The three women are being punished for loving camogie as much as they love football.
For ten years, Kilkenny woman Helen Murphy has played for Tara camogie club in London. For nine, she’s kicked football for Kingdom Kerry Gaels.
Tara camogie are a proud club. They’re going for a historic tenth title in a row this Sunday. Kingdom Kerry Gaels are a rising club, and after lots of hard-work, time and effort over the last number of years this year they’ve made it through. The club will take part in its first ever intermediate provincial final this Sunday.
For much of Helen’s ten year journey, she has been shoulder to shoulder with Sarah McNicholl from Antrim and with Lucy Hawkes from Cork.
As is the case with many expats, the GAA is the drive, the link to home, the lifeblood and the obsession that keeps them going.
Helen has represented London camógs and footballers in the past and she’s coached youngsters and refereed games to give back to the GAA in London. To keep the GAA going. Lucy has been that soldier taking on the jobs that nobody wants on the London camogie and football boards. Sarah is the captain of the the Tara camogie team and the top scorer on the Kingdom Kerry Gaels football team.
Helen, Sarah and Lucy are dual players. They’ve trained hard with both teams all year with the aim of winning at the end of it and they’ve made it to the provincial finals in the camogie and in the ladies football.
Both games are provincial finals, both games are on Sunday, both games will take place at the same time and they’ll take place 200 miles apart from one another.
For now, it looks like Helen, Sarah and Lucy will have to make a decision betwen camogie and football. They’ll have to choose one team over another, they’ll have to let down one manager over another, and they’ll have to sacrifice one game over another.
That’s why the thought of Saturday fills Helen Murphy with dread.
Helen is the sister of Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy, who called on the powers that be in Ireland to try sort this out.
My sister is due to play 2 provincial finals with her clubs @Tara_Camogie_UK and @KKGLondon .. unfortunately both are fixed on the same day, same time nearly 200 miles apart. Wonder will @WomensGPA @LadiesFootball @OfficialCamogie get involved? pic.twitter.com/c7lv1T3RpJ
— Eoin Murphy (@eoinscruff) October 9, 2018
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