Clare Boss O’Connell Blasts ‘Ridiculous’ Treatment Of Female Players

CLARE camogie manager Ger O’Connell has labelled the treatment of female athletes playing GAA as ‘ridiculous’.

O’Connell was speaking to the Clare Champion before his side’s trip to Kilkenny this weekend and he aired many grievances he has with the current situation for his side as well as the lady footballers.

He believes there is a lack of respect shown to female athletes, “who train so hard in every county,” by officials and supporters and that something that needs to change urgently.

“After the farce of what happened in Limerick, it is just not right. For two teams to be warming up and the crowd leaving – what kind of a message does that show the girls. The girls train so hard in every county to get that bit of respect that is deserved and needed. It’s not right.

“I think people that go to games can show a bit of respect and stay for 20 minutes of a camogie game. It isn’t a big thing. A lot of them have daughters and wives and relatives that play camogie and go to camogie games. I think it is a complete lack of respect and it needs to get better,” O’Connell said.

The Clonlara man also pointed out that Clare camogie and football camps have been liaising excellently to accommodate the two dual players on both panels, only for the powers that be to undo all of their good work.

“Another thing that is ridiculous is that there are two dual players and these girls have trained so hard and we’re all working very hard to make it work, and now it turns out both games [camogie and ladies football] are fixed for the same day. It’s just ridiculous and it isn’t fair on these players to have to make a call on who they want to play for, and I really think something needs to be done about this because it is just not good enough.

“I don’t know whether it is just a complete lack of communication between the powers that be of both codes or what, but it isn’t fair on the players because they’re a dying breed. We lost Niamh [O’Dea] last year as she just couldn’t do both and she goes out of her way this year to try and accommodate both codes, and this is what happens. It is a kick into the teeth for the girls that are trying so hard,” O’Connell pointed out.