Gala Summer SSuupppplleemmeenntt

Hitting the Sliotar a Antrim's Emma Connolly and Emma McMullan with Derry’s Karen Kielt Mile From the Heart and Meabh Boyle at the Camogie Finals Launch 2009 High! Catherine O’Hara in Pairc Esler p 2

There was only one team for these Camogie fans in 2008! To join the mailing list Hello and Camogie Fans, To coincide with the start of the Camogie championship we have put together this Camogie Supplement. Limerick for our ezine and Wexford launch this year’s senior championship at Hospital on Saturday at 2.30pm while Champions Cork and go to meet at Páirc Ui Rinn at 3.15pm. www.hurlingworld.com Joan O’Flynn will guide the over the next three years. The organisation is in a state of transition at the moment with an enthousiastic staff in Croke Park and more and more players taking up the game every Fill in your email month. As well as covering the Gala Launch of the championship we are including an wide-ranging interview with withing a minute Ulster Chairperson Catherine O’Hara. Promotion of the game through all the different media outlets is vital for the you will get expansion of any game. Match coverage, photographs, sponsorship launches, fundraising etc are as important as an email by return training the teams.We will do as much as we can to help promote the national games of Hurling and Camogie and to keep the games at the top of the national sporting agenda. click on the Until the next issue (issue 8) best wishes from the team at Hurling World. confirm link. FEATURE Gala All Camogie Championships 2009 p 3 Gala Year for Camogie Players!

Camogie President, Joan O’Flynn with players from the counties at the Launch of the Gala Camogie Championships in Croke Park To join the mailing list he 2009 Gala All Ireland Camogie Cham- they beat Offaly in a thrilling final in Croke transition from a 12-a side to a 15-a side for our ezine pionships were launched last week in Park. Recognising the awesome contributions game. In the last decade there is no doubt the TCroke Park by President Joan O’Flynn, of the players involved Gala has introduced inter- game has been transformed and go to Denise Lord, Customer Service Manager of an award for the Senior Camogie Player who the standard has increased to new levels. I www.hurlingworld.com Gala, and the captains of the 27 counties com- delivers the most outstanding performance of welcome too the Gala award which is an peting in this year’s Championships at senior, the season, as voted for by the public – the excellent addition to our senior Fill in your email intermediate and junior level. Gala Performance Award. The player will win championships as it recognises the individual withing a minute The Gala All Ireland Senior Championship the Gala Performance Award trophy and a 5 and is not based on an entire team’s will be the most hotly contested in recent star luxury weekend break. performance. It enhances Gala’s outstanding you will get years with eight teams now competing for the Newly-appointed President of the Camogie support for Camogie.” an email by return O’Duffy Cup. Clare have joined the senior Association, Joan O’Flynn, said at the launch: “Attending matches is one of the most ranks this year following their success in the “This year’s Championships have been ten important ways of giving recognition to our click on the Gala All Ireland Junior Final in 2008 when years in the making as 2009 marks the players and increasing attendances is confirm link. FEATURE Gala All Ireland Camogie Championships 2009 p 4

Conal Baldwin (son of Down manager, Jim from Kilkeel) at the Gala Camogie Championship Launch in Croke park.

