
“The men’s GAA in general don’t begrudge us at all, it’s the opposite in fact; they enjoy watching our games and would encourage us to use their facilities,” said the 33-year-old, who recently retired from intercounty football.
“TG4 have been excellent as regards the promotion of the sport due to the number of games they now televise, in that people who usually wouldn’t watch the game have started to.
They’re showing quarter-finals, semi-finals and college games, and that’s led to a massive growth in interest.
“But as a player it’s numbers at games you want to see, and I think it’s a major issue that needs to be looked at,” she added.
A primary school teacher at Scoil Bhríde in Ballyragget, Kilkenny, Harte was forced to retire from playing due to a persistent Achilles injury but hopes to continue to play junior B with Moyne-Templetuohy in Thurles, where she lives with her husband John.
