Second string sides removed from camogie championships under coronavirus restrictions

Some teams had already played with others making their bow tomorrow

Cork's Sarah Harrington, Leah Weste, Sarah Buckley, Niamh Ní Chaoimh and Finola Neville celebrate after winning the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2018. Second strings have been 'removed' from the lower tiers for this year's championship. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Ten teams have been removed from the All-Ireland intermediate and junior camogie championship after the Camogie Association received direction from the Department of Sport that each county can field just one team in the 2020 All-Ireland championship.

Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny and Tipperary all field second teams in the intermediate camogie championship, as do Clare, Wexford, Waterford, Limerick and Offaly at junior level, but these 10 teams are no longer permitted to compete in the lower-tier 2020 championships simply because each of the 10 counties has a senior team.

The intermediate championship will now consist of Laois, Kildare, Kerry, Meath, Antrim, Down, Carlow and Derry, while the junior championship becomes a straight final between Roscommon and Armagh.

Heightening the sense of frustration around today’s decision is that teams no longer eligible to play in these two competitions had already begun their championship campaign. Dublin travelled to Salthill last Saturday to play Galway in Group 1 of the All-Ireland intermediate camogie championship, with Clare having entertained Offaly in the All-Ireland junior championship.

A number of the 10 affected teams were due in action this weekend and had already finalised travel plans for their game.

“The Camogie Association have received direction from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in relation to the operation of the intercounty All-Ireland Championship competitions, due to the latest Public Health advice in relation to Covid-19. Upon direction received (Thursday) evening, it is with regret that we must announce restructuring of the 2020 Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Intermediate and Premier Junior Championships.

“The directions states that each county can now field just one team in the All-Ireland competitions in each code across Gaelic Games. Therefore only the Senior intercounty team in each county can now be accommodated within our competition structures for this year’s All-Ireland Camogie Championships which will result in the removal of 10 ‘second’ teams from our Intermediate and Premier Junior Championships.

"As a result the Intermediate and Premier Junior Championships will be redrawn upon confirmation of participation from the teams involved, and details of revised fixtures will be issued next week. Results from this weekend’s remaining fixtures will be carried forward into these competitions.

“We appreciate that this news will come as a great disappointment to all players, management teams and volunteers involved with the teams affected, who have trained and prepared for many weeks to compete in this year’s competitions. These steps have been taken however to ensure compliance with Government direction and that our games can continue during the current Covid-19 restrictions across the island of Ireland.

“The All-Ireland Senior Championship will proceed as originally planned. Full details of the revised competition structures will be announced in due course.”