'I've never seen a game go out on such a horrendous pitch'

February 24, 2026

Groundsmen work on clearing water from a pitch ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Wexford Camogie chairperson Martina Donnellan has hit out at the condition of the pitch for last Saturday's Centra National Camogie League Division 1B clash with Clare.

The game was originally fixed for Clareabbey, but amid the wet conditions, was moved to Mellick at the last minute. However, Donnellan claims the new venue wasn't playable and the game - which Clare won 0-15 to 0-9 - shouldn't have gone ahead on Health & Safety grounds.

"I have never seen a game go out on such a horrendous pitch," she told RTÉ. 

"We were afraid someone was going to get injured. Our goalkeeper fell five times in the goal during the warm-up. The referee had to blow the whistle a couple of times to dig the ball out of the ground, to throw it in."

Matters were compounded for the Wexford players when they were asked to tog out on the team bus as one of the dressing-rooms was being used by two men's teams who had played in a commemorative match beforehand.

"The girls said no, This is senior county, remember. Will you share a dressing room with Clare? No," she continued.

"What happened was then the two men's teams went together in one dressing room. Clare got a dressing room downstairs. We went up a stairs to a loft area, where there was a couple of chairs left around.

"We then went out and warmed up on a hill beside the pitch, where there was cattle at the top of. When we came back in (after the game) there was only some hot water and some of the girls could not have a shower. It was so cold.

"All and all in my opinion, it showed very little respect for girls that had sat on a bus for four hours."

 


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