Tyrone in an historic bid to give ladies equal footing
TYRONE ladies’ football manager Gerry Moane has revealed that the county board could be about to make history by bringing ladies’ football and camogie under the GAA banner.
At present, the codes of ladies’ football and camogie are self-governed with their own boards and structures. But a move for them to come under the GAA umbrella would ensure ladies playing their respective sports parity of esteem with men’s Gaelic football and hurling, granting them equal rights to facilities, pitches and other essentials.
In a move that would have huge ramifications for the rest of the GAA, it would do away with any number of potential points of conflict for the game.
Last year, for example, the Tyrone ladies were treated as ‘tenants’ when they trained in the Garvaghey GAA Centre and were not given post-training meals — unlike the men’s senior football team, who train there with no cost and are provided with meals afterwards.
Some clubs have already adopted this course of action with a ‘one-club’ model but, if Tyrone follow suit, it would surely lead to greatly enhanced conditions for ladies playing Gaelic games, while also putting pressure on other county boards to do likewise.
“I am a great believer that these things should come from the top down. In my personal opinion, there isn’t enough push from the top to get that,” said Moane.
“But there are moves here in Tyrone, and Tyrone I always say are innovative and don’t have to wait for others.
“I would be hoping they would move ahead and be ahead of everybody else.”
Asked how Tyrone could negotiate this, he replied: “There’s nothing to stop them. Why can’t we come in under the one family?
“This is the GAA family in Tyrone, there is nothing to stop Tyrone from doing that. Yes, there are hurdles in the way, but there is an integration committee working away to try and get that closer.
“The ladies need direction from Croke Park and everybody in Croker needs to get their heads together and get that pushed along. But there are moves afoot in Tyrone to move along on their own, which would be very encouraging.”