Kildare camogie team had not trained for month before being withdrawn

In a hard-hitting letter to clubs in the county on Tuesday night, the Kildare camogie squad placed the blame squarely on the Kildare Camogie Board for the withdrawal while sources close to the camp have indicated that things have been in a precarious position from the outset of the season.

The Lilies, managed by Limerick legend Joe Quaid, are understood to have been operating off a skeleton squad for most of this year with just enough players available to make up a team for the bulk of their Division 3A League campaign.

It is believed that attempts were made to get the squad back training in recent weeks but the impasse with the county board, and a lack of numbers, stood in the way and they haven’t trained together since early April.

Average numbers for training this year are said to have been between 10 and 15 per session, a major drop on last year with a string of players unavailable this year due to travel and others moving away from home.

It is looking increasingly likely that Kildare will play no part in this year’s championship – which kicks off at the end of this month – in a situation which could have disastrous effects on camogie within the county.

“This has caused great distress to us as a playing group and indeed anger,” the Kildare squad’s letter said. “This is not only because the decision was taken without our consent but because of the disrespect that was shown to us in how it was communicated.

“We want to be very clear; we want to represent Kildare to the best of our ability in the camogie championship. This is and has always been the case.”

The players said in the letter that they were in negotiations on a number of matters, including the charter that was “not being adhered to” while they stated that they “didn’t even have access to showers and changing rooms after training”.

The Kildare Camogie Board were contacted by the Irish Independent, but they were unavailable for comment on a saga which looks set to rumble on.