Just when you think we’re getting somewhere.
Just when you think that more and more young girls all over Ireland are being inspired to take up sport and that it’s getting easier to find new role models, the schedule for the Limerick ladies final takes us back a few steps.
On a day when Julia White and the Cork camogie team lit up households on a stormy Sunday, the ladies footballers of the Treaty county learned that they’d be playing their biggest game of the year at 9 o’clock in the morning.
Ladies football final
Gerald Griffins v Groody Gaels
Saturday, 9am, Saturday 16 September
If that wasn’t grim enough context, the true madness of it all is to consider that, for one of the clubs, Gerald Griffins, the venue for the decider is an hour away.
They have to get changed. They have to warm-up.
They have to eat food.
The squad will probably be taking off to be on the road for in and around 7am for the culmination of their entire season which started back in March. It ends with a 9am throw-in on a Saturday morning.
And the knock-on effects of such a time are obvious.
The reason for the schedule is because Gerald Griffins were asked to accommodate a change of date for the fixture but the club said they couldn’t do it owing to the fact that they’ve known the dates for some time and worked around them. The players have holidays planned, they have work, they have other lives to live and they were happy to stick to their guns considering they asked for a change themselves last year but couldn’t be accommodated – even when the player they were trying to help was county legend Dymphna O’Brien who had an All-Ireland soccer game on the same day of the county semi-final.
This year, however, it seems that the county board’s solution is to stick with the same date but shoehorn the game in first thing in the morning.
And for Gerald Griffins’ Dymphna O’Brien, who has been representing Limerick for 15 years, it’s not good enough.
“We asked to change the semi-final and final last year but were told fixtures were set in stone,” O’Brien told SportsJOE.
“On Tuesday night, we were asked for the game to be changed but we were unable to accommodate Groody because, as in the past, fixtures were set in stone so our players had worked around these dates.”
Part of the controversy involves a belief that the throw-in time was changed because of an international tag rugby tournament in Dublin.
“We totally understand the frustration of Groody but we were in the same situation last year and nobody cared,” O’Brien said.
“On Friday night, we got notification that the game would go ahead on the 16th at 9am in Knockainey GAA grounds which is over an hour of a drive from us and 20 minutes from Groody Gaels.”
At 33, O’Brien has been playing football for two decades now. She’s still the only All-Star that the county has produced but, despite everything she has given, she probably feels this week that she’s made very little inroads.
“It’s so disheartening. We’ve been training since March and now have to play the biggest game of the year at 9am to facilitate a tag rugby event.
“Look, we didn’t expect much more. Limerick ladies football is in a bad state. I certainly wouldn’t encourage players to play.
“I was at a senior championship semi-final tonight and, after extra time, it went to a shoot-out. It was dark at that stage and girls had to kick points with car lights shining onto the field.”
Gerald Griffins have been training three nights a week since March.
The struggle continues.
A neutral club player who attended all the county board meetings took exception to the complaints of Gerald Griffins though.
Speaking with SportsJOE, the source said: “Limerick Ladies County Board is made up of a handful of volunteers, they are all parents of girls who play ladies football in different clubs in the county.
“As per rules, Groody Gaels sent in a letter during the Summer saying there was a possibility that five of their team would be representing Ireland at a tag ruby tournament on the 16th September. The county board said they would revisit this if the Irish team team progressed and if so, look at a change of date to accommodate these dual players.
“Gerald Griffins were at this meeting and did not object.
“Last week at the county board meeting, Gerald Griffins said they could and would only play on Saturday 16th September at any time that day,. They were not available on any other date from now until Christmas as they said half their team had “holiday and/or travel plans” from the 17th on.
“The county board said they would get any pitch Gerald Griffins wanted on a date to suit both teams fairly with the full panel, under lights etc. They refused.
“Groody Gaels will have 5 players that will play the final at 9am Saturday and go on to represent Ireland that afternoon in Dublin, they are not complaining and have had no choice but to go with date Gerald Griffins refuse to budge from. Is this fair or helping ladies in sport?”
