CHRIS OF LIFE
Break may be saving grace for fatigued Derry dual star
CHRISSY MCKAIGUE isn’t quite sure how his body would have held up today had Derry hosted Armagh in a Ulster SFC quarter-final clash.
Like the rest of the Championship fixtures, the Celtic Park encounter has been tossed on the scrapheap thanks to Covid-19.
Initially, dual ace Mckaigue welcomed a break from his incessant schedule.
“The last 18 months in particular have been difficult in terms of trying to get fully fit,” the 30-year-old conceded. “I’ve had a few difficult injuries.”
In fact the Slaughtneil star played in the All-ireland SHC club semi-final against Ballyhale with a partial tear in one of his hamstring tendons.
For months, Mckaigue managed the injury without knowing the extent of it. After the Ulster final he realised something really wasn’t right but hoped to heal up before the Ballyhale encounter.
But nothing had changed when training resumed. “I had a sinking feeling in my stomach,” he admitted.
Less than three weeks out from the
All-ireland semi, Slaughtneil played a challenge game against Wexford. Mckaigue got three or four touches.
“I said to Mickey Mcshane, ‘I’m in big, big trouble here’,” he recalled.
A scan showed up the partial tear. He underwent intensive rehab. From the outside, the injury didn’t hamper Mckaigue but the Derry champions were defeated.
“I really shouldn’t have been playing, but I was able to get through it,” he said.
The National Football League started 20 days later and, wanting to help Derry avoid the new Tier 2 Championship, Mckaigue kept going.
“I was really only firing at 50, 60 per cent,” he admitted. The full-back still featured in all five games before the shutdown.
“I needed this kind of break. When you’ve reached over the 30-mark then it’s harder to get rid of.
“But the normality for me, for the last 15 years, has been that training most nights or you’re around your friends, clubmates and county mates. It’s almost gone from 100 per cent to 0 per cent. That can be the most difficult part.”
He doesn’t have to be reminded that
SECONDARY school teacher Chrissy Mckaigue counts himself fortunate that he has exam classes next year rather than this year.
He has course work to correct and is taking A Level PE and some different sport courses that will tie him up to the end of June before the new world of a phased return come September.
“I don’t see normality on the horizon any time soon,” he admitted.
A decision was taken much earlier than by the Irish government to forgo examinations.
“Preparation would have been that dysfunctional compared to usual that there’d be too many appeals and too many people disadvantaged compared to other years,” Mckaigue explained.
“It’s up to the teachers to collect evidence over their time in school and different bits and pieces to predict a grade. But that’s an absolute nightmare, too. There’s no winners in that scenario.”
Mckaigue (left) knows the pressure that teachers in that situation have been under.
“Who am I or who is anyone else to say what anyone’s going to get when they sit down in an exam, and what kind of preparation people are doing?
“It’s only really guesswork and professional judgement or professional opinion. But sure, life doesn’t work like that, does it?” because of Covid,” said Mccarthy, who will replace John Horan as GAA president in 2021.
“Having said that, next year if we are still the global epicentre of this awful pandemic, well there is a very good reason why people wouldn’t travel. And we’d totally accept that.
“We want to see the games continue. They are part and parcel of who we are. We have established a very strong connection with Connacht and we would like to see that continue on. And we want to participate in Tier 2 if we get the opportunity.
“John Horan said it very, very well last Sunday on The Sunday Game. We’ll stick rigidly to the public health recommendations. And when we are allowed to play we’ll come back to play acknowledging that the health our players and community is the most important thing.”