Donegal squad well looked after: Gallagher

By Michael McMullan

EMER Gallagher insists the Donegal management and County Board ensure they are “very well looked after” and the Donegal squad’s stance on the protest is to make sure standards are maintained.

Speaking to Gaelic Life ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland clash with Dublin, the Donegal star feels a standardised charter would help improve player welfare across all counties.

“From a Donegal perspective, it is really important to say we are one of the very few counties that are very well looked after,” she said.

“Maxi (Curran – manager) has definitely brought a standard in; our County Board have always been super supportive. We’ve had access to hot foot after training, great facilities, fantastic gear.”

Donegal and Meath players continued their part in continuing their season “under protest” by wearing #UniteForEquality t-shirts before their group game in Navan.

“The reality is that we need those standards to continue for the years to come no matter who our County Board is or who our manager is,” Gallagher added.

“It needs to be a standard now that is established now across all of the counties. Unfortunately, for many other counties that don’t get half or a quarter of what we receive.

“That’s why it is important that we are all standing together and fighting for that equality in terms of access and food and travel expenses that so many counties are not receiving at the minute.”

Gallagher backs the protests and the unified approach to stress the important of a “standardised charter” ahead of the 2024 season.

“To have a standardised charter so the high standards we have worked so hard for never fall again,” she added.

“If I was to retire next year, the future of Donegal football would have the same standards and the same treatment we’ve been so lucky to have for the last two years.

“It is very important for us that that is a precedent now of how things are done in Donegal, that people aren’t out of pocket to play for their county.”

Also, in an interview with Gaelic Life, Donegal attacking ace Karen Guthrie backed the protest and also pointed to the importance of ploughing the ground for the younger players that will follow in her footsteps.

“You are chatting about players at 19 years of age what are going through college and starting out on their inter-county careers,” she said.

“You have both sides of the spectrum so you want to make the future better for them. That’s the big one, we would love to be able to get the organisation to a better stage than what it has been. That’s where the push is on. We want to make the future better.”

For more All-Ireland build-up, including an interview with Armagh’s Aoife McCoy, check out www.GaelicLife.com