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16th December 2017
11:27am GMT

Because the LGFA don't have resources or pitches of their own.
There are some good will stories. Some GAA county boards, like Fermanagh's and Offaly's allow their ladies teams to use their pitches for free.
https://twitter.com/McNabbTeresa/status/939894971498418176
https://twitter.com/AnnMarieGuinan/status/940609098483228672
But in others, take like Laois for example, the ladies teams can't even afford to pay for the use of the GAA's facilities, as ladies footballer Clare Conlon revealed.
https://twitter.com/ClareConlon13/status/940237774539673600
Tyrone footballer Gemma Begley announced that the Red Hand county's LGFA are tabling a motion to abolish the fees involved with ladies using the men's pitches, and with the topic coming up for discussion on Thursday's GAA Hour Show, the lads asked the simple question first, why is the LGFA a separate entity to the GAA?
https://twitter.com/GBegs/status/939799376989446144
It all just seems like one big, unnecessary mess, and Colm Parkinson had his say on the matter on The GAA Hour.
"The Tyrone senior ladies were charged €13'000 for their use of Garvaghey facilities in 2017. This just seems bizarre to me, I just don't understand it," began Parkinson. "The women's game has been separated from the GAA since it was founded in 1974, it's always been separate, why is it separate? I just don't get it. "They've no facilities of their own, maybe they want to stand on their own two feet, I'm not too sure, but why would they? They've no facilites, they're being charged under the GAA umbrella. I just don't understand it.
"I see Teresa McNabb, from Fermanagh, she says the Fermanagh county board don't charge the Fermanagh ladies, so it's obviously not a rule that's set in stone, but I'd be very disappointed with counties who are charging their own ladies teams to use the GAA facilities, or why can't they come to an agreement? "It just seems bizarre to me that a team who is representing your county is being charged to use your facilities," added the Laois man.Conan Doherty wonders why the GAA doesn't sort the mess out, by accruing the LGFA, but still letting them have their own union and organisation.
"They're happy enough to accrue the GPA, why don't they go out and get the LGFA? That looks really bad. It can still be a separate entity, and still be self governed but it should be under the GAA," said the Derryman.It seems like such a simple solution, but Parkinson feels either one side, or the other isn't agreeing to it.
"But why can't they join up then? Why would the ladies not come in under the GAA umbrella, or why don't the GAA want them in or whatever? "Do they want to?"You can listen to this discussion (from 28"00') and much more from Thursday's GAA Hour Show, right here. https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/greg-mccartan-interview-dublins-siege-mentality-davy-v-paddy-power
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