Joan O'Flynn, President of the Camogie Association and Denise Lord, Gala Customer Service Manager with ’s Aisling Connolly, Tipperary’s Geraldine Kinane, Kilkenny’s Ann Dalton and Dublin’s Louise O'Hara at the Gala Camogie Championship Launch silverware having built on massive underage successes while Limerick are seeking to get something we can improve on. In this context, honour by retaining the crown they won last back to All Ireland glory having secured the the support of national and local media is year for the 23rd time. However, there will be intermediate title two years ago. To join the mailing list much appreciated. Web broadcasting by RTE of several teams waiting to relieve them of the Gala, the Championship’s title sponsors are for our ezine some our senior championships games is an O’Duffy Cup including last season’s runners- celebrating four years of involvement with innovative aspect of this year’s Gala All Ireland up Galway and 2007 winners Wexford who the Camogie Association and have pledged go to series, while the Sunday Game will show made a significant statement already this their support until 2010. www.hurlingworld.com highlights of our weekly senior matches. season by winning the National League The Gala All-Ireland championship action “Our relationship with the GAA is also Division One and Two titles. Tipperary is begins on Saturday June 20th. At senior level Fill in your email crucial. This year we look forward to staging a another county looking to add to their five All Ireland champions Cork entertaining withing a minute of our championship games in county titles accumulated in the early 00’s. Dublin, while Wexford travel to play grounds around the country and, of course, to Newcomers to this year’s Senior Limerick. On the same day 12 teams will you will get All Ireland finals day here on September 13th Championship, Clare, will be out to make a compete in the junior championship of an email by return in Croke Park.” good impression while Dublin will be looking which Offaly and Antrim are vying to get Reigning champions Cork will be hoping to to make an impact in their opening clash back to centre stage. Derry will be hoping to click on the move a step closer to the top of the roll of away to Cork. Kilkenny too come in search of impress in the intermediate grade. confirm link. Godesses of The race is on for the O’Duffy Cup! Ash!

Managers day off: Galway’s Liam Donoghue, Limerick’s Phelim Macken Ann Dalton, Geraldine Kinane, Dublin player Louise O'Hara and Tipperary’s Fr Peter Brennan at the Gala Launch. Louise O'Hara and Aisling Connolly. THE INTERVIEW From the heart Catherine O’Hara Catherine O’Hara, chairperson of the Ulster Camogie Council gave a wide-ranging interview to Hurling World on the state of Camogie and her hopes for its future.

Where is Camogie now? GAA Council is open to all Camogie Camogie is in a really good place because members. We are invited to sit on many of women in Ireland are in a better position than the sub committees and that is an invaluable at any time in their history. Many women lead learning curve for everyone. in both the public and private business sector, in education, in industry, they have a growing Are there are more than 500 clubs! voice in politics among other places. Sport is a Yes that is another reflection of the input of reflection of all that and more. the Development personnel, being able to The biggest strength of our Association is apply the full time hours needed. However that, like the GAA we are community lead and you have to question the health of some of community driven. However we cannot afford the clubs and how well they are actually to be complacent and we are looking at every delivering on the ground. Have they the aspect of the game on and off the field from capability to attract a young family within the top down, bottom up and everything in modern game expectations and can it between. compete with other modern sports that are As an official Association we are over one coming into the country. These are hard Catherine O’Hara hundred years old. Sometimes old traditional questions that we need to answer… honestly, practices get tired and a bit dated. That’s all if we are to put in place plans to help our over being looked at. The restructuring of Camogie burdened administrators, coaches and ’fit for purpose’ officers, with a clear has been ongoing by the Association and it’s mentors at the grass roots level. understanding of ‘best practice’ off the field. To join the mailing list going to take 10 years to take it to where it If we are able to attract and keep new This is all very positive stuff. It will take a for our ezine needs to be. members, the next generation of mums and lot of drive and vision to deliver, but we are The game on the field is fantastic. Massive dads will bring their children to a well not short of that in Ulster! go to strides have been made in recent years in areas structured, well organized club. Here is where www.hurlingworld.com of player development with access to help must be ongoing. Timeless dedication What’s your opinion on voluntary improved coaching, training and refereeing. A deserves timeless back up. Big show case versus paid officials? Fill in your email much bigger input into schools and teacher finals in Croke Park will not be sustainable if There is a massive gulf beginning to appear withing a minute training, with increased funding for we take our collective eye off the club ball. between the paid people who do their jobs development officers dedicated to the growth Members very quickly walk away from failing fantastically and the thousands of brilliant you will get and improvement of every aspect of the game clubs. volunteers…the experts on the ground who an email by return of Camogie. This is where the help is now needed, to sometimes feel marginalized and maybe In Ulster under our own unique brand of build on all the great work done on the field, undervalued. Again it’s a case of better click on the ‘Integration’ every course ran by the Ulster by having as our ‘funding partners’ demand… communication and consultation. Don’t get confirm link. THE INTERVIEW From the heart

