Erika O'Shea won a minor All-Ireland with Cork in 2019. She and her teammates did so, defeating Monaghan in the final, despite far from ideal training conditions.
"In talking to Sarah Dervan (Galway camogie player), we were discussing why we've always had problems with pitches and trying to get gyms for teams," the Cork footballer said during the week.
"I feel like the lads don't have that problem.
"I remember when we were training at minor, and we actually won the All-Ireland that year, we couldn't find a pitch.
"We were training on the side of a pitch. We were running up and down the side of a pitch. Those kind of things are disheartening.
"It happened once or twice with the county and with my club. Even when I was playing with my school we couldn't get pitches because the lads would be training."
In attendance at the In the Zone - The Official Protein Cookies & Biscuits of the GAA & GPA Launch event at Croke Park in Dublin are, from left, Erika O'Shea of Cork, Sarah Dervan of Galway, Tony Kelly of Clare and Padraig Hampsey of Tyrone. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
O'Shea, who won an All-Star in 2021, believes a merger between the GAA, LGFA, and Camogie Association would mean situations like she experienced with the Cork minors would be less likely to happen.
'In Cork we're finding it hard to get suitable gym time'
"A merger would make such a big difference," she said.
"It would be good for women in sport and keep a lot of girls involved.
"All my team-mates want to see the merger happening. The WGPA and the GAA joined and that has made a big difference.
"Funding will improve, getting more access to gyms, food after training. At the moment in Cork we're finding it hard to get suitable gym time.
"It's something a lot of the girls would have wished for down through the years. Talking to the girls in Cork it was something that brought up 20 years ago. I want the merger to happen. For the generations coming up it will make a huge difference to them as athletes."
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