What does life inside a GAA county team bubble look like?

All players left individually and had to have official letters outlining their reasons for travelling in case of Garda checkpoints

Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin arrives at Cusack Park on Sunday. Pictures: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

An inauspicious email arrived early last week to the office of Fermanagh GAA, asking if they would name their panel for that weekend’s Allianz League game against Clare.

Such efficient administration is a matter of course, but still it irked a few in a county who were busy putting together a medical document and accompanying letter from the team medic, Dr Niall Gibson, as supporting evidence in their bid to have the game postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the panel.

A few days before, only 11 players trained. Manager Ryan McMenamin was entirely unaware of who would be fit to play, so he named a panel of 18. By Sunday, that was increased to 26, but some players who had been confined to their bed with Covid symptoms a week before ended up playing for their county in a crucial fixture.

For Aidan McElroy who handles the logistics, it was the week that had his head in a spin cycle.

Back in March, he had already dealt with Sean Lally, the proprietor of Hotel Woodstock just outside Ennis, prior to lockdown to organise their booking. Then came lockdown.

When McElroy got back to Lally, they needed to increase their rooms allocation from 20 to 35, given they couldn’t have players sharing.

They hadn’t that availability.

They began dealing with another hotel but as soon as Fermanagh’s case began receiving national attention, they withdrew their offer. In time, Lally came back and cancellations had freed up enough rooms at the Woodstock to accommodate the panel.

Fermanagh's Aidan Breen arrives at Cusack Park.

Around noon on Saturday, players all left individually in their own cars. Exceptions to that were those already in a bubble such as players who live together in student housing, or brothers. The mileage forms will be interesting.

Players from the south of the county picked up their packed lunches in Cavan while others collected it in Enniskillen.

All had to have official letters outlining their reasons for travelling in case of Garda checkpoints.

Most pulled in for a pitstop at Athlone, and with the roads eerily empty, they reached the hotel around 3.30pm.

Mercifully, they were not required to wear any heavy bells to alert other hotel residents of their presence.

Indeed, they found a friendly welcome.

“They had a wedding on at the same time and the caretaker of Cusack Park was actually at it and was telling me how well he had the surface looking,” recalls McMenamin.

“When we came in, some of the guests were coming up and speaking to us about the match. They were Clare people and I got the sense they thought the match should have been off.

But there was no real apprehension, they came up, we had a bit of craic with them and chatted. It was 100% that way.”

After they loosened up outside, they had the use of a huge function room. Each table had a seating plan, six designated people who could only sit together for their dinner of chicken or salmon with steamed veg, rice, or potatoes. Unless they were eating, they all wore face masks for the duration they were indoors.

From there it was up to their rooms to watch television and kill the hours before a supper and team meeting. Team captain Eoin Donnelly and wife Claire have a new baby in their home so the full night’s sleep was very much appreciated for Donnelly, who had a five-hour journey from his home in Down.

On Sunday, the party was stopped at two entry points to Cusack Park to confirm all names.

Those with the clipboards had 40 names down of those permitted to enter. Stewards were assigned to the squad for monitoring toilet access and social distancing.

The Fermanagh team make their way out onto the pitch for the second half.

They changed into their gear in the stand. Three teenagers were making their county debuts in goalkeeper Seán McNally and defenders Luke Flanagan and Josh Largo-Ellis. Daire Ó Cathain was another debutant.

They spent half-time in the stand, and afterwards there were no showers, as per the current restrictions before they returned to the hotel for a quick meal and the return journey.

McMenamin’s duties were not complete though as he addressed the media on the week he and his players had just endured.

“By the time I came back to the hotel, everybody was already gone. They all got their meal and I was left on my own,” he laughs. 

I drove back up and I was listening to the Tyrone game on the radio and missed my turn off! I had to turn back down the N6. I could see a sign for Corofin and I knew I was in bother then!”

When he reflects on the game that cost Fermanagh their Division Two status, he will recognise familiar failings — that of accuracy in shooting. It’s cost them all year, but with their playing ranks already severely stretched there were a few signs of encouragement in their two-point defeat.

“For me, it was a wee bit weird when I think back to when I was playing. We used to meet up all the time at different parts of a hotel, for a coffee in the lobby to chat about anything,” he says.

“Players are already used to this through club football. Things like getting togged out in the stand at Cusack Park. It doesn’t really phase the boys too much.”

Fermanagh manager Ryan McMenamin speaks to his players after the match.

With Down coming to Brewster Park on November 8, they are keen to move on but still there will be a feeling they got rough justice from above.

“I am also aware that for the GAA, this is a new situation, but I think that they are going to have to look at this. There has to be a human element to our games too and that is lost sometimes on the hierarchy,” added McMenamin.

“People can say, ‘let’s just get the games played and into the Championship,’ but you have to look at the human side of it.

I know the appeal was very well thought out and there was a lot of time put into it, the letter from our doctor, but the response we got? A text first and then an email saying the game was on.

“It’s one of the things in the future they might handle differently.”