THE GAA will stick to their plans of no training or games until at least Easter amid widespread confusion over the Irish government’s new Covid strategy, The Irish News understands.
The publication of the government’s updated strategy on dealing with the pandemic, entitled ‘The Path Ahead’, was intended to bring clarity but instead brought chaos as it initially indicated an all-out closure of sport until at least Easter Monday, April 5.
However, Taoiseach Mícheál Martin later confirmed that elite sport can continue under the current Level 5 restrictions.
‘The Path Ahead’ document appeared to suggest that elite status had been restored to inter-county GAA but The Irish News understands that the GAA have had no clarity and are still operating on the basis that it is not exempt.
It’s understood they will stick to the plan announced earlier this month that no training or games would take place until at least Easter, which falls on April 4.
A minimum lead-in of four weeks has been promised to county teams before games begin again, meaning that it’s highly unlikely any games will take place until May at the earliest.
The government’s published strategy made the confusing claim that no sport could take place under the current restrictions, inter-county games were listed as exempt in Level 4 alongside ‘professional, elite and horse racing’.
Club championships will be permitted to take place under Level 3 restrictions as it stands.
It still appears highly unlikely that the GAA will move away from the idea of going with county games first.
Both president John Horan and director-general Tom Ryan hinted last week that inter-county games would go first despite the potential for greater financial respite if they were flipped.
“The thing about the club side of things really, that would call for a far more accommodating public health scenario because you're talking about hundreds of thousands of people at that stage,” said Ryan.
“I do understand we've a huge responsibility to those people too. The reason we were going with county first was we really did anticipate that was the element that was going to be most practical to implement because it was a smaller number of people.
“I still think that's probably the case. I don't foresee that changing in the next couple of weeks.”
The return of exemption status for the would have meant county teams could begin training at any stage, and allowed for games to begin in early April.
The news will put a squeeze back on the retention of the Allianz Leagues, which have come under increasing threat by the reduced availability of dates.
There will also be concerns around the provincial and All-Ireland club championships, which the GAA has said may need to be finished off in early 2022 but had been abandoned last year.
The Irish government stated that a return to kids’ sport will not be on the table until the end of Level 5 restrictions in six weeks’ time. Children’s sport is currently not permitted in the north either.
The Northern Ireland executive is currently reviewing its guidelines, with some suggestion that they may bring dates forward in line with moves made by the British government.
In terms of inter-county games that would have no impact but while the GAA has stated a preference for an all-island approach, it is unlikely to stand in the way of sport being resumed in the north if that is permitted before it is in the Republic.
