In 2021, the ‘Stoney Steps’ leading down to Main Street in Kinsale, Co Cork received a colourful makeover.
What had been a mass of grey was transformed as the front of each step was painted to create a vertical mural when viewed from below. Honouring the pirate Anne Bonny born in the town in 1697, a message reads, “Well-behaved women seldom make history”.
It is a pity that positive change for women generally comes from reactivity rather than proactivity and recent happenings in camogie show disobedience still seems to be only way to be heard.
In April of last year, Irish Country Living spoke to Shauna Connolly of Thomas McCurtains Camogie Club of London.
On behalf of the club, the Camogie Board of Britain was about to bring a motion – co-sponsored by Kerry and Meath – to the Camogie Association’s annual Congress, seeking to allow players to wear shorts in competitive matches.
“We hope that the representatives at Congress placing votes on the skorts motion will do so with the players of today, and the future, in mind,” was how Connolly concluded that interview.
Unfortunately, the proposal only gained the support of 45% of delegates, even though it only sought to add shorts as a wardrobe option rather than dispensing entirely with skorts.
According to the rules of the association, the result of that vote meant that the issue could not be discussed again for three years but instead, a special Congress will take place at Croke Park on 22 May to revisit the topic.
Player power
What changed? Essentially, players realised that, ultimately, they have the power and that, without them, there are no games. While the camógs of Dublin and Kilkenny did relent and change to skorts for their Leinster championship match after initially emerging in shorts, they set in train a series of events that will surely culminate in the rules being altered.
We are currently in a strange state of stasis, where Munster camogie postponed its senior and intermediate finals at short notice rather than risk the spectre of a referee having to abandon a match if players refused to play in skorts.
For Shauna Connolly, the feeling is less one of joy at the prospect of the change finally coming and more a lamentation of how things needed to be pushed in order to get here.
“I think players trusted their representatives at Congress and have learned now that there is a huge disconnect between themselves and delegates,” she says, “that the system of the vote for this particular issue isn’t working.
“Players have taken this into their own hands because they don’t feel their voices are being heard. Inter-county players speak about shorts and skorts in interviews, always making the headlines, but with no response or acknowledgement.
Shauna Connolly plays for Thomas McCurtains in London.
“It’s a shame that they’ve needed to protest and put the biggest games of the season on the line to do so. At the same time, these players know the game is loved across all levels and they are role models, leaders and athletes.
“This is the way to make noise and for the association to listen. It’s become a trickle effect now as we see more counties and clubs show up for games in shorts.
“Three years for players to continue having to wear skorts and not having the option to choose to wear shorts was a long time, so it’s not overly surprising that players have decided to protest.”
In an Irish Examiner column last week, Kieran Shannon drew an interesting parallel with the camogie situation and one that arose in Irish basketball in 1979-80. St Paul’s Killarney imported two American professionals, in clear breach of a six-week residency rule and the Irish Basketball Association stripped them of the points won in the affected games.
However, while the appeals procedure was in process and St Paul’s continued to draw big crowds, the association made the unusual, and brave, decision to relent, based on the fact that the first stated goal of the organisation – promotion and growth of the game – was being met.
Media attention being focused on playing attire rather than in the games itself certainly doesn’t fit with the Camogie Association’s core values and that’s why Shauna feels that the infallibility of rules was not a suitable defence. “Up until last week, the Camogie Association continued to stand by their process without trying to find a solution or ‘loophole’ in the guideline to respond to players sentiment and protests,” she says.
“There are so many positive actions that could have been taken by Camogie Association to shine them in a great light. They could have taken the lead on this change, spotlighting players, the game and themselves as a progressive organisation.
“They could admit that perhaps they have had their hands tied by rules, been looking into ways around this, they hear players and want to do the right thing by them.
“Instead, they announced that they would bring forward the vote by a year, which showed to an extent they were starting to listen, but it wasn’t enough.
“It’s great that Camogie Association has responded to the protests and calls of their players this week and accelerated the vote”
“If they’re willing to find a way in the rules to bring it forward by a year, then they can find a way to make a change now, rather than wait.
“If we were to wait until 2026 for another vote, does that mean if it passes, we would have to wait until 2027 for it to be implemented?”
Thankfully, it doesn’t look like it will come to that. At the same time, nobody will be taking the outcome of the vote for granted.
“It’s great that Camogie Association has responded to the protests and calls of their players this week and accelerated the vote,” Shauna says.
“What’s crucial now is for players and delegates to remember this is a vote for choice and not to eradicate the skort completely. Those that would still like to wear skorts can, because they will have the choice.
“Because there is a disconnect between delegates and players, the most important thing counties can do ahead of the special congress is to do their research and be transparent,” she concludes.
