GAA needs to be ready for revised dates – Clerkin

Dick Clerkin: "We’ve always just advised our members to do as much as they can within the guidelines so there’s not a huge amount more they can do than they have in the past."

Donnchadh Boyle Twitter Email

March 31 2021 02:30 AM

The GAA will set about reviewing its existing Covid protocols with the news that inter-county training can resume next month.

And while the return to some action, with panels permitted to train from April 19, was a welcome development, there was disappointment for large parts of the GAA membership.

Some minor and U-20 teams from 2020 still have to play their competitions to a conclusion but the Government made it clear yesterday that its clearance for county sides did not extend to age-grade hurling and football.

Taoiseach Mícheál Martin referenced the possible return to action for teams in late May, meaning club players are still a long way off a possible return.

Dick Clerkin, chairman of the GAA’s medical, scientific and welfare committee and who sits on their Covid advisory group, insists the GAA will be ready to return when given the green light.

“From a Covid advisory group what we’ve had to do to date was to revise the protocol that we had last year and worked well and make sure that they are ready to go if and when the Government give us the dates to commence,” Clerkin said.

“Obviously it is disappointing for a lot of the membership that it is going to be a bit further out than we had hoped, especially for younger members.

“Nevertheless, we won’t be waiting around for us for what has to be done, the restrictions on a national level is keeping things on hold so we’ll have to wait and see.”

Clerkin agreed that there was little more that its members could do on the back of this latest announcement.

“We’ve always just advised our members to do as much as they can within the guidelines so there’s not a huge amount more they can do than they have in the past.

“There might be the chance to travel a bit further maybe to use a public space that wasn’t available to them before but that’s about the height of it.”

The National Leagues could start as early as mid-May but the GAA must now look at what shape their season will take.

The original plan for 2021, published in the run-up to Christmas last year, set aside 20 weeks from the start of the league to the All-Ireland football final but that is set to be slashed with a second successive knockout championship on the cards for football.