Latest news with #CamogieAssociation
Irish Examiner
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: Like skorts, skirts should be a choice
If the Camogie Association can modernise its dress code for greater mobility, what's stopping schools from doing the same? At 15, I successfully campaigned for the option to wear trousers in my secondary school. I immediately switched to cycling — arriving faster and stress-free. Fifty years later, I still cycle regularly (with waterproof over-trousers when it rains), but now I find myself campaigning again — this time for my granddaughters. This week, Irish citizens are funding a new Government campaign to encourage children to be more active. With €1m a day in public funds spent on active travel in recent years, why are many schoolgirls still forced into skirts — impractical, unsafe, and a barrier to cycling? This outdated rule discourages the use of the very transport infrastructure their parents' taxes help fund. Only one in 250 teenage girls cycles daily (An Taisce, AndSheCycles). The Road Safety Authority advises cyclists to wear clothes that won't catch in chains or obscure visibility. Skirts, especially in wind, do both. Schools mandating skirts are ignoring these safety concerns. This isn't about banning skirts — it's about choice. Let's retire outdated uniform rules that undermine girls' health, safety, and mobility. Orla Farrell, registered primary and second-level teacher, address with the Editor Skorts solution may inspire integration Photos and video clips from last Saturday's Senior Camogie Championship games indicate the 'harmonious implementation' of the new rule change pertaining to players' dress code. Interestingly, Reuters, one of the world's largest news agencies, who had been following the 'clash of the skorts and the shorts' all along, carried immediate news of the outcome of last Thursday's Camogie Association special congress, headlined thus: 'Ireland's Camogie Association votes to allow players to wear shorts'. Such an international profile potentially added a further shade of crimson to an already embarrassing situation that was entirely avoidable. It should be acknowledged, once player intent became obvious, that the issue was addressed reasonably expeditiously and especially so in the context of the traditional and sedentary character of the GAA and its powers that be. Let's hope that the ongoing snail-paced integration process between the GAA, the Camogie Association, and the Ladies' Gaelic Football Association will not require another ignominious spectacle to get the process completed. Michael Gannon, St Thomas Sq, Kilkenny City Suitable name for children's hospital The name of the new children's hospital in Dublin must embrace all the children of Ireland. The All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network is a collaborative healthcare initiative between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This recently-established network aims to provide comprehensive and high-quality care for children with congenital heart disease across the island of Ireland. Much co-operation has gone into its establishment, with surgery and interventional procedures now centred at CHI at Crumlin. Other collaborative initiatives are anticipated. The peaceful future of our country requires hands across the border. Has the Royal Belfast Children's Hospital been involved in the choice of name? Have political sensitivities of families in Northern Ireland been considered? Let our children lead us into that peaceful future by choosing an inclusive name for their hospital, such as, perhaps, the Ireland Children's Hospital. I believe Dr Kathleen Lynn would approve. Róisín Healy, consultant paediatrician (retired), CHI at Crumlin Grow up and face the US military's 'civilian' loophole While our politicians take some pride in our outlier stand in relation to the occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank, they are also expert at the 'loophole' game. Take the use of Shannon Airport by the US military. This evening, Tánaiste and defence minister Simon Harris 'explained' that any 'civilian' aircraft passing through Irish airspace or landing in Shannon needs no permission from his department, blithely ignoring the fact that all those 'civilian' aircraft transporting troops and weapons and engaging in illegal [by American law] deportations are contracted by the American military so that we, the Irish, can engage in a neat bit of sophistry to stay on-side. It's past time we grew some cojones and spoke truth to power. I do give credit to our Taoiseach for calling what is happening in Gaza a war crime, but we should back it up with practical actions within our power. Con Hayes, Tower, Blarney, Cork Hope from Pope Leo XIV and MLK I agree with Colin Sheridan in his column ('We quibble over words as children burn in Gaza' — Irish Examiner, May 19) that the 2024/25 war in Gaza is the 'least ambiguous conflict since the Second World and the Holocaust'. At the same time, an interview with a British MP on the Al Jazeera channel of what he saw in a recent visit to the West Bank shows no ambiguity either. His assessment of the situation for the Palestinian people, in what is their legal territory, does not flinch from reality. I believe it is not anti-Israel to speak of the reality in the West Bank and Gaza, while not forgetting the brutal attack into Israel by Hamas in October 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking of over 200 hostages into Gaza, many of whom were returned. Some tragically died or were killed. Israel's current government is