‘It's total disrespect' – Cork dual star vents at Camogie Association & LGFA over latest ‘avoidable' fixture clash
HANNAH LOONEY believes Cork's dual trio are being looked upon as 'a nuisance' as they prepare to tackle another fixtures clash.
Looney, Aoife Healy and Libby Coppinger are members of the Rebels' camogie and football panels — both of whom are in Championship action on Saturday afternoon.
2
Looney is an All-Ireland winner in both codes
2
She was speaking as SuperValu launched a limited edition Pride-themed tote bag, priced at €3, with all profits going to 'Belong To', the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation
The camogie side will be expected to take a step closer to a third All-Ireland in a row by seeing off Clare at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
A must-win fixture awaits the footballers, who make the 250km journey to Castlebar to take on Mayo.
An All-Ireland winner in both codes, Looney is no stranger to such dilemmas.
And she hopes they become a thing of the past when the integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association — which has been optimistically targeted for 2027 — is complete.
Read More On GAA
The 28-year-old said: 'I'm grateful to be from Cork and to be a part of two set-ups that encourage us to play, because they appreciate our value and want us involved in both.
'But you'd hope maybe when integration comes along and you have one fixtures committee that this can be resolved.
"I used to have a bit of sympathy for the associations because of the split-season and there's a lot of games to get through.
'But it's total disrespect and you just don't feel valued at all.'
Most read in GAA Football
With Looney acknowledging that the meeting with Mayo is 'do or die', she and Healy will lend their efforts to the football cause this weekend. Coppinger is set to be on camogie duty.
Looney said: 'When I first started playing dual almost ten years ago now, it kind of felt like in general from society and from the organisations that we were a lot more valued and a lot more respected.
'Just in time for Father's Day' - Dublin GAA legends welcome the birth of precious baby daughter
'Whereas now it feels like it's more a nuisance to everyone, which is really disappointing when we're still trying so hard to keep it alive down in Cork.
'There are three weekends for the LGFA fixtures. This clash was so avoidable. But here we are again.
'What more can we do to just totally eradicate the dual player? It's frustrating for us as players.'
HANNAH LOONEY was speaking as SuperValu launched a limited edition Pride-themed tote bag, priced at €3, with all profits going to 'Belong To', the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
42 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert physical education (PE): Students pushed for time with longer questions
The higher-level physical education (PE) paper was fair and had lots of choice and popular topics, although students were pushed for time with the longer questions. Brian Gregan, a PE teacher at the Institute of Education, said that there was more choice than in previous years. 'Entering into this exam, students will have already completed two projects and have 50 per cent of their grade locked in,' he said. 'This final push will see students racing through some sections only to be faced with more daunting long answers that will keep them writing until the final second.' READ MORE In section A, which focuses on short questions, Mr Gregan said that there was a great range of ideas but Students with a slight emphasis on topic five (promoting physical activity). 'While not always a popular topic, the questions were clear and to the point meaning that few will struggle to have something to say,' said Mr Gregan. 'Topic five synthesises well with topic seven, inclusivity which was a prescribed topic for this paper, so everyone should be prepared for these ideas. 'Questions on coaching will be popular with those who are up to speed on their principles of training, and the ever-popular topic of doping appeared twice. Tricker topics like vectors and scalers were absent or while others like stereotyping were avoidable through lots of internal choice.' However, Mr Gregan said that section B's compulsory case study will have ground some student momentum to a halt. 'The text was denser, and students needed to pay attention to every aspect of the pages to ensure they had the correct material,' he said. 'You couldn't simply skim the text on move on - the details really mattered. As a result, some will feel that time ebbed away in this section. Overall, the case study on throwing was a good mixture of Topics one, two, five and six – all of which will be familiar but the fact there was little choice meant that they really needed to know their stuff. Skipping sections wasn't an option.' Section C's long questions reiterated the previous two sections' relationship in miniature: a swift start that loses speed in longer essay questions, said Mr Gregan. 'PE isn't like other subjects that are heavily essay based, but long questions do demand the students cover a good amount of material in order to safeguard against any ambiguity in the marking scheme. In terms of the material, there was nothing unexpected here: questions on components of fitness and principles of training would all have been banker topics heading into the exam.' Mr Gregan said that, while all the questions were viable, question 15 was a great balance of principles of training, ethics and coaching that will draw many people in. 'This was a fair paper, but students will find themselves in a sprint to the finish to fill everything in,' he concluded.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Club and community to the fore as Ballinora look to etch their name in Féile folklore
In the summer of '25 We stood proud and tall With the fire in our bellies We gave it our all Against Midleton we battled No moment was small And the green and the red Rose above them all They'd go raring and tearing And fighting for love For the land they called Ballinora And the Lord up above Bal la, la la-la la la, la la la la, la For the green and the red I adore For the parish to last ever more The fifth-class pupils of Ballinora NS have been busy. There were no feet up on the countdown to the summer holidays. The crayons were out and an anthem coloured. Their enterprise was strikingly similar to the past pupils they were immortalising in song. In the small, rural parish of Ballinora this Saturday morning, it is a case of whoever is last out, turn the key and lock the door behind you. An entire parish is heading in motorcade to the Model County. This small, rural parish, operating at Junior A level in the adult ranks, is Cork hurling's flagbearer at the National Féile na nGael weekend. If you haven't already spotted the familiarity, the above lyrics are a reworking of the Kingfishr cult hit, Killeagh. The creative juices have been given a good squeeze by Ballinora's young and not-so-young. Local photographer Damien O'Sullivan has compiled a series of Reeling in the Years videos charting the players' journey from club nursery to national stage. Supporters cheer on Ballinora. It's all part of a club and community putting their best foot forward before their young heroes attempt to do likewise against hurling's most synonymous local establishments. Recent winners of Féile na nGael include Athenry, Thurles, Turloughmore, Dicksboro, and Faythe Harriers. Recent finalists include Midleton, Ballygunner, and Glen Rovers. Féile's top-tier is not often frequented by a club whose flagship adult team operates in the sixth tier of the local county championship. 