Limerick hurler Gearoid Hegarty offers advice as integration debate continues

AS THE fallout continues after the GAA announced that integrating the Camogie Association and Ladies Gaelic Football Association into the body won’t happen next year, a star Limerick hurler has offered words of advice.

Gearoid Hegarty is the overwhelming favourite to be named Hurler of the Year and said that it is important for female Gaelic games players to continue to advocate for what they want.

He added that he often speaks to Galway LGFA player Aoife Ni Cheallaigh, fiancee of Hegarty’s Treaty team-mate David Reidy.

“I would often have a chat with Aoife about the standards that they have and she always says they get well looked after in Galway,” the St Partick’s clubman told RTE radio.

“But as a countrywide issue for ladies footballers and camogie players - if you are not happy with something you have to raise your voice. If you don’t ask, you won’t get.”

Speaking to the Limerick Leader earlier in the week, camogie star Sophie O’Callaghan spoke of her disappointment at the news.

“The overall sentiment is one of disappointment,” said O’Callaghan who is a member of the Gaelic Players Association’s National Executive Committee. “There's a huge, currently there's a huge lack of clarity around deadlines, timelines, certainty and structure.

“It seems like the whole thing has kind of been delayed and obviously Mary McAleese came out with the comments (criticising the GAA). But just the news yesterday has totally undermined the work for the last four years.

“It's very disappointing and very unhelpful that the overarching organisation aren’t, it seems, going to be in a position to integrate in the next couple of years anyway, at a bare minimum.”

In the RTE interview, Hegarty was asked about the future of manager John Kiely and said he had no update: “No news is good news,” he said.