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RTÉ News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Kilkenny camogie are fuelled by disappointment says captain Katie Power
Kilkenny camogie captain Katie Power says his her side will be fuelled by disappointment as they aim to reach a semi-final for the first time since their last All-Ireland title in 2022. The Cats, third in the roll of honour, contested six finals in the 2010s and won the O'Duffy Cup in 2020 and '22 but have made quarter-final exits in the last two seasons, to Dublin last year and champions Cork before that. "The semi-finals were in Nowlan Park as well, so for Kilkenny not to be in it was very disappointing," Power told RTÉ Sport at the launch of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Camogie Championship. "So the aim this year is to try get out of the group and get back to a semi-final. "But we're in a very difficult group and there are probably four teams, realistically, that can come out with the three [qualifying] spots. "Dublin beat us in the quarter-final last year. Waterford were in an All-Ireland two years ago. Galway were in the league final and have been in the last couple of All-Irelands. Derry as well. "So we're under no illusions at all about what faces us." The Cats made a 26-point winning start against Derry last weekend as group rivals Galway beat Dublin by six. "We're playing Waterford and Dublin the next two weekends, so obviously they're two crunch games for us," said Power. . @MartyMOfficial heard from some of the contending counties ahead of the opening weekend of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship #Camogie — RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) May 26, 2025 All-Ireland champions Cork are going for three in a row and began their campaign with a 38-point demolition of Limerick last weekend. With such success comes great pressure says the Rebels' new skipper Meabh Cahalane, who is following in her father Niall's footsteps as he captained the Cork football team in 1985. "There's a target on our back any day that we'll go out," Cahalane told RTÉ Sport. Cork will face Tipperary on 31 May in their second group game, which Cahalane admits will be a "battle", but all eyes are on getting back to the big venue in Dublin. "We've one win under our belt now and Tipp going into this weekend, it's going to be a huge battle. "That's just what we're focused on for this weekend to get out of our group is our goal at the moment and ultimately to try and get back to Croke Park." The quarter-finals will take place in Croke Park, on Sunday, 6 July but should they make it, there will be a few changes from the team that last togged out there in last year's final. "There's been a bit of a turnover. There's been a couple of players introduced and a couple of players have left the panel. But I suppose that adds freshness to the panel." Net-minder and last season's captain Molly Lynch is among the higher profile players to step away, but Cahalane insists the younger plays are stepping up. "No one feels that they're guaranteed their place at the moment. "There's been a couple of girls who've gone from the panel. Molly Lynch and Haley Ryan, they were great players for us. "We're just delighted that there's another few girls that have been introduced to the panel... So they really putting their hands up." Some of the younger players introduced include Ava Fitzgerald and Millie Condon, who have been on the fringes of the panel, but are now ready to make major contributions says Cahalane. "Ava Fitzgerald, even Millie Condon, she was on the panel the last couple years... It's great for those girls to be getting games under their belt.
RTÉ News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
The changing fashions of camogie kits over the years
Analysis: camogie players of previous generations have had to play in floor-length wool skirts, long sleeved blouses and tweed tunics Taking a puck-out in a corset? Scoring a goal in a full length skirt? Women's fashion in camogie has a history of discomfort, with regulations and traditions often being prioritised over athleticism. Here's how camogie kits have evolved over the years. At the advent of camogie in the early 1900s, women who played camogie were forced to put modesty over practicality. Beyond sport, decency codes long prevented women from showing skin and body contours because they were too suggestive and dressing like men was to be avoided as because it appeared too threatening to society. It was deemed that a woman's femininity must be preserved and as such, in the early years, camogie was often played in floor-length wool skirts and long sleeved