In March, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) management committee, took the decision to cancel all activity at club, inter-county and educational levels due to the Covid-19 outbreak. As a result, the Lidl Post Primary School All-Ireland Schools Senior football finals were called-off.
The decision at the time was hard to take for many of the teams effected but the severity of the situation made it understandable.
Since then, club championship and contact training in clubs have resumed and the GAA facilitated the re-scheduling of previously cancelled fixtures including the Leinster Schools SF ‘A’ boy’s final between St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge and Naas CBS.
Of those effected by the LGFA’s decision not to reconsider their decision are the pupils, teachers, coaches and parents of St Clare’s Comprehensive School, Leitrim and St. Joseph’s Mercy Secondary School, Meath. The two schools were set to play in the Lidl Post Primary School All-Ireland Schools Senior ‘C’ Final.
Rachel Mc Partlin has stated a petition on behlaf of the schools appealing to the LGFA family and wider community connections to help them with their fight and urge the LFGA to reschedule their fixture.
To grace the field alongside school mates, in an All-Ireland final at any level is an honour fortunate to be bestowed upon a select few of individuals. Memories to last a lifetime. Yet, heartbreak. Postponement changed to cancellation. All the dreams of lifting an All-Ireland title ripped away from young girls with big dreams.
To re-organise a game in line with the health and safety guidelines issued by the Government and NPHET should be a no-brainer. Yet pleas have fallen on deaf ears. This stinks of inequality and hypocrisy. The same treatment encountered by Moate CS and Loreto secondary school Clonmel, who were due to play Senior A PPS All-Ireland final.
Her Sport received a statement on behalf of the two schools, urging the LGFA to let them be heard and reschedule their final.
