THE provincial and All-Ireland club championship competitions are in the “gravest risk” of being cancelled this year, even if county and inter-county championships do go ahead at some point.

ALL sides of the Lurgan community are “pulling together towards the same goal” during the Covid-19 lockdown, says Armagh skipper Stefan Campbell who, along with Ireland rugby star Jacob Stockdale, is part of a cross-community effort aimed at making life easier for elderly and vulnerable people in the town.

IN the midst of some of our darkest days, a message of hope has come from the Far East where a thriving GAA club in the Chinese city Shanghai has returned to the training field after leaving lockdown.

AN All-Ireland winner with Armagh in 2002 and with his club Crossmaglen Rangers too, Tony McEntee was also part of the management team that took Mayo to within touching distance of the elusive Sam Maguire in 2017.

PAT Spillane once told the story of when his first-born daughter Cara arrived, and the local priest both congratulated and commiserated all in one.

THE Ulster Council is not planning for a provincial Championship in this financial year, meaning that if there are All-Ireland campaigns in 2020, they are not expected to start before October 31.

Jim McGuinness has insisted that exhaustion or burnout was never an issue for his Donegal players and has criticised the media for painting a picture of him 'whipping the boys' in training while manager.

TYRONE coach Kevin Madden insists the Red Hands are preparing for “the best-case scenario” in terms of the GAA season – and remains hopeful that the All-Ireland Championship will take place in some form later this year.

THE newly acclaimed ‘Butcher of Ballymacnab’ Ryan Kennedy scooped the coveted title of Armagh GAA Skills Challenge champion last night, fending off stiff opposition from ladies footballing ace Kelly Mallon and former All-Ireland winning forward Diarmaid Marsden.

THE brief was to pick the best side from those she had played alongside or against in her times in a Down, UUJ and Ulster jersey.

ULSTER Council secretary Brian McAvoy has admitted that cross-border issues could present obstacles in attempts to run any form of provincial football Championship this year.

OUTFIELD players can get away with dropping an odd ball, kicking a wide or playing a bad pass but goalkeepers rarely have that luxury.

Gaelic football fans “cocooning” in Co Monaghan will be able to speak about the glory days with current and former county players through a new initiative.

In our new Most Memorable Match series, Tyrone great Peter Canavan tells Brendan Crossan why Tyrone’s drawn Ulster final game with Down in 2003 was their springboard to All-Ireland success… 

THE GAA are awaiting clarification from the Irish Government on the “medical hurdles” that would need to be cleared before any headway can be made on whether playing matches behind closed doors or in front of a maximum 5,000 fans is viable.

DOWN forward Connaire Harrison fears a behind-closed-doors Championship would feel like a series of challenge games - and admits players face some big decisions when the green light is eventually given for inter-county football to return.

CONNAIRE Harrison was just starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

AN All-Ireland-winner with Down in 1991 and 1994, Ross Carr also represented his club Clonduff with distinction and lined out for Ulster in the Railway Cup.

The ongoing commitment of Tommy Lynch to Gaelic games and culture is lauded by Peter Makem.

IN establishing a new vision of hope for what the GAA’s 2020 calendar will look like, peering at what professional sports are doing is the wrong way to go.