John Fogarty: Why the GAA had to call time on club games

Beyond social responsibilities, the financial implications were too great for the organisation

The inability to enforce social distancing and to control post-match celebrations left the GAA with little alternative but to suspend club activities. ‘We felt we had no choice but to shut things down. The actual games weren’t really the problem, it was the post-match element,’ GAA president John Horan said. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie

Tue, 06 Oct, 2020 - 07:02

John Fogarty is the Irish Examiner’s GAA correspondent, with unique insights into the action on the pitch and in the Gaelic games’ corridors of power.

So 49 days after they waved a red flag at the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to come and show their proof, the GAA raised a white one yesterday.

Unable to control post-match celebrations and accepting “a lack of social distancing at certain events” was a problem, the leadership proposed to management committee that they admit defeat and club activities be suspended. With 11 senior finals from 64 still to be played, it wasn’t too considerable a loss but a loss nevertheless.