All-Ireland finals on Christmas Day? It doesn’t sound all that bad, does it?

SIR,

Summer solstice creates the longest days of the year this week, with more than 17 hours of daylight.

The next three months leading up to late September is the period when nature is most active in all its glory. The trees are in full foliage; plants and shrubs are blooming; hay and silage is being saved and the countryside is at its magnificent best.

Summer solstice is a special watershed this year as it heralds in the keenly awaited return of sporting activity after the announcement on Friday by Leo Varadkar of an accelerated COVID-19 roadmap for the reopening of Ireland.

I enthusiastically welcome the resumption of all sporting activity, especially Gaelic games. The players are raring to go and are chomping at the bit to get started.

After an interminable period of enforced inactivity, they are ready, willing and eager to take to the playing fields.

GAA adult club players will be back in training on Wednesday, June 24, when all club pitches can reopen.

Minor players and all younger age groups will follow on Saturday, June 27. Club competitions will be first to resume from Friday, July 17, for a designated period. Inter-county teams will begin training on September 14, and the Provincial and

All-Ireland series will get under way on October 17.

Some counties’ club finals may not be played before November, and the All-Ireland finals may stretch into December. We could even be eating our turkey burgers and chips for dinner at the All-Ireland finals in Croke Park on Christmas Day. But who cares? The anticipation of a veritable feast of football, hurling and camogie is a mouth-watering prospect. Let the games begin!

Sincerely,

Billy Ryle

Spa

Tralee.