In fashion, the skort is a style that appears periodically but has never been very popular, probably because it seems a bit of a misnomer.
Why would you want a pair of shorts to look like a skirt? What is the point of that? Indeed, what exactly is the point of skorts full stop?
It is a question being asked loudly by many camogie players after Dublin and Kilkenny senior players walked onto the pitch in shorts during the Leinster senior semi-final recently and were made to change into their skorts.
Skorts, which were initially called ‘trouser skirts’, were designed to provide greater freedom for activities (like sports, gardening, or bike riding), while giving the ladylike look of a skirt and preserving the wearer’s modesty.
At first, they weren’t deemed appropriate to be worn during any non-athletic activity, but now female camogie players feel that they aren’t appropriate in a modern athlete’s wardrobe either.
History
Controversy around female athletes’ kit is nothing new. As far back as the early 20th century when French tennis pro Susan Lenglen made her 1919 debut in a low-cut dress and rolled-down stockings, (an outfit the London press judged ‘indecent’) what women wear when competing in sport has been the source of comment, even condemnation.
Like Lenglen’s knee-length sleeveless dresses which were originally conceived of as scandalous, Serena William’s 2018 all-black Nike catsuit worn at the French Open (and made specifically to avoid post-pregnancy health issues) was deemed inappropriate and disrespectful by the French Tennis Federation.
One can’t easily visualise a moment when the male intercounty hurlers would have what they wear on their lower body the subject of intense debate. It just wouldn’t happen.
Obviously, the strictness of any dress code is dependent on the governing body that oversees the sport. The Irish Camogie Association is a very old and respected organisation – it was founded in 1904 but on this occasion it seems out of touch with both modern times and its player base.
What has the Camogie Association said?
The most recent protest over skorts came after a report from the Gaelic Players’ Association (GPA) found that 83 per cent of players would prefer to wear shorts or believe that players should have the option to choose.
70 per cent of participants reported discomfort while wearing shorts and 49 per cent they had felt anxiety around period leaks. In a statement obtained by The 42, the Camogie Association addressed the report and said that ‘player welfare is at the heart of everything we do.’
They added: ‘A democratic vote at Congress 2024 determined that the rules governing our playing wear should not change. Ard Chomhairle established a working group to examine issues around the comfort, fit, design and overall performance of playing wear.
‘As part of this process, a wide range of national and international manufactured skorts have been sourced. Testing of these skorts for comfort, fit and design, will begin in mid-May and will include adult and Juvenile players from Club and County teams, as well as referees. Once testing is completed, the working group will prepare recommendations for Ard Chomhairle consideration.'
On May 8, it was announced that the Camogie Association has called a Special Congress on 22 May at Croke Park to discuss the issue and where a vote will be held.
Online debate
Dozens of people have shared their opinions online about the skort debate, including former player Anna Geary who said the conversation is an 'an opportunity to make a change'.
Anna said in an interview with Sarah McInerney: 'So to me, it's an obvious thing to listen to the players and say well those that want to wear shorts wear shorts, it's not going to in any way inhibit Camoige as a spectacle, if anything it'll probably be able to enhance it because they'll be able to perform better.'
Politician Louise O'Reilly also showed her solidarity with the players, wearing shorts to work. She said: 'I don’t think I have worn shorts in work since I was in my 20s, but I wore them today in solidarity with the women and girls who want to play camogie and want to wear shorts…we really shouldn’t be having this conversation in 2025 folks!'
Ann Marie Russell, the Kerry Camogie Chairperson was one of two Kerry delegates at a Congress in 2024 and voted for the motion to adopt shorts, also commented on the date at the time, stressing its a debate coming straight from the players.
While she acknowledges that ‘There was a democratic process there which was voted on and that’s a delegate’s job … my own players feel that they are uncomfortable, they don’t want to wear them (skorts), they prefer to wear a shorts.
‘I suppose there’s a perception out there that they are shorts underneath, but they’re actually not shorts underneath it. They’re like compression shorts you know. They’re not shorts, like a pair of O’Neill shorts, not like that.’
Shorts in training
Many players wear shorts when they train, with Anne Marie previously telling the Irish Daily Mail: ‘I know for myself, I’d be involved in club level here as well in Kerry, I don’t know anyone that wears the skort to training – nobody, and that’s from under six to senior. I don’t know anyone that wears the skort to training. So, that kind of speaks volumes on its own.
'You know like if they’re so comfortable and they all love them so much, why don’t they wear them to training two or three times a week? They don’t.
'When they’re warming up like, they wear shorts … from what I can see, they wear them because they have to, because it’s part of the rules. You will be sanctioned if you don’t wear them.’
What's the punishment for not wearing a skort?
The punishment for not wearing the official camogie kit is a yellow card followed by a red card for continuing defiance of the rules.
Tradition
While Anne Marie acknowledges the tradition of wearing skirts in Camogie and that there is a ‘uniqueness’ to the skort and that ‘it does set them apart from the lady footballers or the hurlers’, she says now ‘it should be down to comfort’.
Anne Marie says, ‘Things progress on, and things move on and for me I suppose, the tradition of camogie or hurling is the hurl and the sliotar.
'Like you go back they didn’t have to wear helmets, you know. That was brought in to protect them. Was that part of tradition, not to wear helmets? The tradition to me is the sport itself, no matter what you’re wearing or what you’re doing or where you are. Playing the sport is the tradition.’
