Latest news with #ConorMeyler
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Meyler to make Tyrone return against Donegal
Conor Meyler will return to the Tyrone side for the first time since 2023 when the Red Hands begin their All-Ireland series against Donegal in Ballybofey on Saturday night. The 2021 All-Ireland winner missed the entirety of the 2024 campaign after a pair of knee surgeries and an Achilles injury but will make his intercounty return from the bench against the Ulster champions (19:00 BST). In what is the first game for Tyrone since Cathal McShane stepped away from the panel, Malachy O'Rourke is also able to name Mattie Donnelly in his starting side, the two-time All Star coming in for Joe Oguz. Aidan Clarke is named to start, as is Peter Harte with Ruairi Canavan dropping to the bench, although that was the case for the Ulster semi-final defeat by Armagh before their roles were swapped before kick-off. Donegal, meanwhile, have named an unchanged starting side. Jim McGuinness' squad secured a second consecutive Anglo Celt with an extra-time victory over Armagh in Clones two weeks ago and the two-time All-Ireland champions' named side shows just one positional switch. After starting at half-forward in the provincial decider, Hugh McFadden drops back into midfield, switching places with Ciaran Thompson. Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Ciaran Moore; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen. Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Caolan McColgan, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Eoin McHugh, Jamie Brennan, Conor O'Donnell, Niall O'Donnell. Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Aidan Clarke, Peter Teague, Niall Devlin; Michael McKernan, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Aodhan Donaghy, Mattie Donnelly, Ciaran Daly; Darren McCurry, Peter Harte, Darragh Canavan. Subs: Oisin O'Kane, Cormac Quinn, Padraig Hampsey, Frank Burns, Ben McDonnell, Shea O'Hare, Conor Meyler, Mark Bradley, Seanie O'Donnell, Ruairi Canavan, Eoin McElholm.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Meyler to make Tyrone return against Donegal
Conor Meyler will return to the Tyrone side for the first time since 2023 when the Red Hands begin their All-Ireland series against Donegal in Ballybofey on Saturday 2021 All-Ireland winner missed the entirety of the 2024 campaign after a pair of knee surgeries and an Achilles injury but will make his intercounty return from the bench against the Ulster champions (19:00 BST).In what is the first game for Tyrone since Cathal McShane stepped away from the panel, Malachy O'Rourke is also able to name Mattie Donnelly in his starting side, the two-time All Star coming in for Joe Clarke is named to start, as is Peter Harte with Ruairi Canavan dropping to the bench, although that was the case for the Ulster semi-final defeat by Armagh before their roles were swapped before meanwhile, have named an unchanged starting McGuinness' squad secured a second consecutive Anglo Celt with an extra-time victory over Armagh in Clones two weeks ago and the two-time All-Ireland champions' named side shows just one positional starting at half-forward in the provincial decider, Hugh McFadden drops back into midfield, switching places with Ciaran Thompson. Line-ups Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Ciaran Moore; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gavin Mulreany, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Caolan McColgan, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Eoin McHugh, Jamie Brennan, Conor O'Donnell, Niall O' Niall Morgan; Aidan Clarke, Peter Teague, Niall Devlin; Michael McKernan, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Aodhan Donaghy, Mattie Donnelly, Ciaran Daly; Darren McCurry, Peter Harte, Darragh Oisin O'Kane, Cormac Quinn, Padraig Hampsey, Frank Burns, Ben McDonnell, Shea O'Hare, Conor Meyler, Mark Bradley, Seanie O'Donnell, Ruairi Canavan, Eoin McElholm.
