Had the situation not received the publicity which it did, Eoin Murphy is not sure if his sister would have been able to play in both the All-Britain Camogie Final and the All-Britain Intermediate Ladies Football Final.
Both games had been scheduled for last Saturday at the same time and at venues 200 miles apart. It meant Helen Murphy and two teammates, Sarah McNicholl and Lucy Hawkes, would have to choose between the games.
Helen Murphy, a former Kilkenny ladies football captain, now plays for the Tara Camogie Club and for the Kingdom Kerry Gaels in ladies football.
A fortnight ago, she posted on Facebook explaining the situation, one she called "inexcusable". Her brother, Kilkenny goalkeeper, Eoin Murphy, also tweeted about it.
"We speak regularly enough," Eoin Murphy told Balls at the launch of the Amanda Stapleton Benefit Match.
"I mentioned that I’d have no issue tweeting about it and getting onto a couple of boys to retweet it. It was a shame that it came to that scenario."
A resolution eventually came but not before Kingdom Kerry Gaels gave a walkover in the football final. The game was subsequently rescheduled for this coming weekend.
"The footballers gave a walkover to the team they were meant to play. They put in an appeal to Croke Park and they fixed the game for this weekend.
"It’s an awful shame that it had to come to something like this. In a way, they were being punished for both clubs being successful.
"It’s resolved now, she’s happy enough that a decision has come and she’ll be able to play the football this weekend.
"It was going to be unfair to her teammates if she was made to do that.
"It’s a pity that it’s not the one governing body. The Camogie Association in Britain and the Ladies Football Association, there was a bit of animosity there. Neither of them wanted to change the game, they didn’t want to be seen to be giving any leeway."
Tara Camogie Club won their final last weekend and will now play Roscommon's Four Roads in the All-Ireland Junior Club quarter-final.
"The Kingdom Kerry Gaels attended the Camogie game and were there in support of Helen and the two other players caught up in the case.
"The GAA community, when you go abroad, it’s a family away from home."
You can buy tickets for the Amanda Stapleton Benefit Match between Tipperary and Kilkenny on November 3rd via Tickets.ie and you can donate money to the Amanda Stapleton Benefit Fund via Go Fund Me.
Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
