‘Girls had to use torches to find their helmets’ - Outrage as Kildare GAA stadium lights turned off before ladies’ trophy presentations

The finals were contested on October 3 and 10 respectively, in Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Kildare’s primary GAA-owned ground in Newbridge.

It was first time ladies’ club games were played there since its reopening one year ago following renovations. On both occasions, the floodlights were switched off before the winning teams were presented with the trophy.

"I was actually delighted. Finally we’re getting to see a ladies’ club game in St Conleth’s”, said local photographer Aisling Hyland, whose pictures of the aftermath of the games have gone viral on social media.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - Monday November 3

At the final whistle of the senior football final between the victorious St Laurence’s and Eadestown, Ms Hyland said the lights were turned off on one side of the stadium while St Laurence’s players gathered on the pitch prior to the trophy presentation in the main stand.

“I do remember going ‘God, it's very dark’. I was lucky I had the flash with me.”

Ms Hyland was dismayed at the fact the team – on the first occasion women were permitted to play a club game in their county ground since it reopened – were reduced to posing for celebratory pictures in the dark.

"It just looks like they're in any field in Kildare, really,” she said. "So I took the team photo and tried to get some of the girls grouped together in a few pictures for the paper and it was really dark.”

Eadestown captain and Kildare LGFA player Grace Clifford posted to social media backing up Ms Hyland’s claims.

“The photos clearly show that the lights were off, and many players, myself included, experienced cold showers after the game,” Ms Clifford wrote.

Fast forward a week to the camogie club final in the same grounds between Naas and Maynooth, which Naas won on an impressive score line of 4-19 to 0-3.

"I kind of jokingly said going in the door: ‘I hope they don't turn the lights off on ye now as well,’” Ms Hyland said.

"The exact same thing happened again.”

Claiming the action was “deliberate” on the part of Kildare GAA, Ms Hyland said it was now apparent that this was no coincidence, particularly because family members and fans who joined players on the pitch at the final whistle were being hurriedly ushered back to the stands.

"They were turning off the pitch lights and there was families out there. There were kids and grandparents out there in the dark.”

Ms Hyland said that, after she departed the grounds, a steward contacted her to inform her of just how bad the situation had gotten in the grounds.

"The girls had to go around with the torch on their phones to find their hurls and helmets. There was not a light left on.”

Ms Hyland said the following week’s men’s intermediate football final between Sallins and St Laurence’s concluded with celebrations on the pitch by players and fans alike, with full lighting and permission for fans and players to remain on the pitch after the trophy presentation.

Kildare GAA and Kildare LGFA were contacted for comment. In separate statements released to the media this week, both organisations denied that the lights were turned off before the trophy presentations, despite social media footage suggesting otherwise.

Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, said the evidence is overwhelming that the floodlights were turned off prematurely.

"I have spoken to players, I've been sent video footage and it's clear that you can see the lights being switched off,” she said.

"The lights on the stand remained on but the lights on the pitch were switched off. It's standard in the grounds that the lights turn off after 15 minutes, but they were turned off before the presentation.”

Ms Ní Raghallaigh is concerned about the message such events send to young players, male and female, about the ethos of equality within Gaelic games.

"It just brought up again the inequality for women in sports. Women always have to fight for their place in sport and for recognition, and this just hit home.”

She added: “Since St Conleth’s opened, there was 24 men's games played and this didn't happen for them once, and these were the only two times that the women played, so I wanted to highlight it.”

Ms Ní Raghallaigh said the proposed integration of the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association in 2027 must prioritise gender equality “from the top down” in order to be successful.

“Maybe if integration happens, that work can happen on a broader and more combined level.”

Click here to read article