An April Fool’s Day joke about female players by Wicklow GAA has been described as ‘horrendous and appalling’ by the county’s Camogie Chair.
Yesterday on the organisation’s Facebook page, a post announced the redevelopment of Echelon Park, Aughrim, at a cost of €160 million.
The post also stated, “We are particularly looking forward to welcoming the LGA and the Camogie Association in sharing this stadium as equal partners.”
On The Claire Byrne Show, Wicklow Camogie Chair Leanne Lifely said the post was too close to the bone for April Fool’s Day.
“I didn't find it to be a joke, to be perfectly honest,” she said.
“It was a mockery, an absolute mockery of women in sport - that's what it was.
“It would be completely different if there was some form of equal access for women in sports facilities.
“But to make an April Fool's joke out of something that is not there, that's not present and that has been resisted.
“It's brutal for young players, young women in sport and it's just, it's horrendous. It's appalling, that's all I can say.”
Women in Wicklow GAA
Ms Lifely continued that female players in Wicklow GAA have made numerous requests for equal access to facilities, all of which have been rebuffed for years.
It is a situation that she expects is unlikely to change anytime soon.
“It has been confirmed that equal access won't be given to the women in sport in Wicklow,” she said.
“Rather we will have access to those facilities when they're available.
“I've seen some posts and comments on social media recently where individuals have said, ‘Yeah, you get it when it's available.’
“But that's fundamentally the issue that we're having here - you can have essentially the breadcrumbs of what's left.”
Apology from Wicklow GAA
Ms Lifely added that she hopes Wicklow GAA will consider the hurt the post has caused and apologise for it.
“There has been no leadership on it to say, ‘That was wrong, we accept that that was wrong and let's work together collaboratively to ensure that we can work towards an equal access or similar access for women in sport’,” she said.
Wicklow GAA has been contacted for comment.
Main image: Young camogie players. Picture by: Alamy.com.