blouses. Celebrating #WomenMW @MuseumWeek, pictured: Replica #Camogie Uniform (1904) & O'Duffy Cup (1932) - both on display @CrokePark #GAA Museum — Croke Park (@CrokePark) June 21, 2017 The first set of camogie rules drawn up on an experimental basis in 1903 stipulated that skirts should be worn no more than six inches from the ground. Cultural shifts in the early 1900s led to rising hem lengths, for which Hollywood was partly responsible. At a convention in 1913, it was agreed that the length of player's skirts be raised to 8 inches above the ground. When the first All-Ireland camogie championship was played in 1932, players lined out lined-out wearing gym frocks that covered the knee, long black stockings, canvas boots, long-sleeved blouses and a belt or sash around the waist. It is clear from the 1950s onwards that the need for a shift to less restrictive uniforms was there from the players perspective. However, the collective will from those who could instigate these changes was not there. In 1959, the Cork County Camogie Board brought a motion to the All-Ireland Camogie Congress that teams be given the option of changing their uniforms to skirts or shorts with full length stockings. The motion was defeated a month later where it was decided by 16 votes to 4 that the uniform of tunic and blouse be retained. Camogie tunics were often made of tweed, an adaptable fabric that gives warmth, and it was considered the optimum textile for sports and outdoor wear before the advance of high-performance textiles. The Antrim camogie team enjoyed a successful decade in the 1960s when they reached five All-Ireland senior finals, winning one title in 1967 after a replay versus Dublin. Antrim did so wearing a tweed tunic worn with a dark belt across the waist and layered over a white short-sleeved blouse. It was handwoven by Glens of Antrim tweed, a small business based in a disused schoolhouse in Cushendall which specialised in clothing, curtains and furnishing fabrics. The late 1960s brought a new hope for changes to camogie uniforms, spurred by a number of different occurrences. The mini skirt, which defined the 1960s era style, was viewed as an international symbol of a youthful look and of women's liberation. Its advent allowed the Camogie Association to think differently about their uniform. In 1968, Irish designer Neillí Mulcahy wrote in the GAA's Our Games Annual about the possibility of a new look camogie uniform. A uniform committee was set up in 1970 to invite members of the Camogie Association to make suggestions for a change of uniform. It was later decided by Congress delegates that camogie uniforms could now consist of the traditional gym slip, blouse and tights or a skirt, sports shirt, bobby socks and boots. It is difficult to determine exactly when numbers on the back of camogie uniforms first appeared, but a camogie dress worn by a member of the Donegal team in the 1950s has its number crudely sewn onto the back of it. From the 1970s, camogie skirts became shorter and lighter thanks to new textile technologies. The introduction of skorts combined skirts and shorts and allowed for a better balance between femininity and athleticism. When Cork won the All-Ireland final vs Kilkenny in 1972, they wore gym frocks for the last time. Kilkenny camogie legend Angela Downey played in her first All-Ireland senior final that day and wore the county's new uniform of a jersey and black skirt. Downey went on to win 12 All-Ireland titles, 13 Leinster titles and five National League titles - and she did so wearing a black camogie skirt, one of which is on display in the Lár na Páirce Museum in Thurles. Camogie uniforms are now designed with practicality and functionality in mind, with materials and fabrics specially developed for sportswear. Most jerseys now have the option of women's fit and many camogie teams now have player's surnames on the back of jerseys to increase marketing potential. But that is not to say that the attitude to camogie is positive just because advances have been made in its uniforms over the years. Camogie players still have many barriers to break such as having reasonable fixture schedules for dual players, better access to venues and facilities, increased funding and more visibility in media coverage Across 118 years of the history of the Camogie Association, player's uniforms have adapted to the changing needs of women, but change has never been immediate or in tandem with changes in wider culture and society. It is clear from the evolution of camogie uniforms that sporting attire for women is a valuable tool for self-expression and is an important path towards greater liberation and respect in our games.
