RTE Sport have reported that GAA Clubs can apply to open running tracks around there premises from the 8th of June. This is significant as it will set the ball rolling for other smaller sports to return in Ireland.
However RTE state they there will likely be no return to the use of club fields or club facilities from small training. All GAA facilities under the current phases are not to open on July 20th at least, but that could be pushed forward now owing to the drop in Covid 19 cases and related deaths.
Speaking to Newstalk, former Meath All-Ireland winner and Sunday Game Pundit, Colm O’Rourke, has called on the GAA to open up club grounds in a controlled manner. O’Rourke said that he also expects to see some sort of championship in 2020. He said, “I would hope that there would be [senior inter-county matches] by late summer”. Furthermore, he said an October starting date would be to late and he would like to see games return in August. “I think it’s a blunt instrument we have at the moment. I would certainly think that GAA pitches should be open in a controlled manner.”
O’Rourke also stated that if the GAA were to open running/walking tracks that they would be considered quite safe for older people to use them. He said, “I was at a club the other night and two older people walked past the gate of the club where there was a beautiful walking track available and they were walking on a very busy road,”. “I think we should be urging less caution, not more, and I think young people, in many cases in parts of Dublin, social distancing seems to have gone out the window with them.
It remains to be seen what will come out of this but expect an update from the GAA in the coming days.
