Ken Hogan: 2020 finals must be 'top of the queue' when GAA resumes

The St Rynagh's manager says failing to honour those fixtures would be "a huge kick in the teeth for any county"

Wed, 17 Feb, 2021 - 16:45

Paul Keane

Ken Hogan, manager of Offaly SHC finalists St Rynagh's, believes there is no chance of the outstanding club finals from 2020 being left behind in a new condensed GAA schedule for 2021.

The former Tipperary goalkeeper and manager was on the brink of leading St Rynagh's to back-to-back county titles when the plug was pulled on club activity last autumn.

The Cork, Donegal, and Waterford football deciders are also outstanding while the Ratoath club in Meath were on the verge of a historic senior double when the county hurling final was parked.

The list of senior club championships not completed in 2020 is in double figures and GAA director general Tom Ryan said in his annual report that "I sincerely hope those championships can be concluded" this year.

Hogan said that, for him, there is no question about the games going ahead as failing to honour those fixtures would be "a huge kick in the teeth for any county".

"They have to go ahead, they have to be honoured, they have to be finished," said Hogan. "I think everyone acknowledges that whenever games are back up and running, these have to be at the top of the queue.

"It would be a huge insult to any county championship to be left unfinished but I do feel it will happen, I don't think there's any question of those games being cancelled or anything.

"I think the GAA are very cognisant of the fact that those games must be played and are waiting to be played. It would be a huge kick in the teeth for any county to be denied that."

Ryan explained that club action was halted last October following exuberant celebrations in certain counties, stating that "with the health risk and reputational damage from a number of high profile post-match events, we had no alternative but to suspend the games in the remaining counties".

Hogan believes that allowing the Offaly decider to take place would have posed a low risk.

"We were going for a two in a row and our opponents Kilcormac-Killoughey would have won quite a few county titles in recent years so I think if we'd been instructed not to present a cup or not to have any celebrations, we'd have respected that.

"I think it was the same in Laois and Carlow where you didn't really have any new teams on the block likely to be winning a one-off title.

"It's water under the bridge now but there's no doubt it was a huge blow. I think Croke Park are conscious of the fact that it was a huge blow to all those counties.

"I'm a Tipp man but I'm involved all my life in Offaly hurling, I went to school in Birr, I have huge respect for Offaly hurling, and I grew up going to county finals.

"So county final is sacrosanct for me, it's so important for any county to finish their domestic fixtures. We were told and given a promise that the first games we played in the new GAA season would be county finals from 2020 so I really hope that comes to pass and I have no reason to believe it won't."

Hogan felt so sorry for former Offaly star Diarmuid Horan in particular as he returned from the US to play for Rynagh's last season and had to return on a pre-booked flight two days after the original county final fixture. It's unclear if he will be able to return for the rescheduled decider.

"The biggest loser last year was probably Diarmuid Horan, it was a huge blow to the likes of him," said Hogan. "He travelled home and stayed for three months. He and his family live for sport. We just don't know what his situation will be this year."