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The New Normal: Bredagh GAC chairman Malcolm McFarlane on how the GAA stepped up during lockdown

At the start of lockdown, Belfast GAA club Bredagh teamed up with other sports clubs to distribute food to elderly and vulnerable people. Claire Simpson speaks to club chairman Malcolm McFarlane about how the GAA has responded to the pandemic.

Bredagh chairman Malcolm McFarlane pictured last month. Picture by Mal McCann
Bredagh chairman Malcolm McFarlane pictured last month. Picture by Mal McCann Bredagh chairman Malcolm McFarlane pictured last month. Picture by Mal McCann

“Whenever the requirement was, the GAA stepped up to it.”

Malcolm McFarlane, chairman of Bredagh GAC, said he was proud that his GAA club was one of many across Ireland who distributed food during lockdown.

“I think they (the GAA) recognised their place in society and they stepped up to the mark right across the island,” he said.

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At the start of lockdown, Bredagh, along with Rosario Football Club and youth centre and Ormeau Boxing Club teamed up to distribute food to elderly and vulnerable people in the Ormeau area.

The clubs also worked with Ballynafeigh Unionist Forum and Cultural Society in an area of south Belfast which was marked by severe community tensions during the Troubles.

“Historically south Belfast might have been a bit more difficult,” Mr McFarlane said.

“We would be quite proud of the fact of how all the clubs and Ballynafeigh came together and past divisions were set aside.

“There was a recognition of the need in the area and we all just buckled down to it. We saw this as an opportunity to give back to the community. You saw sports clubs all over the country doing this.”

Mr McFarlane said the clubs distributed food worth around £70,000.

“Over the three months that we were operating we were delivering to around 130 houses per week,” he said.

He added: “It was a huge amount of money. We got £6,000 to £7,000 worth of grants but the rest was purely community donations.”

He said although the food distribution service ended in June the clubs were “poised and ready (to set it up again) if that is required”.

Bredagh has between 1,200 and 1,300 members, making it one of the largest sporting clubs in Belfast.

Mr McFarlane said it was a "huge relief" that competitive sport was allowed over the summer.

“Our season was short but it was such a relief to get any sort of a season," he said. 

"At one stage we thought there would be nothing this year… People were that happy to get some sort of competitive sport this year…We knew by the last couple of weeks we were in bonus territory, once we moved into the middle of September and saw how the numbers (of Covid-19 infections) were going.”

After the GAA suspended all competitive matches at the start of last month, Bredagh continued to allow under-age players and teams to train until tougher coronavirus measures were introduced by the Executive several weeks ago.

Bredagh GAC chairman Malcolm McFarlane. Picture by Mal McCann
Bredagh GAC chairman Malcolm McFarlane. Picture by Mal McCann Bredagh GAC chairman Malcolm McFarlane. Picture by Mal McCann

Mr McFarlane said that the ability to train and play matches over the summer had provided a lifeline for many people.

“The mental health part of this - it’s so important that we address it… It was all well and good telling youngsters in March ‘that’s you off school’ but the novelty of that ran out very quickly for them,” he said.

“Those kids wanted to see their wee friends. They couldn’t see their friends again until they were allowed down at training in July.

“We were able to give them one outlet which helped them mentally and physically… We had 110% attendance because everyone came back and (some said) ‘my friend wants to join up’ - there was a surge that way.

“You had members or past members who traditionally would travel to America or Australia for the summer months. This year they found themselves stuck in lockdown in Belfast. They re-engaged and in hurling we were able to field both a senior team and a reserve senior team - the same with ladies’ football."

Originally from Bright in Co Down, Mr McFarlane has been involved in Bredagh for more than 15 years.

He said strict Covid regulations were a key factor in enabling matches to be played over the summer. But he admitted the regulations did place an administrative burden on volunteers.

“The GAA produced back-to-playing guidelines,” he said.

“Included in them was a health questionnaire which every player had to fill in in advance of attendance. You had to keep attendance records. Each squad had to have a Covid officer to supervise and take attendance records. We checked those against the health questionnaires so no-one was arriving and saying ‘I have a bit of a sore head’ when they were told not to come.

“We had to make sure hands were sanitised before going on to the playing fields or leaving. The officer also had to make sure the kits were washed and bagged and brought back. All equipment had to be sanitised. There were all these things you had to do multiplied by 30-odd teams. I think our initial spend on sanitisers was something like £2,500."

He said the regulations meant that parents had to drive their children to games.

"You couldn’t have the old scenario of the coach taking three or four with him," he said.

He said the club's finances have been affected by the pandemic.

“We’re hoping financially that it balances out for us," he said.

“We rent facilities off Belfast City Council. We’re booking pitches and they suddenly other teams aren’t travelling because they’ve maybe had an outbreak (of Covid) or they have a couple of people shielding.

He added: “There have been additional costs levelled. There’s just nothing you can do about those sort of things.”

Mr McFarlane appealed to everyone to adhere to government guidelines around social distancing and the wearing of masks, particularly young people in their late teens and early twenties.

“We don’t want them to go into sheltered living but just want them to consider the repercussions of their actions,” he said.

“If they are out partying they can bring it back to their parents who could bring it back to their grandfather.

“They have to be admired for what they did in the first lockdown but they have to be aware.”

He added: “I don’t see this virus just going away. We’ll just have to take it one day at a time."