still inflicting extreme punishment on a population, and most of Gaza is bombed to rubble. Some 55,000 of Gaza's citizens have been killed, including 16,000 children. The British MP said it is now close to midnight for the Palestinians. Their human rights, in the West Bank also, are now being crushed, and their situation has got much worse since October 2023. He saw a city in the West Bank of 50,000 people suddenly gated off by Israel's army with no explanation. It is the opposite of the new Pope Leo XIV's hope of shining a light into dark corners of the world and, in his first speech to the joyous multitude in St Peter's Square, saying: 'May peace be with you'. Dr Martin Luther King Jr said, in hope: 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.' It is not too late for the international community to protect the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza if the will is there to do so. One of the reasons for the UN is for the protection of vulnerable civilians in wars and famines. Mary Sullivan, College Rd, Cork US deportation and military flights I am an immigrant into Ireland, and I love this country, its people, the landscapes, cities, and even the weather. I have become a citizen, and I also love Ireland since we speak up about what is right, whether it be related to the island of Ireland or further afield. We have a long-standing commitment to neutrality, human rights, and international law, in part stemming from Ireland's historical challenges, famine, and colonisation. Myself and many other Irish citizens have huge concerns and object to the ongoing practice of allowing military flights to stop in Ireland (usually US military at Shannon), with focused objection to US military flights on their way to provide aid to Israel as they carry out genocide in Gaza. Myself and many others also object to allowing US deportation flights to land/refuel in Ireland. At present, these flights are linked to the delivery of weapons for Israel to help them continue committing war crimes, and the illegal forced deportation of migrants out of the USA. I live near Shannon and I see the planes as they fly overhead. It sickens me to think that Ireland is complicit with the massive destruction and deliberate famine taking place in Gaza. The wanton destruction of Gaza and its people by Israel is unconscionable, and it boggles the mind why the US government is blindly supportive of Israel, no matter what Israel's war crimes are. Ireland is profiting financially from these flights and that motivation for profit is not enough to support the continued killing of citizens in Gaza and the illegal forced deportation of migrants out of the USA. As we know too well from Northern Ireland, lasting peace will never be achieved if destruction and inhumane treatment continues. We must stop being so compliant. Now, we need full transparency and Government oversight regarding all of the military and illegal deportation flights. We need clear and consistent inspection processes and significant legal and financial repercussions for those attempting to violate the agreements. We cannot stand idly by while our country is used to support actions that fly in the face of Ireland's focus on human rights and dignity. Janet Grene, Ballybricken, Co Limerick Read More Letters to the Editor: Time for the State to do the right thing on Gaza
RTÉ News
28-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
No short-term appetite to fix dual clashes
The issue regarding dual players being forced to chose between camogie and ladies football teams is unlikely to be fully resolved before any potential integration, according to former Donegal football captain Nadine Doherty. The deadline for amalgamation of the GAA, Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association had been pencilled in for 2027, though the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has voiced its concerns that there has been little concrete progress. The Steering Group on Integration, chaired by former president Mary McAleese, today insisted that "complex process" remains on track, with one of the issues that it is hoped can be tackled properly the demands on dual players. Cork dual players Libby Coppinger, Hannah Looney and Aoife Healy will have to choose between codes on Saturday, 21 June as both the Cork camogie and ladies football teams are in All-Ireland championship action that afternoon. It is an annual issue for a certain cohort of dual players, though that Saturday is the sole weekend when the two Cork teams are in All-Ireland group stage action on the same weekend. The Cork footballers take on Mayo in what is likely to be a knockout fixture for the second and final qualifying spot in Group 2 of the All-Ireland SFC, while the camogie team are at home to Clare in Round 4 of the All-Ireland series. Former Donegal footballer Doherty is sceptical that any meaningful change will occur before any integration. "I don't think it's viewed as important, by either the Camogie Association or the LGFA," she told listeners on RTÉ's Game On. "One of the reasons I think that is because of the view it only affects a few. "I don't think there is any appetite whatsoever to fix this in the short term. That's why I was so glad to read in the statement that there will be a centralised fixtures committee. "The LGFA and Camogie Association come out every year and say they have tried to avoid this (situation), that they sit down together, but due to pitch availability, television schedules… I'm not going to say excuses, they are valid reasons, but it's just been put on the long finger.
