‘Like an episode of Father Ted' – Kerry GAA legend blasts skorts controversy as pressure rises on Camogie Association

The Irish Sun

07-05-2025

PAUL Galvin compared the ongoing skorts controversy to "an episode of Father Ted" as pressure continues to mount on the Camogie Association.
The long-running bone of contention has become such a talking point in the mainstream media since
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Hannah Looney of Cork has indicated they will follow suit this weekend
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Paul Galvin compared to the rumbling saga to 'an episode of Father Ted'
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On The Sunday Game, analysts Jackie Tyrrell and Neil McManus also expressed solidarity with the majority of camogie players who are in favour of a change in the dress code
Credit: Getty
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Galvin reposted a HerSport.ie story that called on the Camogie Association to listen to its players
Credit: @PGAL10
A GPA survey last week found that 83 per cent of players would prefer to either have the choice of wearing shorts instead of skorts or would like to see skorts ditched altogether.
And it would appear the tide of public opinion is similarly, if not even more one-sided.
Former Footballer of the Year Paul Galvin is just one of countless people to express their solidarity with players seeking to implement a change in camogie's dress code.
Reposting a
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He fumed: "Hard to believe it's not an episode of Father Ted. Dragging the players, and the country, backwards by the hair with a single action."
Further protests look
Rebels ace Hannah Looney indicated as such while speaking on Newstalk's Lunchtime Live with Andrea Gilligan.
Explaining how
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'I think it's in everyone's best interests that we just park this and hopefully get the Camogie Association to make the change and move on and we can look forward to a really exciting Championship.'
Players are currently required to wear skorts under rule 6(b) of the sports code.
'It's a failure on the camogie association' - RTE GAA pundits don't sit on fence over 'no-brainer' skorts saga
Two proposals were put to the Camogie Association's annual congress last year seeking to change the dress code.
The issue cannot be voted on again until the association's 2027 annual congress.
Among the leading voices to demand a change in policy from the Camogie Association over the past few days has been
Writing in her
"We choose what to eat. We choose what to watch on TV. We choose what to wear to work.
"Thankfully, the modern Ireland that we live in allows us to make choices. Unless you want to play camogie.
"If you are a girl or woman who wants to play camogie, you do not have a choice about what you wear when playing our national game.
"If you want to play, you have to wear skorts If you don't want to wear a skort, then you don't play – skorts that girls don't feel comfortable to play in.
"Skorts that they don't train in. Skorts that they don't want to wear.'
She continued: "The number one priority for the Camogie Association should be to let the girls play. We should be promoting the game in a positive light.
"What we do not need is players being faced with more barriers to stop playing. If the current skort rule deters one player from playing, then that's one player too many.
"We need to remove all barriers that may shrink our camogie community. Camogie players should have a choice.'