Munster GAA chief warns insurance could delay return to action

Munster chairman Liam Lenihan has raised concerns about insurance covering players returning to action.

Among the four provincial chairs contacted by the Irish Examiner, Limerick man Lenihan stressed how vital an inter-county championship is for the GAA’s finances, although he is adamant that clubs should return first to action should activity be given the green light as per the Government’s roadmap on July 20.

The GAA’s management committee, of which Lenihan, Gerry McGovern (Connacht), Pat Teehan (Leinster) and Ulster’s Oliver Galligan are members, are set to discuss the document in the coming days. However, no firm decision on when competitive games will restart is expected to be made.

That being said, clubs are seeking guidance on whether from Monday week their teams can return to training collectively in pods of four players. Those small groups must not contravene the five kilometre stay at home limit, which is in place until June 7 and increases to 20km for the following three weeks before travel restrictions are lifted.

Uncertainty about insurance being provided for such activity could be lifted by the end of the week. “We have to wait for further instructions and obviously the powers-that-be will be meeting this week because clubs have been asking can they go back training in smaller numbers on May 18,” said Lenihan.

“I have been asked about it and I’ve told clubs to hold their horses because we have to check insurance, which will be crucial. A group of four training away might be fine if you have six to eight groups doing it who is going to supervising them and ensuring they follow the guidelines set out by the HSE? All those matters have to be ironed out and I think insurance is going to be key.”

In mid-March, Lenihan estimated games wouldn’t resume until June at the earliest and he now doesn’t anticipate club fixtures taking place until late summer and inter-county championship until the autumn.

“If there is an inter-county resumption, it will be in the autumn. The club championships should be played first and unfortunately everything will have to be on a knock-out basis because we don’t know when this virus will reoccur, so if we get one chance at it play the club championships first and then move to the inter-county.

“From October 4 to the end of November, we have nine Sundays. That’s what I’m looking at. It’s vital for the GAA that there is an inter-county championship because of the income involved.

“With social distancing, big venues would be able to take a reasonable crowd two metres apart. There would be no problem in Croke Park, no problem in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and I reckon Thurles and the Gaelic Grounds would be okay as well.”

The roadmap has raised hopes of Gaelic Games being played this summer never mind this year but Ulster chairman Galligan has urged caution. “It’s easy to say we will go back and play games but we have to look at the bigger picture and well-being of our members and their families. The wider picture is players go home to parents and grandparents and if anything happened we would never live it down as an association.

“The prime issue is that we must be directed by the medical people. We can say things like going behind closed doors and playing games but we have to be directed by the experts. They’re the people who will really call the shots at the end of the day.

“Clubs could be first but you don’t use them as guinea pigs,” added Galligan, echoing Club Players Association chairman Micheál Briody’s comments on the Irish Examiner podcast. “Lads have to come in, go into a dressing room afterwards and shower and it’s a contact sport. You can extend referee David Gough’s thinking into the playing of the game. He’s touching the ball and all the players are touching the ball and that’s another area that has to be looked at as well.”

Leinster chairman Teehan chose not to offer his personal opinion before giving it at the next Coiste Bainisti meeting. He said: “The GAA’s view has been we will play games when we’re told it’s medically fit to do so and that hasn’t changed. We have yet to discuss what happened last Friday at management (committee).”

However, Connacht president McGovern, who last week called for the 2020 GAA season to be cancelled, has softened his view slightly. “Everything is dependent on what the HSE advise. Who knows what might happen in a month’s time. Things might change. I made my comments considering what another bout of coronavirus might do if we relaxed our vigilance and I retain that view but we have to wait and see.”

Although it was revealed that the Northern Ireland Assembly were not briefed on the Irish Government’s roadmap, Galligan hopes there would be consensus between medics in the North and the South so that Ulster would be provided with clear guidelines as restrictions are eased.

“Of course, being in Ulster and two jurisdictions, someone in Dublin might say something different to what somebody says in Belfast. I wouldn’t say I would ignore what the governments are saying but it’s the medical people who are the people to follow.”

Lenihan is proud of what GAA clubs have been doing for the elderly during the lockdown and hopes pensioners would be able to take in games via the media were there to return.

“GAA people have been looking after those who have to cocoon and I must say they have been brilliant. In my own parish (Tournafulla), I know a few people who ring them late at night to ensure they are okay and ring them again in the morning. It’s great now for the elderly that they can get out and walk.

“If we can get games up and going, you would have to decide then who could go to games and who would you give priority. If we could get the games on TV and radio it would be brilliant. As regards the club games, I’ve heard streaming being mooted but the rights would have to be sorted.”

The knock-out championships across the board that Lenihan speaks about wouldn’t be a problem for Galligan. “Our draw would remain were that to be the case, I imagine, and if it’s not played this year it will be remain for next year. Cavan and Monaghan in a preliminary round, you couldn’t get much better than that and then Donegal and Tyrone in a quarter-final? Knock-out wouldn’t be an issue with us at all.”