me wrong, they appreciate all the necessary Everyone seems to feel that somebody is help needed to run a modern game …so long actually putting them down further up. as the tail doesn’t end up wagging the dog. Again communication can be poor. The people we have are the sport and we They are crushed and increasingly should never loose sight of that. disillusioned by all the red tape and ever You now have got the issues in the increasing legalities. We need to uplift our newspapers about managers and players and members and put some fun back into it all. pay and you have to weigh it all up. The Messages sometimes fail to make their way expectations of top players and others are up or down the lines and as a result huge. Camogie is no different. everything becomes blurred. Even the reason Volunteers are the foundation on which to why we exist or who we are actually serving. build. I am one. We need to be listened too All the dots need to be joined up and then we and consulted. Again good communication at will all see a clearer picture and a reason for all levels is fundamental to understanding and being.Everything needs redefined. I feel we buying into the ‘bigger picture.’ Retraining and are at a cross roads and there is a lot of upskilling of all our members is ongoing and misunderstanding out there. the club should buy into all that is on offer. The modern volunteers are well educated Should Antrim be more successful? and highly motivated. From toilet cleaners to As an Antrim person looking at the hurling, barristers we have got them all. They all bring football and camogie, I wish with all my heart with them unique traits and skills and we that we were at the top of the who’s who pile need to recognize and tap into all that they of Gaelic giants. From a Camogie point of offer. It’s like a big jigsaw. Its all the little bits view, a lot of attention has been focused on which need to fit a little better together. Good development and it is beginning to reap the communication is key to everything. rewards of over six years of hard work. I hope that they keep pushing on. Antrim were once What do you think of the relationship a Senior County and that’s where they are between clubs and county boards? aiming for. All our units work extremely hard. Their However success needs the full support of dedication is inspiring. But I feel our units everyone regardless of what code it is. The work individually, when they all should knit family of in Antrim need to together to cover all the bases. plan together. I am sure the results would be Sometimes Clubs just don’t understand why very positive for all concerned. County Boards are there. They say ‘those Antrim are a County that has a city, a people,’ the County Boards refer to Provincial population head count way ahead of many of Councils as ‘that lot’, and the Provincial the most successful hurling, football and Councils say ‘that crowd’ in Dublin. That all Camogie counties. should be able to needs to be addressed. It stops club and find a team on it’s own to win an All Ireland. county development, it stops Provincial We are a great county with massive potential Councils from running at an optimum level. and wonderful volunteers. Again good Karen Kielt, Down Secretary Sean Óg McAteer, Meabh Boyle, Ulster GAA Provincial Director Danny Murphy, Emma Connolly, Mayor of Newry and Mourne Colman Burns, Julie Lagan, Ulster Camogie Chairperson Catherine O’Hara, Eileen McElroy, and Emma Mcmullan at the Ulster Finals launch. training practices and a joined up vision for all Will the peace process change things? Given our history we should be way behind codes would be the way forward. We had a reason to hang onto our culture the south but were not. We are quite To join the mailing list and we did it through our sport, it was pure innovative in the way we think. A lot of work for our ezine What do you think of the state of survival. We would have walked past guns is being earmarked by the Ulster GAA Council hurling in the ? and dodged bullets to do it to prove a point. working with the Ulster Camogie Council, go to We seem to be lost in the same old rhetoric The preservation of our identity was hard which takes Camogie to a very healthy place. www.hurlingworld.com and as a consequence the game is suffering, fought for but now that fight is over and I We benefit in the schools and in the Clubs. Football is thriving, Hurling is marginalized hope for good. Other challenges are out there Ultimately the top athletes should elevate to Fill in your email just as hurling is marginalized across the to overcome and growing apathy is one of County level. The new Strategic Plan for withing a minute country. I am not sure what the answer is, but them. The sport needs to stand up for itself. Ulster Camogie will complement all that is it begins in the homes of Gaelic people, the A game everyone wants to play….because it’s going on within the family of Gaelic Games you will get clubs and the schools and what vision the a great game, well run and fun to be part of. in Ulster and will refocus it’s efforts on an email by return children are spoon fed by influencial people helping strengthen our collective hand at club that surround them. What’s the state of Camogie in the level. click on the province? confirm link. THE INTERVIEW From the heart

