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"Sexist" GAA awards camogie player with Poc Fada medal, while her male counterpart wins holiday

Down camogie star, Catherine McGourty, has branded the Gaelic Games Association "sexist" after sh...



"Sexist" GAA awards ca...
Football

"Sexist" GAA awards camogie player with Poc Fada medal, while her male counterpart wins holiday

Down camogie star, Catherine McGourty, has branded the Gaelic Games Association "sexist" after she received just a medal for winning the Ulster Poc Fada, while her male counterpart won a holiday.

Tyrone's Paddy McKillion scooped the skiing trip for completing the course challenge in 25 pucks, while McGourty, who completed the same course in 35 pucks, received a medal.

The annual event "celebrates talented hurlers and camogs across Ulster" and sends winners to compete for the All-Ireland title next month.

"We went round the course the exact same route as the men, we were actually following them around the route," said McGourty speaking to The Irish News.

"In camogie, we play a size four ball, but when we got there, we found they only had size 5 so we all, male and female, played the exact same.

"When we got back into the Clonduff club rooms, it was then in the speech before the prizes were given out that I first heard about the skiing holiday and that it would only be going to the male winner.

"Eleanor [Mallon], who also went round the course too, shouted out it wasn't fair and we were told it was to do with the sponsor. But they didn't say anything else, no explanation was given at all.

"It's the principle of it, the Ulster GAA should not be doing this, we did the exact same route as the men so I'm disappointed in the way we have been treated.

"We aren't trying to take away from the winner. He didn't ask for the prize and I didn't even know there was a skiing holiday to win beforehand, so that's not why I entered.

"But it came as a shock that they can do this, it's totally sexist."

Ulster camogie released the following statement:

"For the last 10 years Ulster GAA and Ulster Camogie have organised a series of events to jointly promote hurling and camogie throughout the province.

"The O'Neill's Ulster GAA Poc Fada is organised by Ulster GAA on an annual basis with endorsement and support from Ulster Camogie.

"Both male and female competitors take part in separate competitions and Ulster GAA does not put up a prize other than medals for the any of the winners.

"The Central GAA in conjunction with two sponsors organised a prize for the Senior Men's Poc Fada winner and this falls outside the remit of the Camogie Association and the Ulster bodies."

 

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