Kilkenny manager questions 'strange' league final throw-in time

The sole UEFA European Football Championship game RTÉ is showing on Sunday kicks off at 5pm

Tue, 15 Jun, 2021 - 17:07

Eoghan Cormican

Kilkenny camogie manager Brian Dowling has described as “very strange” the 7.30pm Sunday evening throw-in time for this weekend’s Littlewoods Ireland Camogie League final.

In a repeat of last December’s All-Ireland final, Galway and Kilkenny will do battle for League honours at Croke Park on Sunday evening. The fixture is one of the 15 pilot events for the safe reopening of sports and will be watched by a crowd of up to 3,000 at GAA HQ.

All-Ireland winning manager Dowling says the Sunday evening throw-in time will be “very difficult” on players who have to get up and go to work on Monday morning as they are unlikely to get home from Croke Park until 1am.

The Kilkenny boss added that they would have preferred if the final was played on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon.

The Camogie Association has said the Sunday evening throw-in time was influenced by RTÉ’s television schedule.

“They are covering the Euros and this was the only available time they had,” an association official told the Irish Examiner.

The sole UEFA European Football Championship game RTÉ is showing on Sunday kicks off at 5pm (coverage begins at 4.30pm) and so RTÉ were asked by the Irish Examiner why the camogie final couldn’t be broadcast early on Sunday afternoon.

“All options were explored and the National Camogie League Final will receive maximum exposure from its place in the schedule,” said the RTÉ response.

“It is a very strange one,” replied Dowling when asked for his thoughts on the Sunday evening throw-in time.

“It is probably not too bad for me. I am a teacher and so have Monday morning off. It is difficult for girls who are working early on Monday morning. You'll probably be leaving Croke Park at 9.30pm or 10pm and not getting back to Kilkenny until 12.30am or 1am in the morning and then these girls have to get up on Monday morning for work. It is very, very difficult.”

Dowling questioned if the 3,000 capacity set down by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media will even be reached on account of the late start.

Will we get the 3,000 crowd with the time of the match? We'd prefer if it was on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon.

“It is what it is and we are not going to complain. I am sure every other camogie county would love to be there on Sunday evening and we are definitely not going to complain about it.

“We obviously prefer a more suitable time, but look, we are there now, we are more than happy to be there, and we’re going to give it a good lash on Sunday evening.”

Kilkenny are hoping to have available for Sunday’s final the experienced trio of Collette Dormer, Claire Phelan, and Katie Power. Dormer and Phelan, who boast two All-Stars apiece, missed last Sunday’s come-from-behind semi-final win over Tipperary because of hand and muscle injuries respectively.

Four-time All-Star Power, meanwhile, is nearing full recovery after sustaining a broken kneecap last October.

“The three of them should be in contention, all of them will have fitness tests this week. We are hoping all three will be back, but I am not sure whether they will be or not yet, and we are not going to take any risks. At the end of the day, it is League and we want to have a full panel to pick from come Championship.”