At the minute we only have eight of our nine Administration sometimes operates an Counties affiliated to Ulster Council and that unintentional closed-door system, despite the will need to be addressed. We have a number democratic electoral system. We need to open of schools in Fermanagh who are actively it all up and make it more inviting. At the playing Camogie and Hurling. But it has to be minute who wants to be an administrator…a embraced by the Fermanagh County Board bit like refereeing. and more could and should be done in I am a firm believer in a management Counties like Donegal. committee system operating at all levels. Hurling is the true Irish game and it is the Selection, with specific task allocation within longest one running. The GAA have a lot to do specific time frames will attract many more to offer the game equally. If that happens the people in through the administration door to knock on effect for Camogie will be better. offer their expertise and help. It would also What’s your opinion on men and women reduce the overwhelming burden suffered by supporting one another? all our Councils, Committees and Boards. I think the Ulster GAA and the women’s codes are aware of the good mix that women What is the greatest challenge facing and men can bring together. Modern men and the Association? modern women together have nothing to fear The times we live in are our greatest - that kind of an archaic attitude is well on it’s challenge and equally our biggest opportunity way out. to become the best in the sporting business. Changes in society, in education, in working Are there any weak areas in the and leisure practices open up a raft of system? opportunity to the forward thinking planners The area that needs assistance is among us. administration. The ‘off the field team’ needs There is a lot on offer out there, Tennis and to be fit for purpose just as the ‘on the field basketball, soccer and more. There is plenty team’ does. Once we get that right a youth of competition so we know have to fight our forum would be the next thing – you have to corner. We sometimes have to sit back and hear the voices of the people you represent. In see how to get people to accept what we are fact the youth have a lot more ideas and vision offering. We need to re-engage with all our than we have. Mix that with experience and members. I think that’s just down to good the wisdom that only years can bring and you working practices and ongoing could get a very dynamic think tank. modernization. Having said that, in Ulster, Danny Murphy What do you think is the problem and Tom Daly realize that. They are running with administration? the very first accredited administrators course I think it it’s a bit like a manager who has a in January and it will involve all codes. We good team and wants to close the door and train our referees, our coaches and our players keep it closed. Eventually it stagnates and so we should train the back-up, off the field. Monaghan Captain Eileen McElroy and dies. That’s just poor management. Like it or not, we are in the business of sport Tyrone’s Captain Julie Lagan THE INTERVIEW From the heart p now. We might not be paid but we have to These matches are a shop window for our execute our roles like professionals. game and we need to be able to market and sell the game. The fundamental use of a pitch What’s the state of County Camogie is crucial. here at present? If you look at the GAA games attendance My own County is doing well. We beat one today, about a fifth of those are women. If of the top Minor teams, Galway last year. That