Siobhán McGrath fears camogie club championship games will go unplayed

Sarsfields retained the Galway camogie title in October though all club activities were halted shortly afterwards, while the Munster club championship was down to the last two

Sarsfields' Siobhán McGrath. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Galway and Sarsfields camogie star Siobhán McGrath is fearful outstanding All-Ireland club series games will be scrapped. McGrath scored 1-4 including the late match-winning goal to see off Slaughtneil in last March’s All-Ireland senior club decider at Croke Park.

Sarsfields retained the Galway camogie title by defeating Ardrahan in October though all club activities were halted shortly afterwards. The Munster club championship was down to the last two — Inagh Kilnamona (Clare) v Drom & Inch (Tipperary) — at that stage, with no fresh date as of yet.

It means Sarsfields could be denied the opportunity to retain their All-Ireland title, this year at least.

“It’s a strange one, it’s still up in the air really,” said McGrath of the All-Ireland series. “The Camogie Association haven’t come out and said it’s cancelled so as a player you still have that small glimmer of hope but as the weeks are going on, it is harder to see when they can fit it in.

“You have to be of the mindset that it is going ahead until you get official confirmation. We’re trying to stay ticking over at home. Before Christmas we had great hope for it, we thought everything would be fine. It’s up in the air now and in fairness to the Camogie Association, it’s hard for them to give a date. No-one knows what’s happening.”

University of Limerick student McGrath was speaking at the announcement that 100 inter-county players are to benefit from scholarship funding.

The Gaelic Players Association-supported initiative provides support for an extra 45 players this year, compared to 2020, and 31 of the 32 counties are represented.

“These sorts of scholarships are invaluable for camogie players because we don’t get expenses the same as men and all of this can help keep us being able to play at a high level and to support ourselves through college,” said McGrath.

An All-Ireland finalist with Galway at Croke Park last December, McGrath also urged the Camogie Association, LGFA and GAA to join forces sooner rather than later.

“It’s 2021 and we’re still three separate organisations, it really doesn’t make sense,” said McGrath. “But hopefully a lot more people are talking about it now and it’s more of a conversation and you’d hope, you’d really, really hope that in the near future they can come together.”

Speaking on International Women’s Day, McGrath suggested there’s still a distance to travel to secure greater respect for ladies' games. “There’s definitely more respect for us, that’s 100% the case, but I also do think there is a massive journey still to go on. It clearly isn’t really at the destination it needs to be at just yet.”