Clare pitch farce set camogie back years, claims Wexford boss

Wexford camogie manager Gerry McQuaid said the state of last weekend's pitch would discourage any young girl from ever aspiring to play for their county.

The goalmouth in the Meelick pitch that hosted Clare v Wexford in the National Camogie League last weekend. Pic via Wexford journalist Dean Goodison

Wexford camogie manager Gerry McQuaid has said the “unacceptable standards” surrounding last Saturday’s League fixture away to Clare has set the game back “a number of years”.

McQuaid has also insisted that the treatment Wexford players had to endure would discourage any young girl from ever aspiring to play for their county.

Initially scheduled for Clareabbey, the Division 1B game was moved to Meelick when the Clareabbey pitch was deemed unplayable less than two hours before throw-in.

The alternative venue, which McQuaid described as “clearly unsafe to play on” was in the midst of staging a memorial game between two local clubs, meaning the start time for the camogie fixture was pushed back by half an hour.

And with the two men’s teams using the two dressing-rooms at Meelick, the Wexford camogie panel were initially asked to tog out on the bus before being given a loft upstairs that contained only “old school chairs”. They also had no access to hot showers at full-time.

The Wexford Camogie Board have since lodged an official complaint with the Camogie Association over the events that played out on Saturday, with top brass committing to investigate the circumstances around a game that was “hugely demeaning” to all involved, according to McQuaid.

After Clareabbey was deemed unplayable, a 4G pitch was lined up by the hosts, but given Wexford have not trained on a synthetic surface, their preference was for a grass field.

The visitors did contemplate refusing to play at Meelick, such was the muddy state of the pitch, but knew the repercussion would either be docking of League points or having to return to Clare “at our own expense” in the coming weeks.

Any perception that female players are no longer second-class citizens in the Gaelic games community, said McQuaid, was well and truly shattered by Saturday’s events.

“The message sent out on Saturday goes beyond the Wexford panel, it’s a message that was sent to all female players, to all girls. And that message is that this is acceptable carry-on, that you are not treated equally, and that you are being treated as a second-class citizen in 2026 because you are a female player. That message was sent loud and clear,” the Wexford manager told the Irish Examiner.

“If that was a men’s inter-county game, it wouldn’t have gone ahead, but it was good enough to put inter-county female players out in, which is just unacceptable. All week people have been asking me how this game was allowed to go ahead on that pitch?

“The buck stops with the Camogie Association. I understand it's not easy to get pitches in February with all the rain we've had, but it wouldn't have happened if it was the Clare and Wexford hurling teams. They’d have been inside in Cusack Park.

“The Camogie Association are currently trialling new rules in an attempt to make the game more exciting, but what happened on Saturday sets it back a number of years. You have young girls seeing this on social media, seeing the state of the pitch. How does that bode in their minds?” 

Gerry McQuaid during his time as Dublin Manager Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor

In the same month as GAA director-general Tom Ryan said he understands the perspective of those who see 2027 as unrealistic for achieving full integration, Wexford manager McQuaid believes the lack of accountability and standards that played out on Saturday would not be tolerated in a merged association.

“In relation to basic health and safety, you would hope that if it were integrated that that match wouldn’t have taken place because not only does it shed a poor light on the Camogie side, but it’s also going to highlight the whole organisation. But as of right now, the Camogie Association is still on its own. We’re not under any one umbrella.

“With integration, you would hope that standards would improve, that Saturday would not be acceptable, and somebody would be held accountable.

“As I said to the players on Saturday, they're asking me is there a possibility you could change on the bus in a car park, they’re asking me will you share a dressing-room with Clare because the men’s teams on before us did a favour by freeing up one of the dressing-rooms? I had 33 players in front of me who are committed to playing for Wexford, and this is the information you’re passing them. It’s hugely demeaning.

“Imagine Keith Rossiter pulling up in a bus with the Wexford senior hurlers and saying to his lads, 'we might have to share with the Clare lads, or we might have to change on the bus, or we might have to change in a loft upstairs with little old school chairs'.

Pitch very heavy and this goalmouth in poor state in Clare for Wexford’s senior camogie clash. pic.twitter.com/S9sOZbrgry

— Dean Goodison (@deangoodison) February 21, 2026

“I was actually told beforehand of the possibility they wouldn't have showers afterwards. I couldn't tell the girls that before they went out. Their heads were melted enough. They warmed up on a hill where sheep were grazing.

“Hopefully lessons have been learned, and there will be an adequate review and response from the Camogie Association to both Wexford and Clare.”

Clare won the game 0-16 to 0-9.