‘You're wondering why we're not getting numbers at the games'

The 42

2 days ago

AOIFE DONOHUE HAS called for more year-round coverage and support for camogie.
The Galway star is certain the game has made rapid progress, but looks at the disparity around All-Ireland final attendances as an example of where the sport needs to grow.
A crowd of 28,795 was the second highest for a camogie triple-header, but still lags almost 20,000 behind turnout for the LGFA deciders.
'It was an unbelievable All-Ireland final, and it's got a lot of coverage since the game. That's brilliant to see,' said Donohue, who was named the PwC GPA Camogie Player of the Month award for July/August for the second successive year.
'But you'd be hoping for more support going into next year, and that more people now will start watching the game. Going to games is the most important thing.
'It was a brilliant advertisement for camogie. You had everything on show: physicality, the skill levels, the conditioning of every player out on that pitch. You'd be hoping that we use it in a positive way and that people get on board now and start supporting us.
'Last year's All-Ireland final was a brilliant All-Ireland final as well, and still you're looking at the figures of the game last Sunday, and there was 28,000 people there. It's just when you look at the men's game and you see a stadium full, and even the ladies' football, there was close to 50,000 there.
'You're wondering why we're not getting numbers at the games. But, look, it's great everyone's talking about the game on Sunday.'
The skort controversy got big headlines during the early part of the summer, but Donohue didn't notice any significant uptick in coverage or support in the aftermath.
'The coverage during the Championship, there wasn't really much around games.
'The whole skort thing took over, and everyone was talking about that, but we still didn't get much support then after that.
Advertisement
'We could be doing a lot more. In fairness, the Camogie Association this year did a really good job of promoting the games. But it probably needs to start at the beginning of the season. There's not much good in seeing all this coverage just before an All-Ireland final.
'I'm not sure what more we can do, only try and promote the game more. Media, that kind of stuff. During the year, when games are on, there wouldn't even be much previews, compared to the men's game, so that's definitely an area that we could go after.
'Definitely, it has to start at the beginning of the season. In fairness, we've come a long way, we're doing really well, but we've a long way to go still.'
Cork's Amy O'Connor tackles Aoife Donohue of Galway. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
The refereeing of the final was the subject of criticism from the Cork camp, but Donohue felt that Justin Heffernan contributed to making the game the spectacle that it was.
'I haven't really passed much remarks on it. He let the game go. It's not something that we'd be looking at.
'Like, it gave us the game that we got on Sunday because it was let go. It's not something you want to be talking about after the game, the referee. Anything I've seen is about how good the game was last Sunday and how unbelievable an All-Ireland it was.
'As players now, we're much more physical. We're stronger, we're fitter, we're faster. We've been talking about it for a while to let the games go. Obviously, there has to be a certain extent of discipline in it as well, but it definitely has improved the game.
'I don't think there's many camogie players around the country that will say that they don't want contact, and the refereeing allowed for that last Sunday.'
Donohue has been involved in four of the five All-Irelands in Galway's history. It's not something she reflects on right now, but the 2025 O'Duffy Cup will rank right up there.
'It hasn't really sunk in yet, but Jesus, it was an unbelievable All-Ireland final. When you're out there, you don't really think about it too much, but the intensity, the tackles, and the scores, it had everything.
'They're all very special in their own ways. But after the defeat last year, and just the way we performed on Sunday, it was hugely satisfying. It's a sweet one.'