'Why stop a game because they want to wear shorts? It's childish stuff'

The 42

10-05-2025

THE MANAGERS OF the Dublin and Offaly minor camogie teams have praised their players after they were forced to change into skorts ahead of today's Leinster Shield final.
Both teams took to the pitch in shorts, but a Leinster Council representative advised players they needed to respect the playing rules, with boths sets of teams returning to the dressing rooms to change into skorts before the game continued.
Offaly manager Declan Murray told The 42 the referee was happy to play the game before the Leinster Council representative intervened.
'The referee had no issue with it and actually congratulated the two captains when they came to meet him,' Murray said.
Our girls joining with the @CamogieDublin girls before today's @LeinsterCamogie Minor A Shield Final with both teams in shorts #offalycamogie #camogie #offaly #dilísgobrách pic.twitter.com/noKdUjncj6
'The Leinster delegate was there but said we'd have to change back into the skorts. She instructed the referee to do that.
'The referee instructed us to go back in. We did our 15-minute protest and then went back in, and we played the match. We were after travelling up and the match had been delayed a couple of times. These girls have Leaving Certs and stuff like that. We just wanted to make our point and stand behind the whole issue.'
Dublin manager Ambrose Curry explained how the protest came about.
'It's driven by the players themselves,' Curry told The 42.
'I've always said that I'm not going to stand in front of a group of girls and tell them what to do. They drove it on themselves in collaboration with Offaly players on social media during the week. They all agreed and that's the way it should happen.
Dublin and Offaly's Minor camogie teams return to the changing rooms after being informed that their Leinster final could not proceed while both teams were wearing shorts.
The Shield A decider at St. Peregrine's GAA Club eventually began after the sides changed into skorts. pic.twitter.com/SMZfsaLffX — The42.ie GAA (@The42GAA) May 10, 2025
'Our captain and the Offaly captain collaborated and came up with their own compromise with no interference from the management teams. They went and aligned totally independent of us. They're the ones who are going to drive camogie on in the future and whatever decisions are made, they won't be made by me or for me. It's for the girls and they need to make decisions that will shape what happens.'
Before changing back into skorts, the two teams stood together for a joint team photo wearing shorts.
'There is bravery (in protesting) and I found it fascinating watching the body language,' Curry said.
'They realised they were involved in something that's in the public eye. There's almost a nervous energy or adrenaline with that. I thought they were brilliant and it was all very calm.
'Even though they are very young, they're thinking all the time about the issue. It was interesting during the week that some of our girls expressed a preference for the skort but – and this is the real thing – every single one of them believe that each person should be able to choose.'
'Why stop a game because they want to wear shorts? It's childish stuff,' Murray added.
'I'm very proud of them. Our captain, Kate Pilkington led the line. All the girls stood behind her. They were actually willing to forfeit the game and walk off. But we said we'd play it because when are you going to get a chance again with the Leaving Cert? We wanted to stand in solidarity with those girls.'
Meanwhile, tomorrow's Leinster Junior camogie final between Louth and Wicklow has been postponed until after the Camogie Association's 'special congress' on 22 May which will consider motions addressing the ongoing skorts issue.
The game was scheduled to take place at Echelon Park, Aughrim, at noon, but Louth Camogie confirmed via its Instagram page that the fixture had been 'deferred due to the current rules of play' and would be rescheduled after 22 May.
Earlier today, the Waterford and Cork senior camogie teams released a joint-statement expressing their 'bitter disappointment' with the decision to postpone today's Munster final.
Last night, Munster Camogie cancelled the game in light of the planned protest by both teams against the wearing of skorts. That decision came after last Saturday's Leinster semi-final between Dublin and Kilkenny was almost abandoned when both panels lined out in shorts instead of the mandatory skorts.
Offaly boss Murray was highly critical of how the Camogie Association have handled the issue over the last week.
Dinosaurs. These girls put in as much time as anybody else. They're very conscious of these garments. Ladies Football [players] wear shorts. Rugby players wear shorts. Why not camogie players?
'It's very disappointing. Even the Leinster delegate wouldn't take the picture of them unless they were back in skorts. I thought it was very childish.'
Both Curry and Murray believe their counties will back the motion to give players the choice of wearing skorts or shorts.
'That's my understanding,' said Curry. 'I'm meeting people who have never been to a camogie match but every single person is talking about this issue. So it's great publicity.
'It all depends on the how the delegates for each county engage with grassroots. If it's player driven and grassroots driven, I have no doubt that it would be passed. There is a structure and if you want stuff changed, you have to feed your voice into the wheels of that structure.
'It's up to everyone, including the media, to keep the issue in the public eye and ensure the views are fed to the delegates. And that the delegates respect the wishes of the players.'
'You have people voting on something that they don't take part in themselves,' said Murray. 'The players want to wear shorts. Let them wear shorts.
'I'm sure it could only take a couple of phone calls to let them wear shorts. I can't see why it's such a big deal. It's a garment at the end of the day. If the girls are comfortable, let them play. It's dragging on so long and you're trying to promote the game of camogie. These girls are U18, I'm not going to tell them what to wear.'
In April of last year, motions to permit camogie players wearing shorts were defeated.
'Is it county boards doing their own thing and not listening to players? That seems to be what happened,' Murray said.
'You look at the Munster final and that being called off at the last hour, it's not fair on girls. They have jobs and everything. Even today, we were only notified of the game going ahead about four or five days ago. We have young girls working, schools will be finishing shortly. It's not good enough by the Association.'
Today's game ended in a 2-14 to 1-5 win for Dublin.
'They are disappointed,' Murray said of the result, 'but they're happy it's over now and they're also happy that they made their point.'
With reporting from Sinead Farrell.