'It can't be ignored anymore': Galway 'disaster' highlights struggles for female sports stars

After the game was moved from Limerick to Dublin’s Parnell Park earlier in the week, it was moved again to Croke Park on Sunday morning due

Sports Psychologist and Olympian, Jessie Barr at the launch of the Irish Life Health 'Runuary' programme in Dunmore East, Waterford. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Sports psychologist Jessie Barr believes the situation the Galway ladies footballers faced ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday was a “disaster” for their performance.

After the clash with Cork was moved from Limerick to Dublin’s Parnell Park earlier in the week, it was moved again to Croke Park on Sunday morning due to icy conditions at the Donneycarney venue, with the throw-in brought forward from 1.30pm to 1pm.

Galway were given 14 minutes in the dressing room and had to complete a rushed warm-up after being told when taking the field they had six minutes to throw-in. Their manager Tim Rabbitt said what happened was a “joke” and “totally unacceptable”.

Barr, a 2012 Olympian who now works as a performance sports psychologist, believes it had an adverse effect on their play, with Galway seven points down at half-time and beaten 2-17 to 0-13 by Cork in the end.

“The stress that they must have been feeling when you know you're under pressure for time – your heart is racing, your stomach is tense – even just to relax would have taken about 14 minutes, never mind getting all the gear on, having your little chat,” said Barr. “A lot of girls need their time to think through their routine.

“From a psych point of view it was a disaster, a nightmare, because those girls wouldn't have been able to focus on what the task was, which is playing an All-Ireland semi-final, one of the biggest games they've played all year.

"I'm sure their heads were still going a million miles an hour, and still would have been at half-time. In a situation like that, mistakes will happen, you're not focused on what you're meant to be doing and your attention is going to be all over the place.”

Barr is currently working with a host of budding Olympians and she has also worked with Offaly camogie, giving her an insight into the inequality that exists between the men’s and women’s codes.

“I've been very lucky to come from athletics where gender equality has never been an issue. We're treated the exact same but in (Gaelic Games) there's a long way to go. Would this have happened to a men's team? We have to ask ourselves that question and most people would agree it probably wouldn't.

“It was just really unfortunate for both teams. Cork played a really good match and their performance has now been overlooked because of this disaster, and Galway probably didn't play any way to their ability.

“As much as the fallout is unfortunate, that the Galway team is not going to get to play in the semi-final they deserved, if this is what truly highlights the situation in those team sports for females, like in GAA and rugby, if this is what was needed so that we see that there is a big differential, maybe positives could come out of it because this is truly highlighted now. It can't be ignored anymore.”

- Jessie Barr was speaking at the launch of the Irish Life Health 'Runuary' programme, supporting runners of all levels to stay on track and to run January and not let it run them. Developed in partnership with Athletics Ireland, runners can sign-up free of charge to the training programme at irishlifehealth.ie.