Latest news with #camogie
BreakingNews.ie
12-06-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Waterford duo named as May winners of Women's GAA Player of the Month awards
Waterford duo Niamh Rockett and Kellyann Hogan are the May winners of the PwC GPA Women's Player of the Month awards for camogie and football. Meanwhile, Limerick talisman Cian Lynch and Donegal's Michael Murphy have been named the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler and Footballer of the month, respectively. Advertisement The Player of the Month awards aim to recognise the country's standout players from the Provincial Championships as well as the opening rounds of the 2025 All-Ireland Championships. Niamh Rockett made history with the Déise as they recorded their first ever senior championship victory over Kilkenny in Nowlan Park, on May 31st. Rockett, who has this year taken over free taking duties, scored nine of Waterford's 17 points, including three in the final minutes to secure the victory. Rockett will look to continue her scintillating form in the next round as Waterford take on Dublin Saturday, June 21st. Advertisement The Waterford ladies football team came agonisingly close to overcoming the reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry with Kellyann Hogan's six well taken scores a key factor in the Déise running Kerry close. Hogan dusted herself off and put in a dominant performance in nine-point victory against Cork in Dungarvan, booking a rematch against the Kingdom in the Munster Football Championship final. Hogan was first on the scoreboard and delivered a standout performance in the middle of the park throughout. Four scores from the Ballymacarby clubwoman were unfortunately not enough however as Waterford tasted defeat at the hands of the Kingdom once more. Cian Lynch and Michael Murphy A month in which Cian Lynch delivered commanding performances for Limerick in the Munster Hurling Championship has earned him the May player of the month award. Advertisement Cian Lynch (L) and Michael Murphy (R). Photo (R): Inpho/Leah Scholes Two pivotal wins over Waterford and Cork kept the six in a row dream alive with Lynch being the focal point in each. Three scores accompanied by an array of immaculate skills earned Lynch the Man of the Match award after a six-point triumph over Waterford. In the next clash against league champions Cork in the TUS Gaelic Grounds, Limerick and Lynch in particular showed up from the opening whistle. The Limerick captain and playmaker was instrumental in a decisive 16-point victory which booked Limerick's spot in their seventh consecutive Munster final. Donegal stalwart Michael Murphy has been awarded the May player of the month award for his inspirational performances throughout the month, none more prominent than the Ulster title decider versus defending All-Ireland champions Armagh. After taking a year off Murphy appears to be back to his best, dominating aerial contests and overpowering his opposition. Advertisement A repeat of last year's Ulster final, the returning Murphy was the difference-maker, scoring three points and helping set up plenty more as Donegal retained their provincial crown. Murphy followed this up with an eight-point haul in a defeat against Tyrone in the All-Ireland series. Managing Partner at PwC Ireland, Enda McDonagh, said: 'May brought a series of exceptional performances across all codes, as thrilling provincial campaigns concluded and the All-Ireland Championship series burst into life. 'On behalf of everyone at PwC, heartfelt congratulations to Niamh, Kellyann, Cian, and Michael on being honoured as May's Players of the Month."
Irish Times
06-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Women Gaelic games players suffer injuries in silence due to fear and lack of support, research finds
Fears of being dropped, letting their team down or being seen as weak are among the reasons women Gaelic games players opt to conceal injuries, according to new research. The study of intercounty camogie and women's Gaelic football players found that concern over being sidelined or dropped from the panel were factors in whether players chose to disclose injuries to management, as were worries about how they might be perceived by others in the team setting. The research's lead author, chartered physiotherapist and PhD student at University of Limerick Marese Gilhooly, explains that while various factors can contribute to whether players feel empowered to report injuries, it can often come down to their standing in the set-up. 'A big part of it is the player experience,' she says. 'That might be linked to their years of playing intercounty level – they might be more sure of their place on the team and they mightn't have such fear of being deselected, or risking losing favour with management, whereas younger players mightn't have the confidence or have built up that experience that they feel that they can report [injuries].' READ MORE The research focuses on the players' perceptions of injuries and how those perceptions might lead them to suffer in silence rather than flag what's ailing them. 'One player said she didn't want to be perceived as a 'drama queen',' Gilhooly says, while others said they may not report injuries they felt weren't serious enough so as not to 'waste people's time', as one player quoted in the study said. However, related research conducted by Gilhooly and her colleagues surveying athlete support personnel (ASP – 'individuals in coaching, management and allied health and performance related practice') found they did not share many of the sentiments expressed by players. Of the 42 ASP surveyed, 66 per cent disagreed with the statement 'managers view players as weak for reporting injuries'. Forty-three per cent disagreed that players report all injuries. Gilhooly, who is an assistant lecturer at TUS Athlone, says the findings from the two studies highlight a disconnect between players and ASP. The responses from the ASP also noted the pitfalls of players concealing injuries, with one participant commenting: 'Players need to realise they aren't doing themselves or the team any favours'. Gilhooly explains: 'It's a double-edged sword. They don't want to let the team down, however they're letting both themselves and the team down perhaps by performing through injury or symptoms in the long-term.' External barriers to reporting were also cited both by players and ASP, chief among them access to medical personnel. In the ASP responses, 93 per cent said they believe players are more likely to report injuries when immediate access to medical personnel [team doctors or physiotherapists] is available, which was backed up by the player responses. However, even in elite intercounty set-ups, those resources are often not available, or not consistently so, Gilhooly says. 'I often feel that women are nearly tougher, in a good way and in a bad way. They will put up with an awful lot more, they're not used to being supported,' one of the ASP respondents told the researchers. Another added: 'At club level it's really poor. You have one person on the sideline at club level with a physio bag and he or she is the manager, the coach, the S&C [strength and conditioning specialist] and physio. It's just not good enough. The clubs and county boards need to do better to support females.' The latter comment is important, Gilhooly says, as a lack of support is probably a contributing factor to intercounty players' reluctance to report injuries. 'If players haven't the support at club level, they aren't used to how to access it, how to relay [concerns] to people. Often if they did have it, they didn't know how to make use of it, but often they didn't have it, or it wasn't consistent,' she adds. Gilhooly notes many players detailed how regular access to medical professionals was not a given at intercounty level, adding that even with the adoption of player charters, 'there's still inconsistencies about what is local, feasible and economically able to be put in place'. 'Gaelic games are amateur sports, but [intercounty] players dedicate such time and commitment that it does equal professional standard,' Gilhooly says. 'They're expected to perform like elite athletes but they're not necessarily getting the resources or personnel to support them as elite athletes.' Within the team setting, Gilhooly says 'it really comes down to culture', and, in addition to having the necessary resources in place, encouraging open communication between players and ASP can achieve 'a more honest middle ground' in which players feel empowered to speak up.
