‘If we don’t do it now, nothing is going to change’

The joint captain of the Westmeath ladies football team says that it is time that female inter-county players are given the same level of supports that their male counterparts enjoy and that the inequality that exists in Gaelic games comes to an end.

Ciara Blundell said that the Westmeath players fully support the stance taken by the representatives of senior inter-county football and camogie panels, who issued a statement last week that they will play the remainder of the 2023 season "under protest" as they feel they are being treated like "second-class citizens".

While stressing that Westmeath LGFA county board gives as much support as they can given their limited financial resources, the St Loman's woman says that the three governing bodies - the GAA, LGFA and the Camogie Association - have to come together with the GPA to develop a charter to be implemented ahead of the 2024 season.

"They agreed to do it [discuss a charter] 18 months ago and it hasn't been done since. They haven't made any effort to complete it. I think all three associations are waiting for the full integration or saying they are waiting for the full integration to happen, but that won't happen anytime soon," she said.

"Westmeath LGFA County Board do the best that they can for us, but that they just don't have the money to go that extra bit further to match what the men are entitled to."

"We have regular access to strength and conditioning and physios. They would give us more if they had more money coming in, but we don't have access to doctors. We do have a good enough set up. We had a smaller charter for this year and all of that charter has been met so far."

Another problem raised by GPA was access to pitches for senior football and camogie squads. It's an issue all over the country, including Westmeath, Blundell says.

"We spent all winter training on St Loman's astroturf. I think we trained there until the hour went back in March. It was great to have it, but it wasn't ideal. It was no benefit to us at the start of the season when we went out to play our early league games on grass pitches. We found it difficult to adjust and our bodies were sore from going back and forth. I don't think there is any senior men's team that would train on astro-turf.

"We are training at the Harbour Field in Mullingar at the moment. It's not the best pitch in the world, but we are just glad to have constant access to a pitch. St Mary's have been very good to us. We have it block booked.

"I know other county teams have to change where they train every week to get a pitch. We are glad we have it and we are there at the same time every week. We don't have to worry about where we are going to be."

Blundell says that in most counties female intercounty players have to pay for essentials that their male counterparts don't have to worry about.

"They don't have to look for everything, everything is just made available to them.

"This year we struggled to get any type of training gear. We actually had to pay for it ourselves. Men's team would have that sorted before their first league game, they get training tops and money for football boots, all of the equipment that they need.

"We are definitely out of pocket [playing for Westmeath]. There are girls coming from Athlone for training and they don't get any petrol or diesel money. Lucky enough I live in Mullingar and I dont have to travel too far.

"It's a national problem that is ongoing. Westmeath county board do as much as they can for us but they just don't have the funds. It's not made available to them either."

Just before the start of their championship clash in Raharney on Saturday evening, the Westmeath and Meath players staged a short sit down protest to highlight their support for the GPA's campaign.

Similar protests will be staged at intercounty camogie and football matches throughout the remainder of the season.

"It will go on as long until there is a solution agreed between the three associations and the players...If we don't do it now nothing is going to change," Ms Blundell says.