Virus spike will put All-Ireland date in doubt – Donaghy

KIERAN DONAGHY has predicted that Covid-19 will scupper the GAA’s plan to complete the All-Ireland championships before Christmas.

The former Footballer of the Year believes the timeline is unrealistic in the context of how the coronavirus is now directly impacting inter-county squads.

Early yesterday, Fermanagh called a halt to all GAA action in the county until further notice due to “a number” of positive cases.

Fermanagh’s footballers are due to face Clare in a Division 2 tie in Ennis in nine days’ time and are also due to host Laois on October 24 in another must-win game to avoid relegation before opening their Ulster SFC campaign in a quarterfinal against Down on November 8.

And with cases like this looming, Donaghy reckons delaying the business end of the All-Ireland would be far preferable to the “dangerous” alternative of ejecting counties badly affected by the virus.

“I wouldn’t be going down the road of pulling teams out. To be honest, if you’re asking me is the All-Ireland (football) final going to happen on the 19th of December, I don’t think so,” he said at Sky Sports’ championship launch.

“This pandemic is serious. It’s coming back at us. We are trying to control it. We’re trying also to live our lives; we’re trying to have some bit of enjoyment to look forward to every weekend.

“Really, in the cold light of day, and when you see even the news breaking out of Fermanagh, guys are going to be close contacts; guys are going to get it; guys are going to miss training . . . are they not going to be selected because they missed training?

“This championship is something where adaptability will have to be huge. I think players, management, even ourselves in Sky Sports, we might have to change a game, or a venue, or go somewhere else to cover a different game if a team gets it.

“Me saying that there’s going to be an All-Ireland final on the 19th, I don’t think it’s realistic with where we are now.”