Ann Downey: Great female coaches are there, they just need to be asked Kilkenny legend is one of the few women coaches operating at the top end of camogie
Ann Downey: Great female coaches are there, they just need to be asked
ANN Downey says there are great female camogie coaches and managers out there - they just haven’t been asked.
The Kilkenny legend remains an outlier as one of the few women operating at a high level in camogie coaching.
The ex-Cats manager and current SETU Carlow coach hasn’t come across any other women operating at third level in this season’s campaign.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Ashbourne and Purcell Cups at the Connacht GAA Air Dome, Downey said: “It’s not easy.
“I suppose that’s why maybe the women shy away from making that commitment but, having said that, maybe it’s that the women haven’t been asked.
“Maybe they’re looking for a coach and the first thing they think of is a hurler. I think that’s what’s happening in clubs and colleges.
“Mick Dempsey was involved with Carlow and I always had a great relationship with Mick when I was working with Kilkenny.
“I suppose when they were looking for someone in Carlow my name popped into his head because we’d worked together.
“Colleges can look around and I can assure you they can come up with a great female coach/manager. They’re there. They just need to be asked.”
