NEW CAMOGIE PRESIDENT Brian Molloy says he understands the disappointment and noise around ‘skorts versus shorts’ since motions were defeated at Congress at the weekend.
One motion, proposed by Great Britain, suggested including skorts in the playing gear, and resulted in 45% of the delegates voting in favour while 55% voted against. Another, from Tipperary, proposed replacing the ‘skirt/skort/divided skirt’ entirely with ‘shorts’ as part of the playing uniform. The motion did not pass with a 64% vote against.
Dublin star Aisling Maher and Wexford All-Ireland winner Ursula Jacob are among the recognisable figures to have shared their frustration in recent days.
A really frustrating outcome for players who have continuously expressed desires to be allowed to wear shorts.
— Aisling Maher (@aisling_maher) April 6, 2024
Archaic to still have the powers that be deciding we have to wear skorts when no player opts to wear them at training due to obvious discomfort and impracticality https://t.co/B8Gb1pWkPR
The next time delegates can vote on the playing uniform will be at Congress in 2027, and Molloy stressed the Camogie Association will continue to engage with all relevant bodies.
“The skorts motion has garnered a lot of attention and I understand that,” Molloy, who officially became the first male President of the Camogie Association in its 120-year history at Congress, told The 42.
“From the players’ point of view and for the counties’ perspective, who feel it should have been changed, I understand their disappointment.
“There have been conversations around skorts and certainly I would never get into a situation where I’m telling female players what they should wear, what they have to wear and that sort of stuff.
“It wasn’t a decision made by the Uachtarán incoming or the Uachtarán outgoing. It was a decision made by the delegates on the floor. There were strong contributions made in favour of making the changes and against making the changes — and different delegates making the point that they had spoken to players and it wasn’t unanimous.
“They had spoken to younger players who didn’t want to lose the skort, they saw the skort as part of their uniform playing camogie versus if they’re playing other sports.”
“I understand completely where people are coming from,” the Longford native continued in one of his first media engagements since his appointment.
“I heard the Tipperary PRO on the radio and I thought she was really fair. They were one of the ones who had brought forward the motion and were very disappointed when it wasn’t passed, but she made the point very well that the Congress gave people the opportunity to talk and to get across their points.
“Ultimately, it’s the delegates who represent the full breadth of the association. It’s not that the delegates brought the proposal forward and some big monolithic somewhere decided ‘No, we’re not going to do it.’
“We will continue to engage, to work with the units and with the GPA and have conversations and see where we can go with it over a period of time.”
Molloy shared his disappointment that a “positive” rule change on ‘meaningful playing time,’ allowing for more substitutions, has been overshadowed.
He is “hugely committed” to integration, and now joins the steering group chaired by former President of Ireland Mary McAleesse, with the target date set for 2027.
With pressure on facilities a big taking point amidst recent inclement weather conditions, Molloy also believes ladies football and camogie teams shouldn’t have to take the brunt in terms of payment for access.
“One of the bugbears I have is the idea that inter-county camogie and ladies football teams have to pay for access to pitches when inter-county hurling football teams don’t, or pay a different amount. I disagree with that.
“I think if you look at it with an integrated mindset, if there is a fee to be paid at some level for maintenance, paying for the lights etc, there should be the same charge on both.
“The idea is always positioned that the GAA own the pitches, that’s why the GAA teams don’t have to pay. The Camogie and LGFA don’t own the pitches, that’s why they have to pay. I’m sorry, but the reality is every single pitch around the country that was acquired, developed and is being maintained, was done through fundraising. The women and girls in the parishes and towns and villages rattled just as many buckets, sold just as many tickets, did just as many fundraisers as the men did.
“Yes, the actual pitch invested in the ownership of the GAA, but the funding came from the community. In general terms, the split from a gender perspective in any one those towns, villages, cities or counties is 50/50.”