The 42
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'I couldn't go back on my word because everyone had just taken it that I had retired'
SIN É, BUT still some incredible memories made with a special group of friends. Up the Cats always. Grace Walsh had made the decision to retire from inter-county camogie, but an Instagram post last July unintentionally made it public. 'It's funny, because I actually just put up that post as a reflection on the year just gone. It wasn't anything to do with retiring,' the Kilkenny All-Ireland winner tells The 42. 'I had told the players, so the players knew that I was retired. I think people just jumped on it and assumed it was a retirement post, which it wasn't. I actually wasn't ready for everything that came with it.' Walsh was still coming to terms with her decision — one she stresses she is content with now — so it was a whirlwind couple of days. 'I had never any plans to make any announcement or anything like that, so I just wasn't ready for it and that was such an emotional time for me, because it was over then. 'I couldn't even go back on my word because everyone had just taken it that I had retired. It was emotional. I wasn't really able to talk about it, to be honest. 'Even though I'm so content with my decision, it was just such a huge part of my life for such a long time, as long as I remember. It's hard — even though you know it's right for you, it's still hard to walk away.' And so, a glittering 14-year career which yielded three All-Ireland senior titles and three All-Stars officially ended at the age of 31. There will be no U-turn, she insists. Stepping away had been on Walsh's mind since the end of the 2023 season. A three-month layoff after surgery on her foot left her hemming and hawing, but the Dublin-based nurse felt the urge to return and settled on one final season. 'I knew (2024) was going to be my last year, whatever way the year ended. I knew that I was going to finish that year,' she says. 'I think just the travelling up and down from Dublin kind of took it out of me. My body was feeling a bit tired. I had been on the go for a long time. Advertisement 'As much as I still loved playing, I don't know if my heart was 100% in it with Kilkenny if I was to go back — and I don't like doing things unless I'm 100% head in the game.' Walsh kept the retirement decision to herself until Kilkenny bowed out of the race for the O'Duffy Cup at the quarter-final stage for the second consecutive season. A week after the disappointing defeat to Dublin, she posted her 2024 recap on social media, and that was that. Sin é, as she wrote herself. A dejected Walsh after her final game in the black and amber. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Retired. A former Kilkenny camogie player. Ex inter-county star. Nine months on, how do those words sit? 'It's actually funny, coming into this (interview), I was sent a thing saying former Kilkenny camogie player, and I was like, 'Oh my god.' It was kind of weird. 'I don't know, maybe it hasn't really hit me yet. Maybe come championship, things will change a little bit. It's weird hearing the word 'former' but I'm happy with my decision.' Life after Kilkenny has been busy, but brilliant. A change, though a welcome one. Walsh got engaged to her partner, Wexford hurler Jack O'Connor, in September, and wedding planning is in full swing. The couple enjoyed the trip of a lifetime to Australia in December and January, spending five weeks travelling up and down the east coast, starting in Brisbane and finishing in Sydney. On her return home, Walsh started a new nursing job in the National Breast Screening Clinic, Merrion. 'I absolutely love it. I meet these incredible women every single day, and it's just nice to be a support to them through probably the hardest journey of their lives.' Camogie remains a central cog as she continues to play for her club, Tullaroan, while watching Kilkenny — and O'Connor's Wexford, with clashes now a thing of the past — bring enjoyment. The transition to spectator has been a seamless one. 'People are like, 'Is it weird watching them?' I've honestly just enjoyed cheering them on. All I want is to see the girls succeed and see Kilkenny camogie grow.' Walsh is confident it will, and backs the new-look Cats to thrive under Tommy Shefflin. A first All-Ireland title since 2022 is achievable, she says, as championship moves into full view. 'Look, I just think any year, it's anyone's year. I'm sure that they would have preferred to do a little bit better in the league, but the most important thing is they stayed at the top level. 'Tommy Shefflin, he's unbelievable and he knows his stuff. He's passionate about camogie, he wants what's best for Kilkenny camogie and for the players, and I think that's really important. I just think he he's going to do great things with them. Celebrating All-Ireland success with Katie Power in 2022. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 'I think they have the potential to go all the way, they just need to get their focus right on the next game now, look forward to the Leinster championship and hopefully get a bit of silverware. But after seeing them playing, I definitely think the potential is there for them to go all the way. It's just about finding their groove and getting it right on the right days.' She sees the playing field levelling; counties like Tipperary, Dublin and Waterford bridging the gap to the long-standing heavyweights of Kilkenny, Cork and Galway, and welcomes the shift. 'It's nice to not have a top three. It's nice to know that it could be anyone's game, and on any given day, you don't know what's going to happen. I just think it shows how much (work) has gone into camogie itself. It's good to see the improvements, and the game is improving all the time.' For Walsh now, it's full focus on where it all began. Her beloved Tullaroan. Before the All-Irelands, the All-Stars and the call-up which came after a challenge match for the county minors against the seniors in 2010… it all began here. And here is where it will end. 'I'm just buzzing to be back at the club,' Walsh smiles. 'I feel like I owe a lot to my club, because they have been incredible support to me for the last 14 years, playing with Kilkenny. 'It's nice to be able to give back and to be with the girls every week, training with them. I'm inspired by the younger girls. Hopefully we have some success this year and in the near future. 'That's the next goal: the dream would be to win a championship with Tullaroan. That would just be the cherry on top.'
