Decorative Arts & History

Worn by Maeve Gilroy in the 1960s during a successful decade for Antrim camogie, this is a pinafore-style camogie dress of peach-coloured tweed. Before the advancement of high-performance textiles, tweed was considered the optimum textile for sports and outdoor wear so it appeared in the uniforms of many camogie teams. The Antrim team referred to the colour of this dress as light primrose. It would have been worn with a dark belt across the waist, layered over a white short-sleeved blouse and black leggings. The tweed was handwoven by Glens of Antrim Tweed, a small business which was based in a disused schoolhouse in the village of Cushendall. Maeve won her first All-Ireland Senior camogie title with Antrim in 1956 and won her next in 1967, while wearing this dress. She also played for St Dominic’s at school level, Queen’s University, Belfast, and her club St Malachy’s. Maeve was awarded the Cú Chulainn camogie award in 1956 and went on to become a respected coach and referee. 

While it wasn’t uncommon to see women competing in sport in Ireland in the mid-1800s, it was traditionally in those more associated with the ‘higher’ classes in society, such as tennis, golf, or croquet. For women in rural Ireland, camogie, though not known as such at the time, was one of the few sporting opportunities that existed. However, it came with its own challenges. While annual games were hosted by local parishes, they were usually only to entertain locals and were not taken seriously by the crowds watching. It took over 50 years for a set of rules to even be written for the sport. 

When the GAA was established by Michael Cusack, it was described as an association for everyone in Ireland, however it was understood to mean everyone who was male. In 1887, one woman wrote to Cusack to say “I understand we can’t be playing members of the association but we could at least decorate the jerseys for the boys.” In 1903, a small group of women began playing hurling in the Phoenix Park and devising a set of rules for the sport. The name camoguidheact, translated to ‘junior hurling,’ was decided. The decency codes then prevalent in Irish society dictated that ‘femininity’ was to be preserved. As such, players played in floor-length wool skirts and long-sleeved blouses. In fact, one early rule stated that it was a foul if a player stopped the ball by using their skirt. 

Camogie players continued to come up against significant problems. There were strong feelings against women participating in competitive sports in sections of Ireland; some players would hide their hurls under their coats when travelling to play matches to avoid ridicule. However, an official camogie association was established in 1911, which still exists to this day. In 1912, the first ever inter-county match was played between Dublin and Louth at Jones Road. The first All-Ireland camogie final was held in 1932, and 1934 saw the first final played in Croke Park. 

Despite this progress, uniforms were still deeply restrictive. It would not be until the late 1970s that styles would begin to change, with uniforms becoming lighter and skirts shorter which allowed for a better balance between so-called ‘femininity’ and athleticism.