So this really is it...My final year in college....(deep breath)..
Back in first year, I thought this year would never arrive.. But here it is, and boy is it going to be tough! After 15 months of placement and Erasmus, coming back to UL for my final year was a big shock to the system, and to be honest I'm probably still trying to adjust to regular college work, and even finding some rooms on campus is proving to be quite the arduous task! But it's all part of it, and it's very clear that this year is going to be extremely busy, and there'll most likely be a few stressful moments here and there...but it's all part of it :)
Now to more pressing matters..Last Sunday, the Cork ladies football team beat Monaghan in an extremely tense All-Ireland final to bring home the Brendan Martin Cup..as good as that was, it's important to note that this was Cork's sixth All-Ireland victory in seven years...a remarkable feat. After the final, it was lovely to see manager Eamonn Ryan interacting so well with the panel - all those familiar with the Senior girls will know the close bond that has been formed between Eamonn and the panel, and that was evident for all to see at the final whistle - he is a father figure to those girls.
To be honest though, I really feel that ladies football, and indeed camogie for that matter, really dont get the recognition that they sometimes deserve. I actively participate in ladies sports, having played camogie and ladies football for a number of years. However, I have noticed on numerous occasions that the ladies teams are nearly always overlooked in favour of the lads teams..fair enough some might say, but it's not the nicest thing for us to experience..
For example, the Cork ladies have won six of the last seven All-Ireland titles..a fantastic achievement, or am I wrong? Now imagine if that was the Kilkenny hurlers, or the Dublin footballers..picture the fuss, the celebrations, the media frenzy that would surround them if it was that case..Fair enough, the girls will get their few days in the papers, but in a matter of weeks, it will be forgotten about, and that's fairly safe to say..But male domination in GAA has always been the way, and I cant see it changing..It's a real shame because ladies football and camogie has really improved in the last number of years, and the members of both codes has increased drastically, which is obviously great...but I cant help but feel that us ladies will never really get the recognition that we really do deserve sometimes..
This can even be traced back to club level, not just intercounty...I can guarantee you that if our senior club camogie team wanted to train in the main pitch before a championship game, and our senior men's footballers needed to do the same, we wouldn't have a chance of getting the pitch before them..But I guess that this is the price you have to pay sometimes.. Don't get me wrong, our clubs are very supportive of each other, but sometimes I just wish that we were more equal..
When we won the All-Ireland club final in 2009, we were given a rousing reception by everyone at home when we arrived back..I will admit that this was one of the best moments in my sporting career.. To see "Welcome to the All-Ireland Champions" on our scoreboard as we entered the GAA pitch was unreal! But the same year, our senior lads won the county final, and I'd nearly be confident to say that nearly the whole town travelled up to Pairc Ui Chaoimh to support them on the day, myself included...to compare that to our All-Ireland final, there was a much smaller crowd supporting us on the day..of course, a number of factors had to be taken into account..our final was on a number of hours away, whereas the lads were only playing in Cork city.. We were strong favourites to take the title, whereas the lads were the underdogs on the day..
Still though, taking those factors out of the equation, it was very safe to say that the lads were always going to be supported a lot more than we were..However, this is the luck of the draw.. We've just got to keep winning in order to earn that recognition and respect, but it's not easy..Understandably, people think that the standard of ladies football and camogie isn't good at the best of times, but you couldnt be further from the truth. I have witnessed some of the most pulsating and nail-biting camogie and ladies football games in the past couple of years, whether it be just as a spectator, or indeed being part of one of these thrilling games. And to come out victorious after one of those pulsating games..Well, there's no better feeling really.
But when you walk off the pitch and see the same few dedicated and loyal supporters facing you, I will admit that the feeling of disappointment really does hit home. Why cant we have hundreds of supporters at our games, instead of the typical ten or twenty? Why cant people realise that our games are just as entertaining as some of the men's games? It's about time that people opened their eyes and see that ladies football and camogie are worthy sports, and should be given the respect and recognition that they truly deserve.
To conclude, how does one looking in from the outside think that this blatant discrimination, if you like, feels? To be blunt, its not nice. To burst your ass all year, to attend hundreds of training sessions and countless practice and competitive games, and to be pretty much not appreciated for a lot of time, is very, very tough. One would think that winning an All-Ireland would be enough to gain enough respect or recognition, but it doesn't. However, if you were male, then it would be more than enough to gain pages of media exposure, or just general congratulations. Why cant us females get the recognition that we actually deserve, just for once?
On a sad note though, it was tough to see Cork captain Amy O'Shea suffering yet another knee injury on Sunday last..This girl has been plagued with cruciate injuries in the last number of years. I was lucky enough to get to play with her on the Cork Senior B team back in 2008, and she just oozes class. Here's hoping the curse of the cruciate hasn't hit her again..
But well done to the Cork ladies - it was a dogged performance, but to bring the Brendan Martin Cup back to Leeside for the sixth time in seven years is nothing short of unbelievable! Well done to all involved..
'Til next time..
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