CARBERY Camogie will enter a team in this year’s county senior championship, having initially feared the death knell was sounding for divisional teams in the competition.
In March, the likelihood of divisional teams lining out in Cork camogie’s blue riband championship looked slim following the Camogie Association’s implementation of Rule 29.1. It meant that ‘any player who plays a higher graded championship is not eligible thereafter to play in a lower graded league or championship in the same year.’
So, for example, if Cork camogie’s Ciara O’Sullivan lined out for the Carbery divisional team, then she would be ineligible to play for her club Newcestown in the premier intermediate grade this season.
But there is good news for divisional teams, as Cork Camogie informed divisions that a request for derogation for 2025 to allow divisional teams to enter the senior championship was approved by Ard Comhairle.
In an email sent to divisional teams by Cork Camogie, it added: ‘Please note the derogation is for 2025 only and will require a motion for a rule change at Congress 2026. It should be noted that there is no guarantee that any motion brought to congress will pass.’
Divisions were given until Monday night to confirm their entry in this year’s county senior championship – and Carbery will enter a team.
‘We have spoken to the players and they have expressed a desire to enter, which is great news,’ Carbery Camogie Chairperson Teddy O’Regan confirmed.
‘It’s now been clarified that if you play for Carbery at senior level you can still play with your own club, whether that’s premier intermediate down to junior C.
‘This is a great opportunity for girls from small rural clubs to play senior camogie. For players like Millie Condon and Ciara O’Sullivan who are pushing hard for spots on the Cork team, this is another chance to show what they can do, and also for players like Amber Bishop and Cliona Harte who are on the Cork U16 team.’
