Cork want talks to avert repeat of dual fixture problem

The Cork Ladies Football Board has called on the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) to enter into formal negotiations with the Camogie Association to avoid another potential dual clash on August 15.

In a letter sent to the LGFA, Cork have highlighted another possible fixture clash with the All-Ireland camogie semi-final and All-Ireland ladies football quarter-final, both fixed for August 15.

They are keen not to have a repeat of this month’s fixture double-up which saw dual players line out with the senior camogie team in Páirc Uí Rinn and in the Munster Ladies SFC final four hours later in Mallow.

Another potential clash on August 3 was avoided, with LGFA accommodating a move of Cork’s All-Ireland football qualifier against Meath from Saturday, August 1 to Monday, August 3.

However, the clash on August 15 still remains up in the air.

Cork Ladies Football Board, secretary Kieran Keane said: “The Cork camogie team won’t know until August 1 if they are in the semi-final and the footballers won’t know until August 3 if they’re in the quarter-final depending on if they beat Meath, but by that stage it will be too late for anything to be done to avoid another clash, which is why we are bringing it to the attention of the national association now. ”

On July 11, Cork’s dual stars — Briege Corkery, Rena Buckley and Maebh Cahalane — all featured in the senior camogie championship against Offaly, before Buckley and Corkery also played in the Munster SFC defeat to Kerry just four hours later.

“The situation was scandalous,” Keane admits: “All three give up a vast portion of their lives playing the game they love and to make them choose one sport over the other isn’t acceptable, or fair on them, any more.

“As administrators, we asked the dual players to do something we probably wouldn’t even do ourselves. If it was our own daughters I’m sure we’d be cribbing about it and as a county board we have to stand up for the players.

“I totally understand that every administrator and organisation is looking out for their own, but at the end of the day, it’s the players who are suffering.” Keane believes the Cork Ladies Football Board and Cork Camogie Board should come together and set a precedent in trying to rectify what’s becoming an all to common problem for administrators in both codes.

“I’d like to see both Cork organisations amalgamate down the line. I can’t see it happening in my lifetime, but as a starting point at least, it would be great if both county boards worked alongside each other, then maybe we could prove together that it can be done at national level in working together and working for the players,” he added.