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Camogie president targets filling Croke Park for All-Ireland final
Brian Molloy has set a hugely ambitious target of filling Croke Park for All-Ireland camogie final day on Sunday, August 10th. Speaking at the launch of the 2025 GlenDimplex All-Ireland Camogie Championships on Monday, the association president called on the public to support their county teams over the coming months. The largest ever attendance at an All-Ireland camogie final was 33,154 at the 2007 decider between Cork and Wexford, though that figure was skewed by the Galway v Dublin under-21 All-Ireland hurling final acting as the curtain-raiser. The first and only time a camogie final broke the 30,000 threshold without hurling on the undercard was in 2023 when 30,191 watched Cork and Waterford in the senior showpiece event. All-Ireland camogie final day last year attracted 27,811. READ MORE In launching a three-year strategic plan in 2024, the association's stated aim was to have a crowd of 50,000 at the 2026 All-Ireland final. However, Molloy has set his sights higher. 'It was great to see so much focus and so much attention on camogie over the last number of weeks but I want all those people to keep their attention on camogie over the next number of weeks and the next number of months so that on August 10th we can fill Croke Park,' he said. 'We've never done it before. This year's All-Ireland final is going to be historic. The best way you can show actual support for camogie is by filling Croke Park on August 10th.' The Camogie Association has changed the format for this year's All-Ireland championships by not allowing any county enter a second team at junior or intermediate level. Cork and Kilkenny contested last year's intermediate final, while Cork also competed in the senior decider. 'We'll have six distinct counties irrespective of how things go because we've changed the structures and we don't have the second teams,' added Molloy. 'I think having six separate counties in our finals is going to be hugely important. So that's my key message, tickets are already on sale, they're up on the Ticketmaster website so there is no excuse for people not to have tickets for the All-Ireland finals.' All-Ireland camogie final day on August 10th will see a triple header take place at Croke Park with the junior, intermediate and senior deciders all on the card.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Netball's dress debate mirrored in Ireland's camogie skort fight
The protest from Ireland's camogie players refusing to wear "uncomfortable" uniforms that conformed to tradition mirrors the discussion about whether netballers in Australia should still be mandated to wear dresses. After years of discontent and backlash from players, the Camogie's ruling body last Thursday ended the obligation to wear skorts (a skirt with built-in shorts underneath), which critics said had deterred girls from taking up the sport. The Camogie Association made the change after Dublin and Kilkenny players turned up at their provincial Leinster semifinal in shorts. After the referee threatened to abandon the game, the players changed into skorts. However, the protest galvanised public solidarity with their cause. This echoes a discussion point in recent years around the netball dress here in Australia, as some leaders have been calling for change, citing the uniform as uncomfortable and restrictive. Bess Schnioffsky, a researcher at RMIT University, whose thesis looks at femininity in Australia netball, said the tight-fitting, very short nature of the netball dress often left players pulling down their uniform. "A lot of netball moves involving putting your hands over your head, so if you're constantly worrying about pulling down your dress then you're not playing the game to the fullest of your ability," Dr Schnioffsky said. Dr Schnioffsky said there's an interesting tension at the moment in netball at the higher levels, with some players loving the traditional dress and others finding it outdated. "(Some) players are like 'Why are we still playing in a dress in 2025, this makes no sense' and other players are like 'No, I love playing in a dress, it's part of the game and I love that I can be feminine and sporty'," Dr Schnioffsky said. When the option was given at the Team Girls Cup, the sport's official pre-season tournament, most players still opted for the dress despite some choosing a shorts or leggings and singlet combination. GWS co-captain Jo Harten told ABC Sport last year that behind the scenes, she's been pushing for a more inclusive uniform policy at club level. "I think, the broader options we can have as a uniform, the more people it will attract, because it doesn't have to be one body type playing this sport," Harten, who has played netball at the top level for close to 20 years, said. "We should be looking at people of all different sizes, ethnicities, styles of hair, because essentially, that is what makes a global game and the more we can be inclusive, the better." A state of the game review in 2020 found that a lack of flexibility in uniforms was proving to be a barrier to girls taking up the sport. A 2021 national study by Victoria University found 58 per cent of girls do not want to wear skirts while playing sport outside of school, and 65 per cent do not want to wear skirts during school sport. Following this, Netball Australia revealed changes to their uniform policy in late 2022, which would allow players and umpires to choose between a dress, singlet, bodysuit, short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirt, skirt, shorts and long pants. These changes were implemented for the first time during the Super Netball pre-season Team Girls Cup by three teams. However, once the main season commenced, all teams returned to the netball dress. The discussion around netball uniforms has been simmering for years. Former Diamonds world champion Ash Brazill, in 2023, said that when she started playing netball, she didn't know where she belonged, partly because of the attire. "You know, I didn't have the blonde ponytail with the ribbon in their hair and I would have preferred to wear shorts than a dress," Brazill told The Age in 2023. "And going into footy and hearing [people] asking girls 'why did they stop playing netball', and a lot of it was not feeling like they belonged." Similarly, Dr Schnioffsky said if she was choosing a sport to play as a girl today, she'd likely opt for football over netball, given the comfort of the kit. "That was the part of the game that I really had to grapple with, how I felt in a dress," Schnioffsky said. "Because I didn't like it and I was very conscious of how my body looked in the dress and how I was being perceived in the dress. Whereas if I was growing up now I think I would have played footy. "Because even though the uniform is still somewhat restrictive in terms of the short shorts, there's a greater diversity of bodies at that higher level who are modelling how it looks to fit in a footy jumper versus how, if you look at the elite professional netball bodies, that diversity isn't there."
Irish Independent
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Eilis O'Hanlon: Camogie skorts row was not a battle of the sexes – and victory won't help fill stadiums
Today at 21:30 As surprises go, the decision by the Camogie Association to back down and allow players to wear shorts if they want is right up there with such old reliables as French air traffic controllers going on strike in summer or Michael Lowry topping the poll in Tipperary North. Ever since it was announced that a Special Congress would be held at Croke Park to bring this fractious dispute to an end, the outcome was always likely to be as one-sided as last Sunday's Munster senior hurling final between Limerick and Cork.
