Galway women’s team given “7 minutes to warm up” ahead of All-Ireland semi final

"A punch in the guts."

The Galway women's team were given less than 10 minutes to warm up before Sunday's All-Ireland semi final against Cork. The Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) has said they thought they were "doing something brilliant" by hosting the game in Croke Park, but members of the team have suggested otherwise. The venue for the game was changed three times before being moved last minute to Croke Park due to weather conditions in Parnell Park. The start time was also brought forward by 30 minutes as the All-Ireland men's semi-final between Tipperary and Mayo was taking place later in the afternoon. The LGFA told both teams that there would be time for a full warm up before the game. President Marie Hickey said that the teams were in a "very difficult situation" yesterday, but believes that Galway could have "been out on the pitch earlier." "They spent quite a bit of time in the dressing room and then emerged out onto the pitch," she said. "They would have had the opportunity to get out onto the pitch earlier had they not spent so much time in the dressing room." Galway wing-back Sinead Burke responded to Hickey's comments today, calling them "disappointing and disheartening." "I have so much time for the LGFA and have had amazing days with the association, and to hear that being said, it is a punch in the guts," she told RTÉ's Claire Byrne. "The most disappointing thing is the question was never asked could the men's game be pushed back 30 minutes. That's the killer blow. The question wasn't even asked. "All we were asking for was 10 minutes to get a sufficient warm up done to get us to match intensity to be prepared going into that game yesterday and we weren't allowed." Other athletes have taken to social media today to address yesterday's game. Among them was Dublin's own Aisling Maher, who asked: "How are we still having this conversation?" She also asked the LGFA to "do better."