In 2021, the ‘Stoney Steps’ leading down to Main Street in Kinsale, Co Cork received a colourful makeover.
What had been a mass of grey was transformed as the front of each step was painted to create a vertical mural when viewed from below. Honouring the pirate Anne Bonny born in the town in 1697, a message reads, “Well-behaved women seldom make history”.
It is a pity that positive change for women generally comes from reactivity rather than proactivity and recent happenings in camogie show disobedience still seems to be only way to be heard.
In April of last year, Irish Country Living spoke to Shauna Connolly of Thomas McCurtains Camogie Club of London.
On behalf of the club, the Camogie Board of Britain was about to bring a motion – co-sponsored by Kerry and Meath – to the Camogie Association’s annual Congress, seeking to allow players to wear shorts in competitive matches.
“We hope that the representatives at Congress placing votes on the skorts motion will do so with the players of today, and the future, in mind,” was how Connolly concluded that interview.
Unfortunately, the proposal only gained the support of 45% of delegates, even though it only sought to add shorts as a wardrobe option rather than dispensing entirely with skorts.
According to the rules of the association, the result of that vote meant that the issue could not be discussed again for three years but instead, a special Congress will take place at Croke Park on 22 May to revisit the topic.
Player power
What changed? Essentially, players realised that, ultimately, they have the power and that, without them, there are no games. While the camógs of Dublin and Kilkenny did relent and change to skorts for their Leinster championship match after initially emerging in shorts, they set in train a series of events that will surely culminate in the rules being altered.
We are currently in a strange state of stasis, where Munster camogie postponed its senior and intermediate finals at short notice rather than risk the spectre of a referee having to abandon a match if players refused to play in skorts.
For Shauna Connolly, the feeling is less one of joy at the prospect of the change finally coming and more a lamentation of how things needed to be pushed in order to get here.
“I think players trusted their representatives at Congress and have learned now that there is a huge disconnect between themselves and delegates,” she says, “that the system of the vote for this particular issue isn’t working.
“Players have taken this into their own hands because they don’t feel their voices are being heard. Inter-county players speak about shorts and skorts in interviews, always making the headlines, but with no response or acknowledgement.
Shauna Connolly plays for Thomas McCurtains in London.
“It’s a shame that they’ve needed to protest and put the biggest games of the season on the line to do so. At the same time, these players know the game is loved across all levels and they are role models, leaders and athletes.
“This is the way to make noise and for the association to listen. It’s become a trickle effect now as we see more counties and clubs show up for games in shorts.
“Three years for players to continue having to wear skorts and not having the option to choose to wear shorts was a long time, so it’s not overly surprising that players have decided to protest.”
In an Irish Examiner column last week, Kieran Shannon drew an interesting parallel with the camogie situation and one that arose in Irish basketball in 1979-80. St Paul’s Killarney imported two American professionals, in clear breach of a six-week residency rule and the Irish Basketball Association stripped them of the points won in the affected games.
However, while the appeals procedure was in process and St Paul’s continued to draw big crowds, the association made the unusual, and brave, decision to relent, based on the fact that the first stated goal of the organisation – promotion and growth of the game – was being met.
Media attention being focused on playing attire rather than in the games itself certainly doesn’t fit with the Camogie Association’s core values and that’s why Shauna feels that the infallibility of rules was not a suitable defence. “Up until last week, the Camogie Association continued to stand by their process without trying to find a solution or ‘loophole’ in the guideline to respond to players sentiment and protests,” she says.
“There are so many positive actions that could have been taken by Camogie Association to shine them in a great light. They could have taken the lead on this change, spotlighting players, the game and themselves as a progressive organisation.
“They could admit that perhaps they have had their hands tied by rules, been looking into ways around this, they hear players and want to do the right thing by them.
“Instead, they announced that they would bring forward the vote by a year, which showed to an extent they were starting to listen, but it wasn’t enough.
“It’s great that Camogie Association has responded to the protests and calls of their players this week and accelerated the vote”
“If they’re willing to find a way in the rules to bring it forward by a year, then they can find a way to make a change now, rather than wait.
“If we were to wait until 2026 for another vote, does that mean if it passes, we would have to wait until 2027 for it to be implemented?”
Thankfully, it doesn’t look like it will come to that. At the same time, nobody will be taking the outcome of the vote for granted.
“It’s great that Camogie Association has responded to the protests and calls of their players this week and accelerated the vote,” Shauna says.
“What’s crucial now is for players and delegates to remember this is a vote for choice and not to eradicate the skort completely. Those that would still like to wear skorts can, because they will have the choice.
“Because there is a disconnect between delegates and players, the most important thing counties can do ahead of the special congress is to do their research and be transparent,” she concludes.
SHARING OPTIONS