Female inter-county players end protests as agreement reached

“We welcome this breakthrough.”

Agreement has been reached between the the Gaelic Players Association, Camogie Association, and Ladies Gaelic football Association to deliver a charter for female inter-county players.

This charter will be for the 2024 season, and all match-day protests which have been demonstrated in recent weeks have officially ended.

There is still a lot to organise and negotiate as no official welfare has been set up just yet, so it’s unsure what mileage payments or compensation the players will get.

However, those involved in negotioations are satisfied with the progress being made, and that there is a framework in place, so protests have ceased.

The GPA have released the following statement:

Statement on behalf of female inter-county players

Following constructive meetings between the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) and separately between the GPA and the Camogie Association over the course of the last week, a framework has been agreed to deliver a standardised charter for female inter-county players for 2024.

Therefore, we the players, have decided to suspend our protest actions ahead of this weekend’s matches.

Commitments are now in place from the two National Governing Bodies (NGBs) as follows:

1. Agreement by the NGBs to collaborate with the GPA on the development of a Player Charter for 2024. 
2. Agreement from the NGBs to request funding support from the GAA for the charter implementation, independent of the GPA.   
3. Agreement that any approach (should it be necessary) to government for funding will be undertaken jointly with the GPA.      

All protest actions on match days are now suspended with immediate effect.  Players will also return to taking part in media events organised by the Camogie Association and LGFA.

We thank the Camogie Association and LGFA for their commitment to implementing a standardised player charter for 2024. 

We also thank the GAA for their commitment to support the initiative.

This is a landmark moment in our games and for women’s sport in Ireland.

The Camogie president Hilda Breslin welcomed this development, and called it a “breakthrough” in a statement released by the Camogie Association.

“We welcome this breakthrough. It will enable the unhindered progression of the Glen Dimplex All Ireland Championships.  Our semi-finals this weekend and our finals on 6^th August will be the centre of attention and we look forward to wonderful games.

“We are committed to working with players and other stakeholders to continue to improve and expand the player welfare supports currently in place in a very fair and evidenced based manner.” 

Related links:

• “They were literally 1,100 calories each” Ryan O’Donoghue on lengths he took to bulk up for inter-county football
• Ryan O’ on how the demands of boxing prepared him for elite sport
• Ciaran Whelan challenges referees to ‘protect our really good players’

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