Tipperary leads the way with joint-fixtures plan for Camogie and Ladies Football

By Noel Dundon

Tipperary has once again lived up to its moniker as the Premier County by becoming one of the first counties in the country to draw up a joint club fixtures plan for both camogie and ladies football.

This innovative move has resulted in a comprehensive plan being established which will ensure that players will no longer have to make a choice between the two codes as games will not be clashing - a move welcomed by dual players Tara Hoare (Templemore LGFA) and Mairead Eviston (Drom & Inch Camogie) who were in attendance.

The historic Davin Room in Hayes Hotel, where the GAA was founded in 1884, was the fitting location of the launch of the joint fixtures plan on Friday evening.

Though described as being "not 100% perfect" by the authors, Mairead Tarrant, Fixtures Secretary, Tipperary Camogie Board, and Paddy Caplis, Fixtures Secretary of Tipperary LGFA, there is a determination to hold quarterly meetings to review and revise so that the plan for 2026 can be even better.

"I came in as Chairperson of Tipperary Camogie this year and Damien Johnson came in as Chairperson of Tipperary LGFA. We were both determined to do something about fixtures because it was simply not right that players were suffering by having to make choices about which game, they would play on a given day. Nobody benefitted from that - certainly not the players," said Grainne O'Leary when asked where the genesis of this new approach emerged from.

The integration of the Camogie Association (CA) and the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) into the GAA is set for implementation in 2027 and this move by the Tipperary associations marks a significant step towards that process and paves the way for other counties to follow.

"This is the first time ever for a joint fixtures plan to be announced by any county and we see that as being very significant,” added Damien Johnson.

“It has taken an enormous amount of work and the plan was approved by LGFA last Monday evening and by the Camogie Board on Wednesday evening. So, everyone has bought into this and we cannot compliment Paddy Caplis and Mairead Tarrant enough for their enormous work on this. It has been very challenging, but there is a plan there now and this can only be of benefit," with Johnson paying tribute to his counterparts in Tipperary camogie for their co-operation and determination to make the collaboration a success.

Both Paddy Caplis and Mairead Tarrant pointed out that there will be difficulties encountered as the season progresses, but both have committed to the process having recognised that the fixtures issue cannot be tackled in isolation - it requires a collaborative approach.

There are approximately twelve weekends available to run the ladies football and camogie championships in Tipperary once inter-county activities are taken into account, and deadlines for Munster championships are met. That's an incredibly tight timeframe, especially if weekends are lost due to weather events.

But, the goal is to follow the plan and chart a better way forward for the players of Tipperary, many of whom have been forced to pick one code or another due to fixture clashes in the past.

"The plan is here now. Players can look at it and pick their weekends for weddings, hen nights, holidays and all that. We can always improve on it, and we will do that going forward also," Paddy Caplis said.

Breda Dwyer of Tipperary LGFA Championships sponsor Camida was in attendance as was Michael Berkery of FBD Insurance, sponsor of the Tipperary Camogie Championships. Both wished the new fixtures plan well and expressed the view that everybody wants to see players benefitting from this move.

Present too were LGFA PRO Martin Grey and Camogie PRO Geraldine Kinnane, whose roles it will be to sell the plan to players and the general public. There will be much interest in it, not just from within Tipperary, but also from other counties as well, as they move closer towards the integration date.

As has been the case so often in the past, Tipperary has led the way with this innovative joint-championship fixtures plan -just watch as others follow.

Key Highlights of the Joint Fixture Launch:

· Unified Scheduling: By aligning fixtures, both organisations aim to minimise scheduling conflicts, ensuring that players can fully commit to both Camogie and Ladies Football without compromise.

· Enhanced Support: A coordinated calendar allows fans and families to attend more matches, strengthening community engagement and growing support for women’s sports in Tipperary.

· Paving the Way for Integration: This initiative reflects the broader movement towards the full unification of Gaelic games associations, with the Camogie Association, GAA, and LGFA working towards integration by 2027.