you have a crowd at your matches especially has not happened in over a generation. The showcase matches like an Ulster Final the Under16-A team almost beat the Kilkenny 4- media will follow. The double-headers with in-a-row All Ireland Champions, limping out of the Ulster GAA have been very beneficial for Antrim with a one-point victory. That has us. This is an area that we should and will come on the back of 6 years of development, make more use of. when nobody wanted to play for Antrim. We We are a generation behind educating then fought for an open draw system because young girls to go to a match. That has to within our Province we didn’t have the Tipp’s change. This is one key area that Provincial and the Galway’s. Councils and County Boards need to lead. Derry ,Down and Tyrone have won All- in league and Championship. The What’s the most important thing the Underage teams in Derry are strong along with players are looking for? Down. Armagh are coming on, again due to As part of a route and branch review of the better planning and good input in schools. Association the Atlantic Sports Management and that should produce results up the line in Company undertook a survey on behalf of Mayor of Newry and Mourne Colman Burns and Armagh. the Camogie Association, which will probably Chairperson of the Ulster Camogie Council Our schools are amazing. Ulster teams are lead to a special Congress in November, the Catherine O’Hara and Derry's Karen Kielt. winning titles every year and this year comments in the survey (in addition to the competed at the final stages at almost every usual that we had the best game in the world) Will there ever be a lady President of level. That indicates a very healthy future for was that the players wanted recognition like the Association? both club and County. their counterparts the lads. Well that will The GAA ran a forum in the Europa Hotel To join the mailing list Good leadership at all levels can and often happen but for others to follow we must for the 125 celebrations. They dedicated a for our ezine will stimulate the changes necessary for respect ourselves first. Ulster camogie has it’s work shop to the contribution of women to success. top showcase finals in a few weeks. the growth and success of the GAA. The go to If players registered in Ulster supported the question was posed to a mixed audience of www.hurlingworld.com Is finance an issue? Ulster finals and half brought even two varying ages. It was amazing to see that all Money drives everything. The Association in friends or family to the Ulster Camogie the younger men and women stood up Fill in your email Ulster runs on a shoestring. The money that Championship Finals in Pairc Esler on July together when asked if they thought the GAA withing a minute could forge development at all levels is in the 4th, we would fill the stadium. The spin offs would have a female President in their turnstiles. Getting pitches is still an issue. The in areas of sponsorship, finance, media and lifetime. Yes, I think the GAA will elect a you will get Ulster GAA along with County GAA Boards development would be huge. woman to lead them. If we can have Mary an email by return need to continue the good work and sit down Our Association is like a sleeping giant. I McAleese as President Of Ireland then the with us early in the season and allocate look forward to the day it finally wakes up. GAA will follow. I hope I am around to see click on the suitable venues for all our showcase matches. that too. confirm link. Gala All Ireland Championships 2009 Participation Counties. p 11