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 Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Camogie round-up: Wins for Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Clare
Galway , Cork , Kilkenny and Clare all picked up victories in the first round of games in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship this afternoon, with the two western counties going well to come through tough contests in front of their home supporters. Galway opened their championship campaign with a 0-15 to 1-6 victory over Dublin at a rain soaked Kenny Park in Athenry. The visitors made a strong start with a goal after 10 minutes from Aisling Gannon, while points from Sinéad Wylde and Aisling Maher (free) had the visitors 1-2 to 0-2 ahead after 18 minutes, threatening an upset win for the Dubs against last year's All-Ireland finalists. Galway leaned heavily on the expertise of team captain Carrie Dolan and her dead ball skills in the first half as she was the only scorer for the Tribeswomen in that opening 30 minutes, registering four frees, one 45 and two from play, while points from Wylde and Grace O'Shea scores left the sides level at half time, 0-7 to 1-4. Galway proved too strong in the second half, outscoring the visitors by 0-8 to 0-2 in what were incredibly difficult conditions for the teams to show their quality. READ MORE Dolan added four from placed balls while Sabina Rabbitte, Mairéad Dillon, Caoimhe Kelly and Niamh Mallon also chipped in. Two Aisling Maher frees were all that Dublin could add to their tally in the second half as the home side ran out winners. The other Group Two fixture saw Kilkenny record a 3-26 to 0-9 win over Derry in Owenbeg, with the Cats in complete control throughout. Kilkenny led by 0-9 to 0-2 and already had six different scorers on the board when Katie Nolan fired their first goal of the afternoon after 16 minutes. The visitors led by 1-15 to 0-3 at the interval with Sarah Barcoe picking off three from play. Orlaith Hull tallied all three of Derry's scores from frees during the first half. The half-time interval didn't change the flow of the game as Kilkenny picked up from where they left off in the second period, with Sophie Holden and Steffi Fitzgerald adding goals. Derry got second-half points through Sinéad and Áine McGill, but the Ulster side were left in no doubt as to the task on their hands if they are to rebuild their championship in advance of another fiercely tough test against Galway next Saturday. Kilkenny will go back home and play host to Waterford next weekend, with Dublin on a bye before taking on the Cats in round three. In Cusack Park in Ennis, the home side overcame Wexford on a 0-15 to 1-9 scoreline. A tough and competitive game saw Clare take a 0-10 to 1-5 lead into the interval before the scores became even harder to come by in the second half. Ziyan Spillane struck five first half points for the Banner (three frees) while Róisín Begley landed three from play. Joanne Dillon struck four placed balls for Wexford at the other end while the highlight reels will be dominated by a superb goal from Wexford's Anais Curran, a brilliant shot to the top right-hand corner. The second half was equally competitive, but Clare shaded the scoring with Ellen Casey tallying two vital scores. Dillon added two at the other end, bringing her personal tally to 0-6 for the afternoon, but it was not enough as Wexford could not find a way to engineer the second goal they badly needed. There was no surprise in Páirc Uí Rinn were reigning champions Cork recorded a facile victory over Limerick. Ger Manley's charges ran out 6-25 to 0-5 winners over the Treaty county, who now face into a crucial battle with Wexford next weekend in Rathkeale. First half goals from Amy O'Connor, Katrina Mackey, and Orlaith Cahalane saw the Leesiders lead by 3-12 to 0-1 at half time. Limerick's sole scoring coming from a Caoimhe Costelloe free. It did not get much better for Limerick in the second half, with Cork adding goals through Cahalane, and two from Clodagh Finn, while they also racked up another 13 points for good measure. O'Connor (1-7), Cahalane (2-3), Finn (2-3) and Mackey (1-4) all had productive afternoons in front of the posts for the Rebels, with Laura Southern hitting two point from play for Limerick to go with Costelloe's three frees. Cork will travel to Tipperary next weekend, with Clare resting up in this group.
