It was confirmed earlier this year that by 2027, the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association will fully integrate under one organisation.
Aine Keane shared what impact this could have on women’s sports in Ireland.
The Galway star, who also plays for her club St Thomas’ Camogie, explained that female athletes have been fighting for equal access to grounds, training pitches and facilities for years - and this move will hopefully resolve all these issues.
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For players like Aine this is an incredible prospect and a development that has been years in the making.
“It’s hugely exciting and it’s about time,” Aine told RSVP Live. “It’s well overdue at this stage. We would always look at ourselves as equal so to be on the wavelength and in the same association as our male counterparts - to be all the one - it will be incredible.
“To be under the one heading, it’s definitely something to look forward to. I can’t wait to be involved in that whole process in the coming years and hopefully play for the organisation as well.”
While it’s a huge unknown for players, it is also a pivotal time for women in Irish sports.
Aine said: “No one knows what to expect. We don’t know what will happen. For intercounty season, in particular, we would have the same access to the grounds as our male counterparts do, the same priority when it comes to pitches and for big home matches we would have the bigger grounds that we would like to be playing in. That’s probably the biggest thing.
“In the early months of training as well, we would have proper facilities, proper lights and proper pitches. That’s the main issue now at the moment for us, that would be huge if it could solve that problem.
“The biggest thing is to have the same resources. If we could get that, we would be content and happy enough.”
One of the biggest groups that will be impacted by the integration of the three organisations are the players.
Aine opened up about their role in discussions: “I think we have [been heard] to an extent. More could be done, but I think it has gone in the right direction. We have been adhered to a good bit. I do think we have been heard, but we have had to work hard to be heard.
“It’s going in the right direction. We have seen a few changes, but there is a long way to go yet.”
Aine is also part of the historic launch of the AIB Club Championships which sees all four Senior finals from the four codes - Gaelic Football, Hurling, Camogie, and Ladies Football - taking place at Pairc Tailteann.
The camogie player hopes that this is the first step towards integration in three years' time.
“It’s a huge honour to be involved and to be representing the camogie side of the code,” she said.
“It’s massive and it’s the first proper sponsorship from anyone that’s included the four codes as one.
“Hopefully going forward, we’ll look back in three or four years time and go, ‘Look what AIB did back then, they started it’. Hopefully, we’ll be integrated by then. It’s unbelievable what AIB has done.”
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