Cork dual row: Galway offers date change to avoid fixture clash

The Galway camogie management made contact with Cork camogie boss Paudie Murray to express their willingness to play the All-Ireland championship Group 1 fixture between the counties on Sunday, November 8. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

As a war of words breaks out between the LGFA and Camogie Association, the Galway camogie management have stepped into the breach and offered a resolution to the fixtures clash facing five Cork dual players.

Upon reading the Irish Examiner story highlighting the fixtures clash facing Cork’s dual contingent on Saturday, November 7, the Galway camogie management made contact with Cork camogie boss Paudie Murray to express their willingness to play the All-Ireland championship Group 1 fixture between the counties on Sunday, November 8.

The fixture is currently scheduled for November 7, the same day the Cork ladies footballers are in All-Ireland championship action against Kerry.

Unless one of the fixtures is moved, the five dual players in question - Hannah Looney, Libby Coppinger, Fiona Keating, Meabh Cahalane, and Ciara McCarthy - will have to choose one code over the other on the first Saturday of next month.

The Camogie Association this morning said “engagement with the LGFA” had failed to bring about a resolution to this fixtures clash.

“The Camogie Association shared our proposed fixture list with the LGFA a number of weeks ago. Upon receipt of the LGFA’s fixtures last week, a number of clashes have now been identified. Following engagement with the LGFA, unfortunately there has been no resolution found to avoid these clashes,” read a Camogie Association statement released to the Irish Examiner.

“The Camogie Association has looked at where it can accommodate changes to schedules and have already moved four fixtures to avoid clashes in this year’s All-Ireland Championships. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to resolve all of the clashes.”

Later in the day, the LGFA expressed disappointment with the content of the Camogie Association statement issued to the Irish Examiner.

The LGFA statement pointed out that their 2020 All-Ireland championship schedule “was widely circulated” in July.

While the LGFA was the first governing body of the two to announce the weekends on which they would play their various championship games, the exact dates for their group fixtures were not confirmed until more recently.

The LGFA statement also refers to the guidelines of the GAA's Covid-19 Advisory group who have stated that Covid-19 infection risk increases if there are instances of players crossing from one pod/squad to other sports.

“The Ladies Gaelic Football Association notes the statement regarding dual players issued to the Irish Examiner from the Camogie Association. The LGFA also expresses disappointment with some of the content contained therein,” said an LGFA spokesperson.

“We continually strive to accommodate dual players in their endeavours but it was stressed to counties in correspondence some months back that given the extraordinary and challenging year that it is, and the short timeframe in the depths of winter in which to play our championship matches, that there was no room for manoeuvre on fixtures.

Our overriding concern was, and remains, the health and safety of our players, and their families.