Although there has been a fair bit of communication over the past couple of days, the GAA’s season remains in limbo. There is optimism that a return from Level 5 pandemic restrictions to play, or at least training, can take place in April but the association knows that all such permissions are still dependent on an improving public health landscape.
On Wednesday, John Horan, now in his last few days as association president, gave an extensive interview on RTÉ Radio 1’s Today with Claire Byrne.
He expressed confidence on a range of issues from intercounty getting back training in April and playing in May, to juvenile recreational activities resuming at the same time, to fitting the national league into what looks like a rapidly narrowing calendar window and even to the return of spectators.
Later in the afternoon, a letter sent to the clubs from Horan and GAA director general Tom Ryan didn’t contradict all of that but took a more sober view of the possibilities ahead after the announcement of the Government’s The Path Ahead document, launched on Monday as the latest phase of the plan to manage the pandemic.
“There is no immediate change for sport outlined in the plan,” runs the letter, “and as per our last communication to you, it is clear that no on-field activity will be permitted – even at intercounty level – until Easter at the earliest.
“We will be seeking clarity on certain aspects of the provisions on sport in the new Government document and while the document does envisage the return of intercounty games at Level 4 and of some club games in Level 3, it remains impossible to plan a revised Master Fixtures calendar for 2021, as there is no indication at this point of when these levels may kick in.
“In the interim, and despite any speculation you may read or hear to the contrary, we would again reiterate that the GAA have not decided on what competitions may or may not be facilitated in any revised national fixture programme for 2021.”
Horan did appear to float some other options in respect of the possible fixtures schedule, whether that might be flipping the season by repeating 2020’s club-first approach or the idea of sandwiching the club season between county in early summer and also at the end of the year.
“What will influence that is how we move down the levels,” he said. “Obviously the first level that will come back for us is intercounty and it’s then how long will it be before the actual club gets back to full flow?
“It would be a bit presumptuous of me at the moment to give a definite on that but there is flexibility. There is movement within the actual arrangement but people can be confident and positive that the GAA will be back and will get through all our programme.”
It is, however, believed that the association will push ahead with the originally planned county first season if the hoped-for return to training in April happens. The problem is that without knowing precisely what the future holds in terms of the pandemic, no certainty is possible.
The clarity being sought in relation to a number of matters includes the news that senior clubs may return to action under Level 3 restrictions, which is an advance on Level 2, the previous benchmark, and also the anomaly that training isn’t included in the envisaged Level 4 return of senior intercounty activity.
One of the bases for optimism about a return to intercounty training in April – either as a Level 4 entitlement or a Level 5 exemption – is that it is a restricted activity, taking place within each county’s boundary and can be easily monitored.
Clarification being sought on clubs relates to whether senior refers to the grade at which the teams operate or the broader category of adult, which was how the category was interpreted in 2020.
Wednesday’s letter seeks to reassure members: “We also want to assure you that we will publish a revised National Fixtures calendar at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The GAA’s Covid Advisory Group, which was and remains integral to directing and managing any return to play, is not expected to meet until the Government issues updated guidelines.
In his radio interview, Horan was asked whether he was concerned that the Ulster counties in Northern Ireland, where the vaccine roll-out is expected to be faster than south of the Border, might be ready to return more quickly and that the season either side of the Border won’t match up.
“I’d be confident it will. If it doesn’t well then we’ll have to get our thinking caps on and be a little bit more flexible in the whole thing because we’ve said from the very beginning that we were never going to leave the North behind and we would also have a similar view, the North is not going to leave the South behind.
“We are a 32-county organisation and we value that and we will work together between both jurisdictions to make sure that it comes together for us.”
