Gaelic Games

Lockdown breaches will jeopardise plans for return to activity, warns GAA

Leadership hoping to confirm intercounty fixture calendar by the end of next week

Kilbeggan GAA training at St James Park, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, in June 2020. Tuesday’s announcement from the Government now clears the way for intercounty training to resume on April 19th. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Ian O'Riordan's face
Ian O'Riordan
Thu Apr 1 2021 - 06:00

Croke Park has further clarified elements of the GAA’s return to on-field activity, after warning the broader plan would be put in “serious jeopardy” were there any further breaches of the for-now continuing ban on collective training sessions.

The reported incidence of a possible breach of level 5 Covid-19 restrictions by a GAA club in west Cork earlier this month is currently being investigated by the Garda, although Croke Park and the Cork County Board are also in a position to intervene on that matter under rule should it be deemed to discredit the Association.

The full details of that incident, first reported by the Irish Examiner, are not yet known, the Cork County Board also adding a brief statement on the matter: “Cork County Board is aware of media reports relating to an alleged breach of guidelines at an unnamed club. Public health guidance on training is very clear. Any club found to have been in breach of that guidance will face consequences as a result.”

Gardaí also confirmed they were carrying out enquiries into possible breaches of the Health Act 1947, where the sanctions can consist of a fine up to €2,500 and/or six months’ imprisonment. According to a spokesperson for Croke Park, who declined to comment on the incident directly, it would be a matter for the Cork County Board to adjudicate, as it is in their jurisdiction.

READ MORE

Extended

The ban on collective intercounty training was originally in place until January 15th, then extended indefinitely as the country went back into Level 5 lockdown restrictions in January. Despite a number of reported breaches of that ban over the Christmas period, only two counties faced sanctions. Cork senior football manager Ronan McCarthy was handed (and unsuccessfully appealed) a 12-week ban for overseeing a training session on Youghal beach in January, Cork also losing home advantage for one league game.

Later in January, PSNI officers were called to Abbey CBS, Newry, where a number of Co Down’s senior footballers had gathered to train, their manager Paddy Tally later banned for eight weeks by the GAA’s Central Hearings Committee, with Down also losing home advantage for a league game.

While Tuesday’s announcement from the Government now clears the way for that ban to be lifted and for intercounty training to resume on April 19th, Croke Park has also reiterated that this applies to all counties, including the six under Northern Ireland jurisdiction, even though under law they are permitted to return on April 12th, the date clubs are also allowed return in the six counties, because of the improving public health environment.

Croke Park’s directive that none of the six counties engage in intercounty activity until April 19th is to ensure that no counties get a head start on others, Croke Park adding a reminder “for vigilance and to continue to obey all advice and guidelines”.

Communique

In a communique to all clubs and counties later on Tuesday evening, GAA president Larry McCarthy and director-general Tom Ryan had warned that anyone in breach of the continuing ban up until April 19th would also be dealt with under their own rules, adding that: “We hope to be in a position to confirm the fixture calendar and competition structures for intercounty by the end of next week. We also hope to have finalised updated versions of our return-to-play documents for both intercounty and club activity ahead of the stated dates for resumption North and South of the Border.”

McCarthy and Ryan also noted that these dates are conditional and will very much depend on what happens in terms of the overall Covid-19 picture in the coming weeks. Non-contact GAA training for children under the age of 18 can resume from April 26th. Other matters for the GAA to decide over the coming weeks are what to do with outstanding 2020 club championship games, as well as the resumption of Under-20 football and hurling activity, these pre-training periods championships originally set to resume from February 5th and April 2nd respectively. Non-elite teams can only resume collective training as part of level 4 restrictions, at non-contact level and only in pods of no more than 15.