The Camogie Association announced today, Thursday, May 8, that it will hold a Special Congress on May 22 in Dublin's Croke Park.
"The Special Congress is being called to consider motion(s) to provide all players with the choice to wear skorts or shorts while playing camogie," the Camogie Association said today, according to the Southern Star.
"The decision on whether this motion is adopted will rest with the Congress delegates (delegates represent all members of the Association including all of our players).
"The Association had proposed to deal with this issue at next year's Congress but having listened to player feedback, the Association recognises that waiting until 2026 is not acceptable for many.
"Although similar motions did not pass at the 2024 Congress, the Association is committed to representing the voices of players who wish to have a choice in their playing attire.
"If the motion(s) passes, the new rule(s) - allowing the option to wear skorts or shorts - would take effect from May 24th 2025.
"A working group, established to examine the comfort, fit, design and overall performance of playing wear, will remain in place and continue to engage with players at all levels across the country."
Commenting on the updated position, Uachtarán Brian Molloy said: "Our goal is to deliver, as quickly as possible, a best-in-class playing uniform designed for female players and allowing for individual choice."
The Camogie Association added that it remains "committed to respecting the democratic process in all decisions that affect all of our members, while ensuring the game evolves in a way that reflects the needs and voices of its players."
Camogie skort protests
The Special Congress is being called as players mount protests this week against the official rule that they must wear skorts during matches.
Last weekend, the Dublin - Kilkenny senior camogie Leinster semi-final was nearly abandoned when both panels coordinated to wear shorts to the match. The teams were cautioned by referee Ray Kelly, but, facing the possibility of the game being abandoned, decided to switch into skorts in order to play.
On Tuesday, the Irish Times reported that Dublin Camogie bucked the official rules and instructed its referees to allow games to go ahead even if players refuse to wear skorts. Referees were told to note the issue and put it in their report, but to play the games regardless.
According to the Irish Times, several camogie teams across Dublin played in shorts on Tuesday night.
“Our players want to play games and as a county board we are in the business of promoting camogie," Dublin Camogie chairman Karl O'Brien said, "But if games don’t happen we aren’t showcasing our wonderful sport.”
On Wednesday, the Cork and Waterford senior camogie panels announced they would be wearing shorts for this Saturday's Munster Final in Co Tipperary.
Skorts are unpopular with camogie players
The protests have grown after the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), the player representative body for inter-county Gaelic players, published the results of its Annual Player Survey, which recorded responses from 650 inter-county camogie players.
83% of players surveyed would prefer to wear shorts, or believe that players should have the option to choose, the GPA found. 70% reported discomfort while wearing shorts. 65% expressed concern about exposure in media content, affecting their mental state. 49% said they had experienced anxiety around period leaks.
The official GPA position is that "players should have the choice to wear Skorts or Shorts on the basis of player welfare," and that "player welfare should be prioritised over established norms & traditions in decision making."
Players remain open to collaborative dialogue on this issue with the Camogie Association, GAA, Sport Ireland, and other sporting bodies, the GPA said.
The findings were published about a year after the Camogie Association's 2024 Congress, where a motion on players being able to wear shorts failed to pass.