EARLIER TODAY WE brought you the news that Cork’s ladies footballers and camogie players are facing a fixtures clash on Saturday.
Now, one of the dual players involved, Briege Corkery, has had her say.
Speaking to Cork’s 96FM, Corkery has indicated that she and Rena Buckley will play in both games at the weekend.
Cork are playing Offaly at Páirc Uí Rinn at 2pm in an All-Ireland senior camogie championship group fixture ahead of the TG4 Munster senior football final against Kerry in Mallow at 6pm.
And Corkery revealed: “Both Rena and myself made attempts to get the both of them changed but unfortunately there was nothing that could be done.
“Meabh Cahalane, Rena and myself are in a predicament now where we’re not leaving any team down and we want to try to play the two.
“It’s very disappointing. This hasn’t happened in a while – three years ago in 2012 it happened as well.
“We played Kilkenny in Ballincollig at 2 and at 4.30 we had a game in Páirc Uí Rinn, a Munster (football) final as well.”
Cork have suffered twice already this year, Corkery revealed, including in May when the Tesco Ladies National Football League Division 1 final was played on the same day as the Munster camogie final.
Buckley and Corkery played football only, with Cahalane lining out for the camogie team against Tipperary.
“We were assured it wouldn’t happen again after 2012,” added Corkery, who confirmed that she will attempt to feature in both matches on Saturday.
“At the moment, that’s what we’re going to do.
“We’re going to have to try anyway. It’s unfair on the rest of the girls who have been training all year.”
Corkery, who captained Cork to All-Ireland football glory last year after winning a camogie title, also flagged up another potential issue later in the summer.
“If we get to the quarter-final of the football, it’s on the same day as the camogie semi-final. These are clashes that shouldn’t be happening.”
She added: “Because we’ve been so successful in the football, and maybe we’re just being paranoid, but we’re wondering are they trying to squash out the dual players?
“Are they trying to make us make a decision so that one team will be at a disadvantage?
“Maybe that’s all paranoia.”
Corkery also revealed that she and Buckley have written to the Camogie Association, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Munster Council to voice their concerns.
The Camogie Association, in a statement released this afternoon, insist that no request was received from the Cork camogie board to change Saturday’s fixture.
But the Womens Gaelic Players Association (WGPA), in their statement, has described the situation as “unacceptable.”
“There are serious issues around player welfare, potential injury and diminished performance, as well as the health and safety of the players rushing between venues,” part of the WGPA statement reads.
Originally published at 17.56
