Hurling & Camogie

Camogie President Kathleen Woods recalls her eventful time in charge

Derrynoose GAC chairman Niall Woods welcomed national Camogie president Kathleen Woods to a reception in her honour, hosted by the club of which she is a member.
Derrynoose GAC chairman Niall Woods welcomed national Camogie president Kathleen Woods to a reception in her honour, hosted by the club of which she is a member. Derrynoose GAC chairman Niall Woods welcomed national Camogie president Kathleen Woods to a reception in her honour, hosted by the club of which she is a member.

Kathleen Woods steps down from her role as President of the Camogie Association next month. Today she reflects on the closer relationships between the three Gaelic Games bodies, the success of the 20 x 20 programme and the impact of coronavirus

When Armagh's Kathleen Woods was President-elect in 2017-2018, the 20 x 20 campaign was being launched aiming to significantly increase the coverage of women's sport by the year 2020. Does she believe that the campaign was a success?

"It has been a major step forward for all women's sport, especially camogie," she states categorically

"I remember making the point on Miriam O'Callaghan's show on RTÉ away back at the start of 20 x 20 campaign that, in that year, 40-50% of Ireland's international success came from Irish women, yet women's sport only got less than 20% of the media coverage.

"I don't think that the male sporting world realised what was happening until it was spelled out to them.They were so wrapped up in their own game. Once they recognised that there was an issue, the conversation really started. The rugby guys in particular picked up on it and the campaign gained momentum.

"And despite COVID, we probably continued to gain more exposure for women's sport as there was and is a captive audience out there wanting to tune into any sport and streaming so many of our inter-county games last autumn."

Woods admits though that it has been extremely difficult to run a national sporting organisation with the obstacles COVID presented.

"Firstly I would like to emphasise that it has been very stressful and problematic for society as a whole from the top level of government right down to our individual relationships with each other, with our work. Never in my lifetime has anything challenged us as much as COVID.

"So sport whether we like it or not has to come down the list of priorities in times like these.

"I cannot deny that it has been a very stressful year for our association and for our officers at national level – as indeed it has been for our counties, our clubs and our players."

But the former schoolteacher doesn't want COVID to define her presidency.

"Pre-COVID I had amazing experiences. The three years have been intense and very rewarding indeed. And I look on the past year as part of the challenge of running a sporting organisation.

"It has changed how we do things, it has changed society. Could you have seen our players agreeing to go back to changing in cars at the side of pitches, putting up with last minute changes to venue, to starting times?

"Getting as many games played as we did in 2020 with a tight time-frame was a huge achievement and that is a credit to everyone from our office staff in Croke Park to our county boards, to our players and their families at every level of the association.

"I think that we wanted so much to be playing that we approached all the problems as challenges and we found ways of getting girls out on pitches all over Ireland.

"I think there have been other positives coming out of the pandemic as well and I think these will impact on how we move forwards when we come out of it."

Positives she mentions includeon-line meetings and streaming.

"Although it is difficult to beat face to face contact, I think that a lot of committee meetings and work can now be done on on-line calls. Not all of course.

"On a personal level I think of those journeys to Dublin for meetings on a December or January evening and coming home in the snow and ice after midnight. The journey to Derrynoose however was not as bad as someone on their own driving a car for maybe three hours in those conditions when the work could have been carried out just as well in the comfort of our own homes.

"We introduced ticketing online and it worked when attendances were restricted for club championships. Streaming of games was an amazing success. Now we need to see if we can develop these "positives"?

"However I have definitely missed getting out and about as much as I did pre-COVID. Being President is about getting to visit our members all over the country, all over the world.

"I got huge enjoyment out of a trip to a presentation evening in a small country club that has won their first ever county title after working so hard to keep the game going. That excitement and joy.

"What would it have been like at the Cavan Dinner this year – or the Down or Armagh one?

"Our schools' games were also a really great day out; the whole school getting behind a team, the noise of drums, trumpets. They were the last games played in early March 2020 and I have missed those days this year."

It has often been cited that relations between camogie, the GAA and LGFA could be improved for the benefit of all. The camogie chief believes substantial progress has been made on these relations.

"John Horan at the GAA Congress last year talked about a Gaelic games federation and that is the first stage we are working towards. We all are autonomous associations, but we are working very much closer together at this stage.

"I have a seat on GAA Ardchomhairle, our Ardstiúrthóir sits on the GAA CoisteBainistí. Same with the LGFA and there is a GAA member on our Ardchomhairle. In total I think we are represented on over 20 GAA committees in Croke Park at present and I hope that will be replicated through provincial councils down to county boards.

"It is something that is still filtering down to grassroots level and many cannot see the full extent of how it works.

"We are also pooling our knowledge and skills and sharing resources. In the past all three associations would have been running separate referee or coaching courses for their own membership. It is now one course for all. Same with an agreed player pathway programme.

"We have also made a huge amount of progress on camogie/hurling double-headers particularly at the top level in Munster and Leinster with games at PáircUíChaoímh, Thurles and Nowlan Park. The recent club finals in Ulster involving Slaughtneil have been another example.

"But you have to remember that it would be very difficult to align fixtures all the time. We have tried linking up our Ulster semi-finals and final in May/June with Ulster football championship games. But a game in Ballybofey or Breffni Park is maybe not the best venue for a Down v Antrim Ulster camogie final.

"Overall though I have to say that co-operation between all three organisations has progressed significantly over the past few years. It is very easy to criticise the ladies' games when we clash with each other or with a major GAA game. Solutions to clashes are often more difficult to find."

Although COVID still challenges the immediate future, Kathleen Woods believes that the experiences of the past year will help plan for what lies ahead.

"The main thing is to get back playing however and I am looking forward to seeing games at all levels back as they used to be, free of all the restrictions we are currently working under.

"I am also looking forward to seeing our county teams build on last year; Down in senior, Antrim building on their brilliant under-age teams of recent years, Armagh and Cavan moving forward on the back of last year's success. Then you have Tyrone's under-age development taking a step forward and the sleeping giant that is Derry with their excellent club players.

"There is a lot to look forward to particularly where Ulster camogie is concerned."