Irish Examiner
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Sarah Harte: Basic respect for players on skorts issue is not a lot to ask in 2025
We've come a long way since my primary school days when girls had to sit inside sewing while, through the window, we saw the boys playing football outside in the field. It was a form of torture, particularly during the summer months. My clear memory is resentfully threading my needle through a grubby square of material, with my fingers slipping with perspiration in a hot classroom. I wanted to hurl my wicker sewing basket through the window and stick pins in my eyes. Happily, there has been a massive upsurge in girls and women playing sports. Yet, a persistent undercurrent suggests certain team sports are still primarily a male domain, a space owned by men that women athletes encroach on. Certainly, those at the top are still ignoring women's voices. At the weekend, the Leinster senior camogie semi-final was almost called off when 15 Kilkenny and 15 Dublin players wore shorts in protest instead of the required skorts. Eventually, the rule-breakers were forced to swap their shorts for skorts before the match could begin. Absurdly, they may still face sanctions for wanting to wear shorts. This is not the first protest of its kind. The whole episode was very revelatory. Skorts, by the way, look like skirts but have built-in shorts. They are impractical and uncomfortable. I remember wearing a pair. On the surface, you may think it's no big deal whether you wear skorts or shorts, but the skorts debacle is just one manifestation of an enduring conflict involving gender, power and parity. Does the fact an overwhelming number of female players want to wear shorts not count for anything? A paper published last week by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) revealed 83% of the 650 inter-county camogie players surveyed said they would prefer to wear shorts, or players should have the option to choose. A quote from the GPA paper states: 'Player welfare should be prioritised over established norms and traditions in decision-making.' As the paper's authors and many female GAA players and officials will know, established norms and traditions are ultra-powerful and hard to root out. Men have always received preferential treatment in GAA due to a substantial institutional bias favouring them as athletes. As Tyrone All-Ireland winner and primary school teacher Conor Meyler said: 'Our largest sporting organisation is still run by men and boys for men and boys, then there's a kind of ripple effect into society.' He has spoken about how "shockingly" women are treated in GAA. Meyler is currently undertaking a PhD in sport, leadership, and gender, examining the lack of equality for women and girls in GAA and Irish sport in general. He won't be short of case studies rooted in real life regarding gender inequality. The Ladies Gaelic Football Association, the GAA and the Camogie Association are separate organisations, although a plan is under way to integrate them by 2027. GAA structures are inching towards 40% female representation on their Coiste Bainistíochta, or management committee, because they have no choice. It's driven not by some desire for equality but because the Government has threatened to reduce funding if the quota isn't met. Amy O'Connor of Cork in action against Abby Walsh of Clare during the Munster Senior Camogie Championship semi-final match last month: You may think it's no big deal whether you wear skorts or shorts, but the skorts debacle is just one manifestation of an enduring conflict involving gender, power and parity. Picture Brendan Moran/Sportsfile You can bet while the Government may hold sporting organisations like the GAA to account for their lopsided power structures, it will take far longer for the cultural beliefs and attitudes underpinning this entitlement to change. The archaic attitudes don't just come from grey-haired dinosaurs on county boards. Meyler has received abuse from other players for the subject matter of his PhD, including homophobic slurs, and quips he should be playing for the Tyrone Ladies. What stands out is how femininity or being queer is regarded as a way to insult someone. These hyper-masculine locker room values start young and go hand in hand with a particular type of sporting mentality that too often remains unchecked and ultimately damages girls and boys. This ingrained sexism doesn't just pertain to the GAA. Sports culture generally remains highly gendered, with a powerful male-female binary and ingrained misogyny. To take just one example, The Belfast rugby rape trial exposed troubling views about women both within rugby, sport and in the broader culture. In 2018, Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding walked free from Belfast Crown Court after they were acquitted following a trial on charges of rape. However, a series of degrading and deeply offensive WhatsApp messages shared between players and reported as part of the trial proceedings introduced many of us to the term 'spit-roast'. They also lifted the lid on a sexist and misogynistic outlook in dark corners of rugby school culture that spoke about partying with 'Belfast sluts'. The great irony is that sports is one arena that has enormous potential to encourage a redefinition of strict gender stereotypes by showing men and women engaging in the same sport. Girls have as much right to the benefits of sports as boys. Apart from physical and mental health, these include a feeling of belonging, resilience, and self-belief that builds confidence in all areas of life. Laois' camogie players became the latest team to join the skort protest by lining out in shorts before the throw-in of Monday's Leinster intermediate camogie semi-final. Picture: Laois Camogie In reality, various actions must be taken simultaneously to achieve real change for girls and women in sport. Sportsmen like Meyler, a valuable ally with a significant contribution to make, must speak up and champion women's sport. Gender inequality in sport is not a woman's or girl's issue. It should concern us all. The quotas imposed by the Government will help because women's achievement of power at the management level may help correct male bias in sports dominated by men. However, the media also has a role to play, and male media allies are surely part of any solution. Despite greater female athletic participation, men's sports dominate mainstream media. The relative invisibility of girls and women playing sport in the media reinforces the view that sport is not for girls and impacts how audiences view male and female athletes. If you show more girls and women playing sport, you normalise it, assign it value, and encourage greater respect for female sport and participation. You have to see it to want to be it. A report published earlier this year, Gender Equality in Media Representation of Sport in Ireland, written by Dr Anne O'Brien of the Department of Media Studies in Maynooth in collaboration with the Federation of Irish Sport found women in sports media are either not represented at all, stereotyped, or have their achievements downplayed consistently across media platforms. None of this is positive for attracting girls into sport and, crucially, retaining them. The solutions won't come from quotas and media representation alone. At a fundamental level, this is a question of societal and cultural change. The hard work is engaging early with young girls and boys, teaching them lessons on how to play sports healthily while preventing young boys from developing unhealthy attitudes towards women and the LGBTQ community. Male mentors in this area have a huge role in teaching core values of respect, inclusivity and integrity, which should be an integral part of any game as well as teaching ball skills and boosting player process. In the meantime, the Camogie Association must finally pay players the basic respect of listening to them on the skorts issue. In 2025, it's not a lot to ask.