'If you look at the teams participating this weekend, they are the powerhouses of hurling. You have Na Piarsaigh of Limerick, Ballygunner, Cashel King Cormacs, Sixmilebridge. These clubs are huge, they have massive hurling histories, they have big numbers. 'We are going there to compete with the best, and it is fantastic for the lads to have this opportunity of representing Cork against the best hurling clubs in the country. It is really something to be proud of and to look forward to,' said Martin Fenton, chairman of the Ballinora juvenile wing. Peter Watson, Chairperson Rebel Og presents Charlie Noonan, Ballinora, with the cup. Pic: Jim Coughlan. 'Everybody in the community is on board. The younger kids were so delighted the day we won the Cork P1 title, it gives them something to shoot for in the years ahead. 'There has been such an effort put in by everybody in the club over the past six weeks since we got through because we see it as such a huge opportunity to put Ballinora on the map. We are a Junior A club, but a Junior A club with a big heart and a big ambition.' All told, it has been a phenomenal 18 or so months for this club and their big ambition. In early 2024, they won a first-ever Mid-Cork U21A football championship. In early summer of the same year, their U15s won the Cork P2 Féile hurling and football titles. From there to the national stage where they won the Féile na nGael and Féile Peile na nÓg Division 2 titles at the expense of Tipp's Gortnahoe/Glengoole and O'Dempseys of Laois. Fast forward to this April and Mayo where the current crop of U15s, including nine survivors from last year, reached the P1 Féile final in both codes. The footballers came up four-points shy of neighbours Ballincollig, the hurlers edged Midleton in golden score after the sides could not be separated in regulation or extra-time. 'We conceded a free in golden score and it looked as if it was curtains. It went narrowly wide and in the next attack Donagh Conway got a point to win it. Donagh Conway, Ballinora, Tiernan Galvin, Midleton. Pic: Jim Coughlan. 'To win the P1 was a monumental achievement for a club like ourselves. We are a small club, but we do pride ourselves on long-term development of players and making sure they are having fun and enjoyment. That's what the club culture is rooted in. 'I remember when this bunch started, back in 2015, '16. It is all about giving them the best possible coaching you can. You are trying to build a team that isn't reliant on any one or more individuals, it is about the whole team.' One member of the football panel doesn't play hurling. He's traveling with the team to Wexford. Another youngster, who lined out with this team all the way up to last year before moving to Waterford, is being picked up on the way to Wexford. A nod to bonds built. 'It is about the sum of the parts, not any one individual.' A lyric and mantra to live.
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
All-Ireland camogie championship: All you need to know
SATURDAY Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Cork v Clare, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 2pm Limerick v Tipperary, Cappamore GAA, 1pm Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 2 Kilkenny v Galway, UPMC Nowlan Park, 4pm Waterford v Dublin, Walsh Park, 3pm ONLINE You'll find score updates and match reports on RTÉ Sport Online and RTÉ News app. Kilkennyv Galway is live on Camogie Association YouTube channel. RADIO Score updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport. WEATHER Saturday: While warm sunshine is expected, a scattering of showers will occur too, some heavy and possibly thundery. Top temperatures of 19 to 25 degrees, warmest across the eastern half of the country, all in a light to moderate southwest wind. For more, visit GROUP 1 Cork v Clare Clare are clearly benefiting from John Carmody's decision last season to blood a number of young players. They have reached a Very League Division 1B final this year and are in contention for qualification to the knockout stages of the All-Ireland Championship. They are not expected to beat champions Cork in the Páirc, which isn't to say they can't, but every score will count in their battle for a place in the last six. At present, the Banner lie in second in the table on a vastly superior score difference to Limerick, who they drew with. Limerick have already played Cork, however. As a result, Clare have 32 points in hand on their neighbours, so a competitive outing will put them on the brink of progression. Limerick v Tipperary Limerick are under a little more pressure than Clare in terms of making the quarter-finals due to their vastly inferior score difference. Cork beat them by 38 points in their first round and it said a lot for what Joe Quaid has begun to build that they bounced back to beat Wexford and then draw with Clare, thanks to a late equaliser by their totem, Caoimhe Costelloe. The level of that first round defeat leaves them with a steep mountain to climb but if they can account for Tipperary, who are a point back in fourth with one game less played, they will be through. It would count as a shock, given the level both teams have been operating at for most of the past decade or so and especially for the past five years. Victory would also put Tipp through, having beaten Wexford by 32 points after losing to Cork by 18. GROUP 2 Kilkenny v Galway Group 2 looks far more straightforward than Group 1, with three teams level at the top on six points. This game pitches second against third on score difference, but this is Kilkenny's last game and they have already lost to Waterford, while Galway possess a 100% record. If Waterford beat Dublin in the other game, these two will be assured of qualification but this result will be significant with direct progression to the semi-final, or seeding in the quarter-finals at stake. Waterford v Dublin Dublin's mission is straightforward. Anything other than victory and last year's All-Ireland semi-finalists will not emerge from what was a very difficult group. They lost by six points to Galway and five to Kilkenny, so have been very competitive but now take on a Waterford side that opened their campaign with a seven-point victory over the Cats and followed up with a facile home triumph over Derry. With Galway still on the Déise's set list, they will want to make sure of qualification this weekend.
