It’s been half a decade since Clare camogie had a double-header with the senior hurling team.
A request was made to the county board about having another one in Cusack Park on Sunday, but it was not accepted. The men’s senior hurling team will host Cork for their Allianz League clash in the stadium, the camogie team will play Meath in Ogonnelloe, a smaller parish in the Banner.
When Clare camogie star Chloe Morey put the question out on Twitter, no venue had been secured for the camogie clash.
“The last weekend we requested could we play in Cusack Park for a double-header and we only found out early on Thursday that they refused it,” Morey told SportsJOE.
“They’re citing that the weather is the problem. They’re after spending money on a drainage system, so it should be able for two matches on Sunday. So I basically asked that question on Twitter because I wanted to find out the actual reason why we can’t have that pitch on Sunday.”
Hi @GaaClare, why can’t the Clare senior camogie team play in Cusack Park before the hurlers this weekend? 🤷🏼♀️
— Chloe Morey (@Morey_ChloeJane) February 15, 2018
When we contacted Clare GAA, their response was that it was ‘very, very evident’ that the weather conditions were the reason for the double-header not happening this weekend.
Although the last double-header didn’t exactly go swimmingly, Morey wants more of them. She enjoys the atmosphere such an occasion creates.
“Our last double-header was five years ago against Galway and it’s been well-documented what happened there,” she explained.
“We weren’t allowed back into the dressing room, we had to go out through the turnstyles and out into the carpark to get changed.
“Clubs in Clare are under enough stress. They only have one pitch. We’ve been relying on the generosity of clubs for a long time. Why can’t we play there?”
Morey claimed this was a missed opportunity to show that the GAA and camogie could work together as ‘part of the same family’.
She believes the idea of both associations working together under a ‘one club model’ could be a possible solution. If it means getting the chance to play at Cusack Park, she’d be in favour. However, she admitted that it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.
