President’s blog

From playing rules review to Madden to Suwon to Oulart to City West glamour

Over the last few weeks there was an amazing range of activities in the Camogie world.

Playing Rules Review progressing

While all these were going on, the Playing Rules Review Group was working away quietly. Its proposals were considered in early November by Central Council.

Central Council will now issue, to county and Provincial Secretaries, a draft set of playing rules for consultation. Feedback is invited on this through County Boards and Provincial Councils. Following this a final set of proposed rules will be put together in February 2012 and issued with the papers for Annual Congress who will vote on the proposals.

During the review, initial consultation with players, managers, referees and supporters indicated that there is much that’s right about Camogie. There was a preference that we should retain the elements of the game that enhance its skill levels and its uniqueness.

No changes are proposed to:

ò skorts (60 per cent of our website survey preferred them to be retained)

ò the handpass

ò dropping the hurley

ò flicking the hurley or

ò scoring with a handpass.

Certain rules are clarified in the consultative draft now issued to counties and Provincial Councils.

Technical fouls, rough play, dissent, aggressive and dangerous play are all newly classified. There is a clear ruling that deliberate shouldering or frontal bodily contact is illegal.

Some key proposals (and these are for further consideration) include:

ò A maximum of eight subs for under 14, 16, 18 and adult league competitions at all levels (not championships).

ò A 18 cm maximum size goalkeeper’s hurley. This size hurley may not be used by the goalkeeper for free-taking and it may not be used by any other player e.g. in defending a penalty

ò Awarding an indirect free to the team in possession of the sliotar when play is stopped due to an injury to an opposing player

ò Awarding two points when the sliotar is played directly over the crossbar from a sideline ball.

For a full copy of the proposed changes, contact your county board secretary and make sure you find out when they and/or the Provincial Council are considering the Central Council playing rule proposals. Members who participated in the meetings of the Playing Rules Review were Aileen Lawlor, Joan O’Flynn, Sinead O’Connor, Mary O’Connor, Karl O’Brien, Fionnuala Carr, Irene O’Keeffe, Ann Downey and JJ Doyle.

Away from the meeting rooms the last few weeks were busy in lots of other ways.

Golden Jubilee in Madden, third level Camogie and Suwon

Early in October, it was wonderful to spend a Sunday morning in the Madden club. Tucked away on the Monaghan to Armagh road I joined so many families from the club who came together to mark their Golden Jubilee and also plant an ash tree– surely a great symbol of our game and a commitment to sustaining it in the future.

The national AGM of Comhairle Ard Oideachais CamogaÝochta was on the same weekend. It will be interesting to see how the new format for the championship cups at all grades will work out during the season. There’s also a new look website www.ccao.ie so lots happening now that the academic year is in full swing.

I don’t think the founders of the Camogie Association could ever have imagined that our game would be played over 8,000 miles away in the Far East. That’s what I witnessed on 16th October in the company of Ladies Football President Pat Quill, GAA President Christy Cooney, Chair of the GAA Overseas Committee Joe McDonagh and Leinster GAA Chair Martin Skelly. As well as a weekend of football and hurling, two select sides played an inaugural camogie game at the 16th Asian Gaelic Games finals in Suwon, South Korea. There was loads of interest from Irish and other nationalities and I look forward to seeing more players and teams competing in future tournaments.

It is remarkable that, almost in the same week, Camogie could celebrate a golden jubilee in Armagh and also celebrate an inaugural game half way round the world. Just shows that we’ve lots more growing to do!

Appreciating our refs, provincial titles and All Stars glam

Refereeing can be tough job. From our comfort on the sidelines, we all think we can do the job better but we rarely risk it! From time to time we may be guilty of overlooking the voluntary commitment and expertise of our referees. It was only fitting then that we honoured and thanked our national referees at an inaugural recognition event in October and referees who were appointed to All Ireland finals received their commemorative medals. Suffice to say, referees can party and it was a night of great fun and enjoyment!

A provincial title is special and congrats to Oulart-the-Ballagh who made it three in a row in Leinster recently. Commiserations to brave Ballyboden; they never gave up. It was heartening to see a big crowd supporting both teams. It showed, once again, the enduring appeal of club games and the club championship. John Thompson with the whistle kept the game moving and fairly too.

The All Star and Soaring Star Awards are well reported by now. It was once again a very glamorous and stylish occasion with 63 players recognised (18 Soaring Stars and 45 All Star nominees). There was a fantastic crowd with remarkable support for the players from their families, clubs and counties.

Camogie, hurling and Olympic medallists abounded with Brian Cody, John Treacy (Irish Sports Council) and Tony Towell (O’Neills who are event sponsors) proving very popular!

Best of luck to all the teams playing in the remaining Provincial contests and of course to the Junior clubs looking forward to All Ireland semis and a precious All Ireland final on the horizon.

Joan O’Flynn

Uachtarßn

Cumann Cam¾gaÝochta.

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