‘No need’ to call Camogie Association before sporting committee over skorts (yet) says Kelly

THE CAMOGIE ASSOCIATION will not appear before the Oireachtas Sports Committee over the ongoing ‘skorts’ row this week, chair Alan Kelly has said.

Labour TD Kelly told The Journal that the committee will wait for the result of a vote – that seeks to put an end to the row over skorts – that the association is to hold during a Special Congress on 22 May.

If the issue is not resolved following that vote, Kelly said he would call the association before the committee. He added that he thinks it would be “ridiculous” if the association appeared before the committee over the issue.

Kelly first suggested that he would invite the association after Kilkenny and Dublin players were instructed to change into skorts when they emerged onto the field in shorts for their Leinster semi-final at the start of this month.

In an unpopular and controversial rule, camogie players must only wear skorts when playing matches. Most inter-county players want the choice to wear shorts instead.

The row escalated at the weekend after the Munster Camogie Association postposed the provincial final between Waterford and Cork at The Ragg in Tipperary, where both teams intended to wear shorts in protest of the rule.

Kelly has welcomed remarks made by the President of the Association Brian Molloy since then, who said he wishes to see players given a choice in what to wear.

Kelly said this evening: “Hopefully that will lead to getting the respective amount of delegates to vote in favour of the motion [at the special congress].”

The Tipperary TD said he hopes “common sense prevails” and that players will no longer be mandated to wear skorts during matches.

The association’s special congress next week will see delegates vote on the issue again, after motions to allow players to wear shorts were defeated at last year’s meeting.

A Gaelic Players’ Association study later found that 70% of inter-county camogie players find skorts uncomfortable. The study also found that 83% of players at least want the option of wearing shorts instead.

Fine Gael Senator Evanne Ní Chuillin today requested that the Ard Stiúrthóir of the Camogie Association Sinéad McNulty appear before the committee, following the events at the weekend.

Kelly said that he was aware of the request and believes it is “very important” for McNulty to be “public facing” on the issue, given her executive role on the committee.

Two motions to support allowing players to have an option of wearing skorts or shorts were passed with an overwhelming majority at the Gaelic Players Association’s AGM, held online this evening.

Written by Muiris O’Cearbhaill and posted on TheJournal.ie