In the end, as with many societal issues, you were left wondering what all the fuss was about. That is not meant by way of demeaning the issues which had caused the contention. Quite the contrary in fact. That the ballot called as a means of concluding the contentious kerfuffie ends up being very lopsided in favour of what – for the majority at least – was the desired outcome.
Think of matters such as the divorce referendum, similar polls on abortion and same sex marriage and the Good Friday Agreement.
The vote undertaken by the membership of the Camogie Association on Thursday night might seem trivial in comparison to some of the aforementioned issues but was no less polarising among those affected.
Essentially, the common thread between all of the above mentioned was a desire for freedom of choice – self determination. In the case of the Camogie Association, that the matter had to be even put to a vote is a damning indictment of the (lack of) leadership therein.
What the big wigs at the head of sporting organisations tend to forget is that they are not the most important ones in what they lead. Nor are the referees. Simply because without the players, all others become obselete and irrelevant.
Thus, as with the Cork men 25 or so years back, it was only when mention of protest and strike loomed on the horizon that the gas bags had the wind taken out of their sails.
Except in this case what the Cork lads were whining about back then was trivial in comparison. Here, women were being denied freedom of choice. Until the players had their Rosa Parkes moment when the players of Kilkenny and Dublin players stood up to officialdom.
Right, so the referee sided with the dinosaurs and blatantly ignored the players’ wishes. Though in fairness, by conjuring the defiance they had sparked the flame which culminated in last Thursday night’s historic vote to “allow” players choose between shorts and the traditional skorts.
The latter, essentially, being skirts, but in typical Irish tomfoolery, you suspect it wasn’t permitted. Such bullsh**. But then, that’s what happens when you have people making decisions on subject matter they haven’t a bull’s notion about.
Exhibit A: Men having a say in matters pertaining to abortion and the like. Exhibit B: And a relation heavily involved in one of traditional strongholds of camogie and a rising force in Ladies Football in this county gave me first hand knowledge of this one – also (mostly) men objecting to lady players wearing coloured shorts/skorts so as to preserve dignity whilst dealing with unavoidable biological matters.
So in one sense, yes, the drivers of change within the Camogie Association deserve credit for getting what in fairness was common sense over the line.
But they must do more. And the GAA must up their game as well. By way of giving all those who come under the Association’s umbrella a level playing field.
Indeed, how exactly it came to pass that the CA ended up seperate to the GAA I don’t know. But if ever there was need of evidence that integration is desperately required, it surely manifested itself in the chaos of the last month.
You’d hope that with somebody of the profile and standing of Mary McAleese leading the process it will happen sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t be inclined to hold my breath.
Leave a Reply