Relations between GAA and Camogie Association cool significantly

President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins and Camogie Association President Brian Molloy stand for the President’s salute. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Relations between the GAA and the Camogie Association (CA) have cooled significantly following CA president Brian Molloy’s All-Ireland senior final speech in Croke Park on Sunday.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, a high-ranking GAA official criticised Molloy’s remarks as “provocative” coming as they did from the Hogan Stand rostrum in the GAA’s headquarters and “inappropriate” as the CA celebrated its 120-year anniversary.

Before handing over the O’Duffy Cup to Cork co-captains Méabh Cahalane and Molly Lynch, Molloy spoke of the organisation’s inception. “Twenty years earlier, the GAA hadn’t provided for camogie, so in 1904 camogie provided for camogie. Since then, our game has developed. Our players are top level athletes who will never get boxed in.

“We have more members, more clubs and more games than ever. We have a positive relationship with the GAA and are on the path to integration with them.

"We will integrate our organisation, we will integrate our operations, but we will retain our game, we will retain our ethos. We are camogie and we will remain camogie.”

At what is a crucial period in the integration process, Molloy’s remarks were also described by the GAA figure as “unhelpful”, especially as the GAA have given considerable financial support and expertise to the CA in recent years.

It is understood Central Council provided a €800,000 subvention to the CA to assist in getting their players’ charter up and running.

Without it, the agreement with the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) would not have been possible.

In last year’s, female inter-county camogie players and footballers played under protest at the lack of a players’ charter being implemented in either code.

Players had taken to sitting down before games, not participating in media events organised by the CA or Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and there had been the threat of further action.

Their efforts were endorsed by the Derry and Kerry men’s senior footballers who held a “Unity For Equality” sign in their squad photographs prior to their All-Ireland semi-final 13 months ago.

The GAA later condemned the GPA for bringing the protest to the men’s game and allowing the player welfare for female players “to be conflated with the responsibilities of the GAA”.

However, the GAA this year made a commitment of €1m to be divided between the CA and LGFA to assist in covering player expenses and entitlements.

A note in the GAA’s financial accounts earlier this year read: “CLG (Cumann Lúthchleas Gael) have committed a significant level of financial support in 2024 to both our sister associations in the delivery of their new player charters.

"Significant Government support will be required to deliver full integration to the ambitious and high standards we pride ourselves on.”

The GAA’s commercial department are also in the third and final year of overseeing the sale of the CA’s broadcasting rights as well as their sponsorship.

Camogie sources have acknowledged the GAA’s involvement has helped the association realise its marketing potential.

However, the current issue between the hierarchy of the GAA and Camogie Association is not an isolated matter.

In May, the CA and LGFA’s names were absent from a joint GAA-GPA statement in May calling for “an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in Gaza.

It was also announced the GAA and the official inter-county players body would make a donation to the Irish Red Cross’ relief work in Gaza.

Following lobbying by the GPA and a meeting between members of the “Gaels Against Genocide” and Croke Park, a proposal to release a statement was put before Central Council where it was supported.

It is believed the two female organisations had been involved in the initial stages of wording the statement and were supportive of its sentiment, but a consensus could not be reached on the final draft.