BBC News
07-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'GAA can lead gender equality campaign'
Conor Meyler's own GAA career may be on hold because of injury, but during his lengthy time out he is passionately throwing himself into something he hopes will help bring long-lasting and positive change to the sport he 2021 Tyrone All-Ireland winner is currently undertaking a PhD in sport, leadership and gender which is particularly aimed at examining the lack of genuine equality for women in Gaelic Games and indeed wider sport on this island. During a 2024 which included two knee operations plus an Achilles injury, Meyler's research took him down to Australia and New Zealand last year as he visited Australian Rules and rugby franchises to see how they are approaching gender equality in their sports. And with Saturday's International Women's Day looming, the Omagh St Enda's club-man talked about some of his research findings at Monday's launch of Sport NI's 'Be Seen, Be Heard, Belong' campaign aimed at supporting women and girls to find their place in sport."When Sport NI launched this, it was definitely something I was keen to be involved with," Meyler told BBC Sport NI."I suppose the first thing I wanted to find out was whether there was an action plan, more follow-up with it and seeing that and knowing that this is hopefully going to have a lasting impact for women and girls in sport, definitely made me want to get involved." Official Gaelic Games integration is scheduled to happen in 2027 with the amalgamation of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Ladies Gaelic Football Association and the Camogie says it is vitally important it becomes a reality on the ground and not just at the top table."I still struggle to stand over and say that we've got the best organisation in the world, when the opportunity provided to young girls and women is very different than boys and men," says the Omagh man who turned 30 last September."That's the vision, that every club is a one-club and every county is a one-county and at national level we're integrated. Then on a wider scale, what we do in sport has a knock on impact on society and how we treat women in sport. "Our largest sporting organisation is still run by men and boys for men and boys, then there's a kind of ripple effect into society. "The opportunities we give to women in sport has a knock on effect to society and that's just a healthier place to be and a healthier culture that we hopefully start to create here in Ireland." But Meyler admits it is not an easy task almost trying to over-turn history."If we go back and this is part of the research for me now, sport was created by men for men."All the values, systems, behaviours and beliefs were for men and it was a way for men to sort of show their masculinity and male dominance, strength, we associate with men. Women's sporting organisations came a lot later."In the case of ladies GAA, the Camogie Association was founded in 1904 - 20 years after the GAA's foundation in Thurles - with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association not arriving until 1974."It's a case of can we change sport to suit rather that just add women to men's sport and stir and hope for the best," adds the Tyrone footballer. "It has to be that we change sport, make it more inclusive, create the opportunities and facilities for the 50% of the population and also fund it because at the minute those opportunities still aren't there." 'Women must be in leadership roles' Meyler admits young boys are also opting out of sport but he insists not at level of girls because of the particular lack of opportunities for young females."I was very naive and ignorant to the inequality that existed for a long time until I started the PhD and got my eyes opened to some of the barriers that existed."Being a sports person, you're very narrow minded and selfish at times and growing up in a house and an environment and a club where women were given opportunities, you weren't directly seeing any imbalance. "It probably wasn't until I began the research that I realised that and then there was probably a moral sense of justice that I could do something here that had a wider impact and not just for me."Meyler is convinced the GAA can play a particularly transformational role in helping the island of Ireland foster genuine gender equality."We could be a leader in pushing women's sport and promoting gender equality. For me it's just giving those opportunities."It's actually getting women around the table and into leadership positions where they can impact change. "That's the thing for me. Can we get the right people? The right people create the right structures and systems and the right structures and systems will create the right long-lasting cultural impact and men are very important in driving that." As regards his own recovery from injury, Meyler admits that being forced out of the entire 2024 campaign was "mentally really tough" but believes he is going to get back into the Omagh and Tyrone jerseys."From a young age, the dream was always to play for Tyrone and while you've managed to do that and play for as long as possible, I still feel like I've a lot to offer if I can get the body right."At the minute, it's just a case of accepting whatever comes. I'm doing as much as I can, doing the right things. "I've a lot of really good people around me which is good. Part of a really good set-up and some of my best friends are up there as well so I want to stick it out as long as I can and throw everything at it and hopefully get back on the pitch this season."While he may not be involved this year, Meyler believes Tyrone can again contend for All-Ireland honours after a comparatively lean three seasons since their Sam Maguire triumph in 2021."I think from a Tyrone perspective, there's excitement because we know we've got such good quality [players]. "We have the new management and the backroom team that are certainly going to spark something as well. "And as a county, we're very fortunate to have the resources and the facilities that we have as well so we've a lot of things going for us. It's just a case of getting it all to gel now."
