Kieran Kingston holds on to hope as return date unknown

Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston: ‘People’s health and their livelihoods are incredibly serious matters, and it is only after that can you begin to think about sport.’ Picture: Eóin Noonan

Kieran Kingston is clinging tight to hope. In times so uncertain, there’s not much else one can do.

When asked if he can envisage a return to GAA activity before the year is out, the Cork hurling manager sees it as a somewhat futile exercise to get bogged down in a question that he, along with most others, cannot give a qualified answer to.

He simply points out that 2020 is plenty long yet and who knows what advances the summer or autumn months might bring.

“I know players are holding onto the hope that there will be sport in some shape or form [this year]. Supporters are holding onto hope. Managers are holding onto hope. I am holding onto hope,” Kingston begins.

“I don’t want to give up that hope. I certainly won’t give it up until I know for definite there is no hope.”

The Cork hurlers were due to begin their Munster campaign on Sunday week at home to Limerick. But with no start date in sight and the panel’s younger members busy with college exams, management have left the players to their own devices for the time being. And fine use they’ve made of said time, their 42-hour solo-run last weekend raising close to €60k for Marymount Hospice.

That the Covid-19 lockdown has impacted on Marymount’s ability to raise the €3.5m it requires to maintain its services on an annual basis offers yet another reminder of sports’ relevancy when there is a pandemic being fought.

“As an inter-county manager, or anyone involved in inter-county, it is important for all of us to step outside the bubble we might sometimes live in, and I mean that in the best possible way, and to recognise that the most important people at the moment and those who should be foremost in our thoughts are the families who have lost loved ones, those currently battling the virus, the elderly and vulnerable cocooning, healthcare workers putting their lives at risk, and those unfortunately who are going to die from this into the future,” says Kingston.

“We also cannot forget about businesses that may not open again and people who will lose their job as a result of this pandemic

“People’s health and their livelihoods are incredibly serious matters, and it is only after that can you begin to think about sport.

“Of course we would all love to see sport back. Players want to get back playing, supporters want to follow their team. Sport is exceptionally good for people’s physical and mental health, particularly in this climate, and it is a huge part of their lives and their culture.”

The Cork boss believes it would be helpful if Croke Park was to share with counties whatever contingency plans have been drawn up.

“From May 5, it would be great for everybody to have maybe some little bit more clarity as to what is proposed. Or if we said, ‘look, there are not going to be GAA games in May, June, July, August, and September even, or not at all for 2020’. If we knew when they were definitely not going to take place then we would have some idea as to when they might. If there was to be a frustration, that is probably one.

“Players and management would love to have some more definitive proposals or timelines, but I do recognise and understand it is a very difficult situation for those at hierarchy level. These are unprecedented times. These waters have never been charted before. We are rewriting history at the moment and so it is impossible to predict where this is going to go.”

Kingston has heard the various suggestions thrown out by commentators in recent weeks as to how GAA activity might return later in the year. The idea players would be subject to mass testing - which could see players swabbed before and after games - is cropping up more and more. The Cork manager has reservations.

“We talk a lot about the games, but however long the lead in to the games might be, whether it is two, three, or four weeks, is it practical to test every night we go training?

“Say we train on a Wednesday and everyone is tested, everyone is healthy, and all boxes are ticked and guidelines followed. But what happens between Wednesday and Friday, and then do you test on Friday night before we go training again? I don’t know how that would operate.

“I don’t think the GAA will take any risks with anyone’s health. I wouldn’t be asking players or backroom team personnel to go back into an environment that might create a risk for them, their family, their work colleagues, and the wider community. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.

“I have a mother that is 82-years of age. She is living on her own. Many players may have elderly people living with them or have a family member who is vulnerable with respect to Covid-19. If you were going back without it fully being safe to do so, you may have some players or backroom staff that will say, ‘unfortunately, I cannot take that risk’. Certainly, I wouldn’t ask a single person to take any sort of a risk.

“We are not talking about playing with an injury here. We are not talking about a tight hamstring where if you play, you could be out for six weeks, but if you don’t, you’ll be back in a fortnight. We are talking about people’s health, people’s lives, and the lives of their families and wider community.”

He added: “There is a lot of talk about club and inter-county, which would be safer to go back to or which wouldn’t be safer. That is disingenuous to any player. A club player is as important as a county player. They are all members of the association.”

With regard to his own bunch, he was extremely proud of the initiative shown in fundraising for Marymount.

“They are all in really good form because they had a great weekend of craic and banter whilst raising money for a fantastic cause.

“Even if they were told tomorrow that there was no hurling for five years, these guys are going to train away every day in some shape or form because it is what they love doing and it is who they are.”