Galway GAA still in the dark about how 2020 will pan out

GALWAY County Secretary Seamus O’Grady has agreed with GAA President John Horan that it is impossible to play any games while social distancing remains in place.

Noting that President Horan’s interview on The Sunday Game last weekend offered the clarity that was needed, O’Grady reiterated: “As long as there is social distancing, there won’t be any games; that is the bottom line. All the medical people are saying there will be social distancing until there is a vaccine found. So, you can add all those things together.”

As it stands, there will be no activity at GAA grounds before July 20 but, even at that, O’Grady, like Horan, thinks a resumption after that is questionable. Horan has already indicated the Association’s unwillingness to ask volunteers to police Covid-19 prevention measures and this looks unlikely to change.

“If you have a game in Ballinasloe or Pearse Stadium, a lot of the stewards and officials we have are elderly and I doubt very much if they will be putting themselves forward to steward or that at matches if this thing (Covid-19) hasn’t fully cleared up,” said O’Grady.

“Whether you are young or old, they are still going home to their families. If they (younger stewards and officials) have elderly parents or whatever, they will also be having second thoughts. You don’t want to put anyone at risk. Even one case would be a case too many.”

Although players, club and county, will be keen to return to action, O’Grady believed the vast majority would also adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach if the risk of infection was still prevalent. “A lot of them might be mad to go playing but, when they think about it, and what the consequences might be, then it might be different, especially if they are living with elderly parents.

“That is where we are at and it is not simple. It will all eventually fall into place but people will have to make up their mind: if there is no vaccine, and activities do resume, is it worth the risk? Again, though, the GAA President spelled it out last night, if there is no vaccine and we have social distancing, then it doesn’t look like there will be any games.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.