Clare not asked to consider changing Cork fixture

The LGFA made contact with Tipperary to see if they would consider playing Cork on either Friday evening or Sunday, the Camogie Association did not make contact with Clare to ask the same question.

Fri, 30 Jun, 2023 - 07:35

Eoghan Cormican

The Camogie Association’s claim that they made “concerted efforts” to resolve Saturday's Cork fixture clash runs contrary to the fact that Clare were not asked to consider switching their game against Cork to Sunday.

Both the Cork camogie panel and their ladies football counterparts wrote letters last week to Camogie Association president Hilda Breslin and LGFA CEO Helen O’Rourke requesting a resolution to this Saturday’s fixture clash that will force three dual players to choose one must-win game over another.

But while the LGFA made contact with Tipperary to see if they would consider playing Cork on either Friday evening or Sunday, the Camogie Association did not make contact with Clare to ask the same question.

For a fixture to be moved out of the date it is scheduled for, both counties have to be agreeable to change. Counties are under no obligation to accede to any request for a change in dates, but there is surprise that Clare were not at least asked to consider a new date given Cork’s request.

In a statement released on Thursday lunchtime, four days after the Irish Examiner first contacted them for comment on Saturday’s Cork fixture clash, the Camogie Association said the clash was “unavoidable”.

“The Camogie Association understands that this situation is deeply frustrating for the teams involved. We had hoped that by scheduling Camogie round fixtures on Sunday for the National League and Saturday for the All-Ireland Championship, it would allow for the accommodation of dual players.

“While we strive to avoid clashes on an ongoing basis, we also need to ensure fairness for all players and teams in the competition. Unfortunately, in this instance, it was not possible to find a resolution despite the concerted efforts of both the Camogie Association and the LGFA.”

The statement adds that because of the short turnaround to the All-Ireland quarter-finals next weekend, “it was not feasible for the Camogie Association to reschedule the fixtures where it has in the past and avoided any unfair impact on other teams”.

It remains to be seen which Cork team the three dual players will line out with. Hannah Looney lined out for the Cork footballers when the most recent clash arose two weeks ago, with Libby Coppinger and Aoife Healy togging for the camogie side. Immediately after their camogie win over Down, Coppinger travelled the three hours from Páirc Uí Chaoimh to Pearse Stadium, Salthill where she came on as a second-half sub during the footballers' defeat to Galway.

Orlaith Cahalane, the fourth Cork dual player, is injured.