Aine Fahey believes it is a ‘disgrace’ that the Kilkenny intermediate team will not be allowed to compete in this year’s All Ireland Intermediate Championship.
Fahey was reacting to the news that the Camogie Association are only willing to let one team from each county to enter across the different levels, meaning the Kilkenny senior side are the only team that are eligible to play this year. The news will come as a bitter blow for everybody involved with the team who had been preparing for their first game against Down on October 31.
“To have to turn around and tell that to a group of girls, that you’re second-class citizens and that you’re not allowed play is disgusting and disgraceful”, said Fahey during the senior sides victory over Westmeath in Callan on Saturday.
Fahey added that she feels ’bitter’ and ‘devastated’ to be forced to tell her players about their exclusion from this season’s championship.
In a passionate defence of the Kilkenny intermediate team’s importance to Kilkenny camogie, the Tullaroan woman explained how the ruling is in direct conflict with the county’s efforts in recent years.
She said: “It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the senior team, intermediate team or the minor team, we are Kilkenny camogie. We are all one unit”.