From hand-me-down jerseys to not getting the coverage they deserve, why the Cork Vs Galway debacle is just the latest instance that exemplifies the imbalances in the sporting field.

By Alanna Cunnane

Unfortunately, many women in sport would be all too familiar with a scene where they arrive for training and are demoted from the designated area to a lesser alternative as the men’s team are also practicing and are somehow automatically entitled to “the good pitch”. While on Sunday the Galway and Cork ladies football teams were granted access to the best pitch, the same sour taste sentiment of falling second fiddle to the male sides remains.

For anyone that doesn’t know, the second TG4 All Ireland ladies semi-final was to take place on Sunday last, first in the LIT gaelic grounds, then relocated to Parnell Park before actually playing out in Croke Park.

While the first change in venue caused a mini controversy of its own last week as it was double booked with the Limerick hurlers’ training, what was to occur at the weekend was to leave many outraged and asking tough questions.

With Parnell Park deemed unplayable due to “icy conditions”, the game was moved to Croke Park and rearranged to an earlier time of 1:15pm in order to get the fixture played out on the day and more importantly (apparently) to accommodate the Mayo Vs Tipperary match that was to take place at 3:30 pm.

Galway, having commuted to the game that morning were left with just seven minutes towarm up, despite being assured sufficient time would be allotted to do so by LGFA officials.

The change in venue also ruled out the ability for the game to be shown live on TV, despite RTE and Sky cameras being present in Croker, and so an older match featuring Mayo and Galway was shown on Peil na mBan Beo in its place.

Not only was what transpired unacceptable in every sense of the word, but it also tossed what was supposed to be the main event out of the limelight and into the shadows. Cork put on a dominant display against Galway, winning out convincingly 2-17 to 0-13, perhaps marking the only thing that was certain in a day of complete confusion.

Some people might think the “it wouldn’t have happened if it was a men’s game” debate is a worn out saying in what could be considered a conversation that has already been heard with the strides in recent years as a result of campaigns such as 20x20, but I’d have to strongly disagree.

The very fact that this even occurred, the uncovered aspect of why Croke Park wasn’t used in the first place, the disrespect in prioritising one game over another and the downfall on behalf of the TV stations not to get a deal done in favour of an over-reaching benefit for the game of GAA itself is testament to such a fact.

If one benefit can be taken out of this entire thing it’s that it has heightened the call for unity between the LGFA, Camogie Association and the GAA more than ever.

With the upcoming GAA Players Association and LGFA Players Association voting this week whether they themselves join together, we mightn’t be far off…