Cork refuse to switch county final

THE CORK County Board have refused to reschedule the men’s senior club final between St Finbarr’s and Clonakilty which clashes with Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland Ladies football final between Cork and Dublin at Croke Park. Both matches are due to start at 4pm.

The board’s executive refused to alter the throw-in time, ensuring anyone interested in viewing both matches will be forced to choose.

The weekend after the men’s football decider is supposed to be left alone to provide the women’s game with a chance to showcase their sport. Cork are undoubtedly the leading brand in the game as they go in search of a fifth consecutive title.

The Cork board’s stance lessens the odds of attracting a 20,000-plus attendance at Croke Park, leaving the Ladies Football Association heavily reliant on a Dublin walk-up crowd. Last year’s attendance was 22,000.

“It’s a pity,” said LFA president Pat Quill. “Obviously we would prefer if it (the county final) hadn’t been on or switched to Saturday but there are reasons within the county themselves because, to be fair to the Cork county board, they have facilitated us in the past.

“And obviously it is going to affect a bit of the support for the girls because an All-Ireland is a special occasion, but a lot of those people who will be going to the Cork football final would love to support the girls in Croke Park.”

Did the LFA seek a solution with the Cork executive? “Well, we have been talking to lots of county boards throughout the country,” Quill continued. “At the end of the day, it comes down to various reasons why they can’t change. ”

What are these reasons?

“We just have to move on. Hopefully it won’t happen next year.”

Efforts by The Irish Times to make contact with the Cork county executive yesterday proved unsuccessful so what these “various reasons” are remains a mystery.

Fermanagh moved their men’s senior football final to Saturday night to accommodate the ladies’ presence in the intermediate decider against Clare, also on Sunday at Croke Park.

Mary O’Connor is the Cork football captain and an equally adept camogie player, having picked up her 11th All-Ireland medal (seventh in camogie) two weeks ago. She plays in a remarkable 16th final on Sunday.

A development officer with the camogie association, this will be the second All-Ireland final O’Connor plays in this year which clashed with big club fixtures in the county. The camogie final on September 13th featured three girls whose brothers had club matches in Cork at the same time.

“As a player it is very, very disappointing,” said O’Connor yesterday. “Two weeks ago with the camogie it was similar. You talk about the family of Gaelic games and supporting one another. You look at the average GAA club up and down the country, it is women who are empowering the clubs really in lots of ways.

“The GAA could look at themselves and say if Cork get to a ladies football final or camogie final those two weekends in September be kept free . . they could play the games on the Saturday, it’s very disappointing,” she added.

“There’s not much more I can say about it as a player. You want as many people to be able to come to games as possible.

“In Cork, it’s very hard to change attitudes. It’s difficult and I’m sure the greater GAA community in Cork, the ordinary club guy would love to be able to support the ladies’ football but if the club is playing the club is playing.”

In addition to the live coverage on TG4, RTÉ 2 are showing highlights of the Ladies football final at 11.20pm on Sunday night.