Camogie boss Paudie Murray pleads for forward thinking

Cork manager Paudie Murray is concerned camogie is becoming too defensive and similar to football, people will tune out.

The recent All-Ireland camogie semi-final between Galway and Kilkenny produced just seven scores from play. The Cats, who went largely defensive in their approach, won through on a final scoreline of 1-10 to 1-7.

Both Kilkenny and Cork operated with sweepers during last year’s All-Ireland decider, the heavily packed defences on either side meaning scores were at a premium. From six first-half efforts, Kilkenny found the target on only two occasions. Indeed, the opening half-hour ended with Cork 0-5 to 0-2 in front. Hardly vintage stuff.

“Kilkenny don’t care what way they play, so long as they win. Does it do camogie any good? The Kilkenny semi-final against Galway was very poor to watch. You’d be afraid that camogie is going to go the same way as Gaelic football,” said Cork boss Paudie Murray ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final, the third year in a row that Cork and Kilkenny meet in the decider.

People like to see high-scoring games. With 40 minutes gone in the Galway and Kilkenny semi-final, it was 0-7 all.

"You wonder where is it going. Football was heading that way a couple of years ago. Nothing has been done about it. From a footballing background, I’d hardly watch it, the way things are gone. I would be fearful for camogie. The way the game is, the refereeing, it is easy to shut up shop.”

Murray didn’t see last year’s final as a grind, believing it to have been “excellent” in certain parts. “The intensity was as good as I have seen in a camogie match, as was the defending, hooking, and blocking. The stickwork and looking for players in space was outstanding. Obviously, you would like to see more scores.”

This was the second year RTÉ televised the All-Ireland quarter- and semi-finals live. Murray, who has guided Cork to three All-Ireland titles during his seven-year tenure, says the increased coverage is “long overdue”. However, he was baffled at criticism of the decision to play the All-Ireland quarter-finals — involving Tipperary, Waterford, Dublin and Galway — in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Couldn’t understand how the likes of Ann Marie Hayes on The Sunday Game was giving out about the venue and should have been played somewhere in the midlands. I am just sick to death of former camogie players trying to bring it down the whole time, talking about the journey.

“Most years, the semis were played in Nowlan Park and there isn’t that much of a difference for a Galway person to come to Cork versus Nowlan Park. She should have been questioning why more Galway people didn’t go to Cork and asking how many camogie players went to Thurles on Sunday (Galway-Clare hurling semi-final replay) but didn’t go see the camogie on Saturday.”

Murray does accept that the game needs more counties challenging at the business end of the championship. In the past six seasons, only three counties — Cork, Kilkenny, and Galway — have appeared in the final.

“You can see how hurling went this year when you have six or seven teams capable of winning it, the quality of games is excellent. You’d love to have that situation. Is ladies football any different to camogie? No. There are only two or three counties who’d be in with a shout of winning it.”

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