Camogie chief hopes skort drama helps fill Croker
Kilkenny captain Katie Power has revealed she was 'overwhelmed' by the scale of the skorts versus shorts controversy, describing the last few weeks as 'tough'.
Experienced Power, in her 18th season as a Kilkenny senior, took a lead role in the initial protest action taken by the Kilkenny and Dublin squads prior to the Leinster semi-final earlier this month.
Power and Dublin counterpart Ashling Maher were memorably pictured before throw-in wearing shorts, instead of the mandated skorts, though the game only went ahead when all of the players changed into skorts.
Similar protests followed around the country, prompting a historic Special Congress vote last week to allow players the choice between skorts and shorts.
Power was speaking at the launch of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland camogie championships where the majority of players were photographed in their county strips, wearing shorts.
"I won't tell you a lie, I found those weeks tough going," said Power. "I was overwhelmed with everything that came with it and it was something that maybe I wasn't expecting. I 100 percent didn't expect what happened to happen. We were just making the protest, to voice our opinions.
"I definitely wasn't aware of what was going to come and the two weeks after that were tough, mentally, as in very draining. We didn't know what was going to happen, were we going to have matches or not?
"The phone was just absolutely blowing up but for the better. I'm happy that we decided to do it. But obviously what came in the aftermath was huge. It's done with now and, looking back, it was great to have done it, great for the future of Camogie and the younger girls. But yeah, for those two weeks it was tough going, they felt like two months."
The skorts versus shorts debate became an international story with The Guardian and The New York Times among outlets to carry the story.
Power said she received a 'huge amount' of messages as well as opportunities to speak to various outlets about the issue.
"Real famous people, famous influencers, podcasters," explained the personal trainer. "I was trying to work and they'd be looking to talk to you and I just didn't have time for that. But fair play, as in it was people taking a genuine interest. It was something I didn't see coming at all and it was great because it did give it a huge exposure and I suppose that's probably what gave it that extra push to bring the Special Congress forward and to get it passed."
Power, 33, first played as a senior with Kilkenny when she was 15.
"You see pictures and you wonder, how did I actually play in them?" she said of previous skorts.
Cork captain Meabh Cahalane attended the launch and said the back-to-back All-Ireland winners 'felt a responsibility' to step up during the protest period.
Cork and Waterford's scheduled Munster final fixture earlier this month was postponed after players signalled their intention to wear shorts.
"If looking for a choice was something that girls wanted, we just felt we should speak up and speak on their behalf," said Cahalane. "It was obviously hugely disappointing that the Munster final did get cancelled because we had prepared for that really well."
Both Kilkenny and Cork got their All-Ireland campaigns underway last weekend. Kilkenny defeated Derry by 3-26 to 0-9 while Cork were also at their ease when firing 6-25 beyond a stunned Limerick. Cork will take on Tipperary in Round 2 at The Ragg this Saturday.
Armagh's Nicola Woods also attended the Championship launch and wore a skort at the event.
"Personally, I prefer shorts myself even though I'm wearing a skort here today," said Woods. "I think everybody was just hoping to have the option, to have the choice to do what they prefer."
Camogie President Brian Molloy acknowledged a 'challenging couple of weeks' for players and said he hopes the increased focus on camogie will translate into larger crowds.
"I want all those people to keep their attention on camogie over the next number of weeks and months so that on August 10 (All-Ireland finals) we can fill the whole of Croke Park, we've never done it before," said Molloy.
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