Who will take the O’Duffy Cup from the Rebels?

Grade Cup Counties

Senior O’Duffy Cup Cork, Clare, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Wexford. Intermediate Jack McGrath Cup Cork, Derry, Galway, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Wexford, Clare. Junior A New Ireland Cup Antrim, Down, Dublin, Laois, Waterford, Meath, Offaly. Junior B Nancy Murray Cup Roscommon, Carlow, Kildare, Armagh,Tyrone, Westmeath. Junior C Máire Ní Donegal, Monaghan, Mayo, Chinnéide Cup Louth, Cavan, Wicklow. Camogie Abroad The Denver Gaels p 12 Hitting the sliotar a mile high!

The Camogie teams of Denver in red, Milwaukee in blue and St Louis in green at a tournament in Denver. Photos and source: Tyler McNally PRO Denver Gaels.

When Dubliner Shay Dunne started a GAA Club in the Mile High City of Denver in 1996 little did he realize the effect it might have not alone on Irish Exiles but also on Americans in the area with some green blood in the veins or anyone with a leaning towards Celtic Culture. Within 4 years the Denver Gaels had won the Jun- ior B football Championships in Chicago at the North American County Finals (NACB). The club now has 150 members and has Ladies , Hurling and Camogie. There are four hurling teams sponsored by local pubs playing every week in the pub league and in 2007 they were crowned junior C American Champions. “It started out as a football club” PRO Tyler McNally explained To join the mailing list “But in the last few years for some strange reason hurling and for our ezine camogie has really taken off. We always take part in the Ameri- can Championships. go to ‘The club is very much a social unit. We take part in the Denver www.hurlingworld.com St Patrick’s Day Parade and many other Celtic Festivals around the south western states. So far this year we have taken part in Fill in your email the Rio Grande Celtic Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico and withing a minute we are off to the Irish festival in Fort Collins this weekend”. Next month at the 15th Annual Colorado Irish Festival the Gaels you will get will host National teams including the Seattle Gaels hurling team ergy festival entertainment, these exhibition matches also double as train- an email by return and women's Gaelic football team, the Columbia Red Branch ing for national championship competition hosted in Boston over Labor hurling team from Portland, Oregon, and the Chicago Wolfe Day Weekend. click on the Tones men's Gaelic football team. Aside from serving as high-en- confirm link. Camogie in Europe p 13

enough girls will travel to Zurich in July for the final round of the camogie competition. Luxembourg appear to be the favourites to win again this year – however – Zurich (currently in second place) may well take the trophy at their home tournament next month. What is probably the most encouraging aspect of European camogie is that so many non-Irish players have taken an interest in the sport. Zurich’s team, captained by a young Swiss lady, have no Irish players on their team whatsoever. Belgium also has a mixture of nationalities on their growing team. Of course there are always the odd players who are very talented, often over in Europe for just a 6 month period. Last year Luxembourg had one of Cork’s finest camogie players, Anna Geary playing with their team in the competition. This year again they have a few very good players who are over in Luxembourg as part of their Above Left: Brussels Camogie team - Back row: University studies. It is also encouraging to have Deirdre Ni Chearbhaill, Caoimhe Ní Shúilleab- such experienced players participating in the háin, Maria Brosnan, Laura Whiskerd, Sylvia tournaments in Europe - even if they are only with McCarthy, Rachel Leane, Margaret Francois. teams for a brief period of time, they are able to Front row: Jane Brennan, Becky Mattes, Jess ntil recently, camogie in Europe has League was established. Two camogie pass on valuable knowledge and skills to their O'Flynn. often been shunned as the ‘strange teams from Belgium and Luxembourg fellow team mates staying on in Europe. Above: Open plan transport! Ugame that women play wearing hel- competed in three tournament rounds News of the sport being played in Europe has mets’. Women across Europe would train with in Luxembourg, Den Haag and Brussels. obviously travelled back to Ireland also and clubs the men’s hurling teams where possible, but Luxembourg claimed the camogie have been able to build up links with Irish teams. there was no separate competition for camo- championship in 2008, placing Belgium In 2008 a guest team from Ireland travelled over to gie. For the first time in 2007 a group of in the runners up position. play in the camogie tournament hosted in women from across the continent came to- The foundations that were set by the Brussels by Belgium GAA in July which gether to form the European Camogie Team, 2008 competition have clearly been built successfully promoted greater awareness amongst and in August of that year travelled to county upon in 2009, as the league is the most players from Ireland of the fact that camogie is Mayo in Ireland to compete in the All Ireland successful that it has been to date, with now being played competitively in Europe. Junior Camogie Blitz. This competition was a four teams – Belgium, Zurich, Hopefully interest in the sport across Europe will great starting point for European camogie as Luxembourg and Paris – all competing continue to grow in the coming years. It is the women who had played returned to their in the competition. Three tournaments, certainly encouraging that so many more girls are respective clubs in Europe with the aim of de- hosted by Paris, Luxembourg and competing in the competition this year and veloping the sport further. Belgium have taken place thus far, with hopefully one day there will be a similar number words; Laura Whiskerd In 2008, for the first time ever in the history the most recent being hosted out in of teams playing camogie as there are playing Photos: Stephanie Dunn of European GAA, a European Camogie Leuven, Belgium on 13 June. Hopefully ladies gaelic football in Europe.