Some glimmer of light, but date for return still unclear

FOR PLAYERS and coaches, it’s a most difficult time, not knowing when a championship game is going to be played either at club or inter-county level. A glimmer of light was shone on a potential return of sporting activity in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s announcement in the details of bringing the country back to normality over a period stretching into August.

However, one still does not hold out much hope of a return to competitive games, given the nature of the sport, until there is a drastic downturn in the Covid-19 virus over the coming months.

Just over a century ago the G.A.A. faced its first pandemic when the Spanish flu struck the county in 1918-’19, just after Wexford completed the then historic four-in-a-row of All-Ireland Senior football successes.

They defeated Tipperary in the football final in February, 1919, while in the hurling final in January, Limerick had beaten Wexford.

With the disease affecting almost 800,000 people in Ireland, with more than 20,000 fatalities, the championships ran over and were not concluded until 1919.

When the foot-and-mouth disease struck in 2001, disruption to G.A.A. activity was limited to spring, leading to a four-week suspension of matches in March.

But this year there is a far greater impact. The National hurling and football leagues have not been concluded, along with the Under-20 football championship, but these have been very must cast to one side given the impact of Covid-19, resulting in so many deaths and bringing devastation to families.

The virus has impacted on every section of society, affecting family life and jobs, and resulting in the cancellation of all sporting activity, with G.A.A. being severely impacted upon as they were about to enter the busiest part of their season.

This has severely hit clubs, with members unable to participate in hurling and football which is so important to them, while supporters have been left devoid of games.

With pitches about to open next month, allowing training in small clusters, we are still some distance away from competitive games.

Club games behind closed doors could materialise, depending on a reduction in the spread of the virus, while players will also be looking towards health safety given the contact nature of the game, along with social distancing.

For training and games to progress, personal responsibility will need to be taken to protect the players along with supporters once they open up to games.

There is a craving to return to normality, but the G.A.A. still has some way to go before they can shed any light on a start-up date for local championship games.

No matter what road is taken, it will be a short summer for both adults and under-age players.

Even at this stage, it is difficult to know what it will look like, particularly the championship format at adult level.

The under-age championship looks like it will be severely curtailed, given the amount of games normally played at domestic level in the county, coupled with the number of matches required to complete each division.

Regarding inter-county, it’s difficult to shine a light as to when they will return to competitive action.

President John Horan has already stated that the protection of players’ health will be a first priority, which applies to both club and inter-county, while the G.P.A. have also stressed that player health is a first priority before any games are played.

As regards testing, it would be a hugely difficult task at club level in particular, given the spread of players in each parish and outside.

That would be one of the major concerns for the G.A.A. before having any games at club level.

Despite the announcement by the Taoiseach on the plans for a return of sport, the whole matter is still very much up in the air, with much discussion still to take place before a commencement date can be announced.

The G.A.A. for now will be looking at every avenue in an effort to bring back competitive action.

At the moment they are facing so many difficulties that it will be interesting to see what the eventual plan will be for games in 2020.