Positive response to dual player motion
By Daire Walsh
DUBLIN and St Jude’s camogie star Hannah Hegarty has offered a ringing endorsement to the dual player motion that was recently passed by the Camogie Association at their Annual Congress.
Initially brought forward by Cuala at a Dublin AGM, this new rule recognises the role of the dual player and will – in partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association – endeavour to facilitate them as far as is practicable.
An identical motion still needs to be rubber stamped by the LGFA in order it for this to become a nationwide initiative, but Hegarty is delighted to see measures being taken to address a burning issue within women’s sport.
“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” remarked Hegarty, who represented Dublin in both codes up until minor level.
“It’s really good to finally have a bit of movement in the whole dual player thing, that they’re recognised and hopefully, eventually, the schedules might start lining up so we can avoid clashes of finals on the same weekend or on the same day.
“I did play [both] growing up and did face plenty of conflict with dates for matches and training. I often had to choose one over the other.”
Despite choosing to play camogie over ladies football on the inter-county scene, Hegarty maintains her dual status at club level.
A camogie championship winner with St Jude’s in 2020, she also represented the Templeogue side in their junior football final defeat to Ballinteer St John’s last year.
It has been difficult at times to strike a balance between the two, while it’s a similar case in other dual clubs such as Ballyboden St Enda’s and Lucan Sarsfields.
Hegarty is therefore hopeful that playing both camogie and football will now become the norm rather than the exception.
“We’ve had days where we’ve had a game in the morning and a football semi-final or a final in the afternoon. You can’t say whether the win or a loss – loss in my case – was due to maybe three starting players having to play both. You can’t say it wasn’t either. It will certainly help the dual clubs around Dublin.”
A member of Round Tower Clondalkin, Jenny Byrne currently serves as Chairperson of the Dublin Camogie Board. She revealed that the road leading up to the dual player motion first began two years ago.
“In 2019 we set up a working group with ladies football. Ladies football had a working group and camogie had a working group. They sat down together with a blank piece of paper and went through fixtures and everything else. We had a representative from the GAA sitting with us as well,” Byrne explained.
“From a Dublin point of view, we were happy to do the alternative weeks. The week on, week off. So there would be no fixture clashes. For the national body to recognise this now, it actually helps us in a big way.”
While it remains to be seen how the dual dilemma will be handled in the inter-county grade, steps are already being taken by Byrne and her colleagues at local level.
“The agreement this year was that with the Under 13s and U14s, the leagues would be on alternative weeks. With COVID now, we’re not sure what way we’re going to be fixed depending on how many weeks we have for fixtures.
“But for championship we’re definitely look at Under 13s, Under 14, Under 15s and Under 16s for alternative weeks,” she added.
“There’s actually a Zoom meeting of the two working groups this week to sit down and see where we’re at, but nothing can be planned until obviously restrictions are lifted.”