Search

Listen Live

On Air Now

8:00pm - 10:00pm

Joe Cooney

Ceol

One More For The Road

Laois Ladies Football Issue Statement Over Football Final Farrago

Wednesday, 11 October 2023 10:32

Issues around equality of access to O'Moore Park are being highlighted.

Laois Ladies Football have hit out at "gender equality gaps" in GAA after their request to have the adult ladies finals played at Laois Hire O'Moore Park was denied.

Star forward in the county Mo Nerney has labelled the decision an "absolute disgrace", while Laois GAA say they already had four county final scheduled to be played there over the course of last weekend.

Portlaoise, St Conleth's, Shanahoe, St Joseph's, and Crettyard all competed in their respective county finals at Park/Ratheniska and Stradbally.

With Portlaoise winning the senior final, Shanahoe claiming the intermediate, and Crettyard beating Portlaoise to win the junior football title.

County Secretary with the Laois Ladies Football Executive, Michele Hughes, says there's a lot of work to be done to close participation gaps

Laois Ladies Football Executive statement in full:

Laois Ladies Football Executive would firstly like to congratulate Crettyard, Shanahoe and Portlaois
football teams on winning the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Championships respectively on
Saturday last the 7th of October.

In the days leading to the finals there was considerable public discourse in respect of several issues
relating to the finals and Laois Ladies Executive did not respond at that time in order not to detract
attention in any way from the teams participating in their most important footballing event of the
year!

To address the fundamental concern raised, that the Laois Ladies adult final matches could not be
accommodated in Laois GAA County grounds at O’Moore park, it is necessary to look at the context
of women in sport in Laois and the issue of equality.

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources and opportunities
regardless of their circumstances. Gender equality is the state of equal ease of access to resources
and opportunities regardless of gender including economic participation and decision making.

On the 22nd of May this year when Laois GAA Management Committee met, and on their agenda was
the written request from the Laois Ladies Executive asking that our Adult finals on October 7 th be
hosted in O’Moore Park, the challenges facing the group was the allocation of scarce resources in
high demand. On the 24th of May the Ladies Association were informed that we could not be
accommodated.

We are all aware of the growing movement and public discourse regarding the amalgamation of the
respective associations that represent the GAA family. Having experienced at a club level the
challenging conversations that are required to make progress towards a One Club model, I welcome
the recent conversations that have been sparked by the venue debate. It is important as it gives the
Ladies Football Executive the opportunity to highlight the gender equality gaps that exist in sport
and extends the invitation to the other associations in Laois to join in the conversation.

The Sport Ireland report published in 2019 “Women in Sport “ reminds us of the gender gaps that
still exist in sport. It states that since the introduction of Irish Sports Monitor in 2007 the gap
between adult male and female sports participation has shifted from 15.7% to 4.5% but rates remain
high at younger age range 42% gap for 14-15 year olds, 63% gap for 16-17 year olds and 65% gap
for 18-20 year olds.

As a community in Laois we should not accept this situation and the challenge
for us all in Laois is to create the conditions that maximises participation. Sitting at the table having
the conversations about sharing the scares resources that do exist, lobbying our public
representatives to increase grants and direct funding to sport, sharing and valuing the expertise of
all involved in the daily delivery of sporting activity in our community.


There is an opportunity for us all now to become leaders in our community and “blow the whistle on
inequality”

Share

More from Sports

Download Our App

Never miss a moment from Midlands 103