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Would You Be Comfortable Playing GAA Now?

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Two players from my club are not going back this year for health and safety reasons. The two players are brothers and one has county experience. They live with their parents who have underlying health conditions. I would imagine there are lots of players planning on not going back. Can more be done to protect players that would entice them to play?

I seen Conor McGraynor's comments in relation to this and he makes good points by highlighting the difference in the soccer and rugby https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/310951

summerof09 (Meath) - Posts: 315 - 24/06/2020 22:45:09    2281769

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My sons have gone back and they have asthma, GAA clubs are doing all they can the chances of getting covid 19 is 1 in a million. I understand peoples fears and they have every right not to take part as this is a hobby after all, but saying that we cannot live in fear we are going to have to live with this for the next year i suspect so risk will be taken in that time. I feel alot more comfortable my son going to football training rather to than going to work in the local shop.

Tarismelting22 (Roscommon) - Posts: 760 - 25/06/2020 08:21:47    2281779

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Replying To summerof09:  "Two players from my club are not going back this year for health and safety reasons. The two players are brothers and one has county experience. They live with their parents who have underlying health conditions. I would imagine there are lots of players planning on not going back. Can more be done to protect players that would entice them to play?

I seen Conor McGraynor's comments in relation to this and he makes good points by highlighting the difference in the soccer and rugby https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/310951"
In all honesty, no. Certainly not contact training at the moment, anyway. Maybe some skills training if distancing can be guaranteed.

Countries which have tackled the crisis far better than Ireland are seeing resurgences having relaxed their lockdown (Germany, Austria, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan). And while we all love gaelic games, IMO it's simply not worth the risk of anyone getting sick or possibly passing on a fatal infection to a loved one.

And tbh, what I'm seeing here is that once the government allowed some partial relaxations, there was something of a "freedom overload" which saw many people flout the regulations altogether.

I personally think Ireland has a bit of a way to go before the risk is sufficiently minimized. In the case of the UK, it's crazy that they are opening the pubs when they had almost 900 cases the same day.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/06/2020 09:11:11    2281780

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I know there is close contact in GAA but unless the numbers do go back up drastically I can't see it being any more risky than all the other stuff people are up to since lockdown eased

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 25/06/2020 10:37:38    2281791

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Replying To Gleebo:  "In all honesty, no. Certainly not contact training at the moment, anyway. Maybe some skills training if distancing can be guaranteed.

Countries which have tackled the crisis far better than Ireland are seeing resurgences having relaxed their lockdown (Germany, Austria, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan). And while we all love gaelic games, IMO it's simply not worth the risk of anyone getting sick or possibly passing on a fatal infection to a loved one.

And tbh, what I'm seeing here is that once the government allowed some partial relaxations, there was something of a "freedom overload" which saw many people flout the regulations altogether.

I personally think Ireland has a bit of a way to go before the risk is sufficiently minimized. In the case of the UK, it's crazy that they are opening the pubs when they had almost 900 cases the same day."
I agree with you Gleebo, I think we have opened up far too much too soon, we should have stuck to our original plan to open up in the 5 phases. We all love gaelic games and want to play and watch matches but it is a hobby. If there is another outbreak, we will find it difficult to control. There is no chance that clubs up and down the country from all different sports are going to stick to the rules for a sustained period of months, maybe a year. The cul camps are a great example, kids from anywhere can attend and will be impossible to track and trace if there is a case at one of them. I hope I am just being pessimistic.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1873 - 25/06/2020 12:34:23    2281800

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I wouldn't have a problem myself but I understand for others how it will be a difficult decision. Unfortunately for what could be a very private issue for some, will become become public in a very big way. Unfortunately as well there will always be that section within the community who never understand it and will blame them for losing the best chance they ever had of wining the championship.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1799 - 25/06/2020 12:39:22    2281801

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Replying To zinny:  "I wouldn't have a problem myself but I understand for others how it will be a difficult decision. Unfortunately for what could be a very private issue for some, will become become public in a very big way. Unfortunately as well there will always be that section within the community who never understand it and will blame them for losing the best chance they ever had of wining the championship."
I think it's key that all pressure or criticism is shot down immediately. Even before covid there seemed to be a complete lack of understanding from some quarters that this is amateur and there is no shame in a player opting out of all the work and sacrifice it takes to play GAA at a high level

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 25/06/2020 13:13:41    2281804

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Replying To Green_Gold:  "I agree with you Gleebo, I think we have opened up far too much too soon, we should have stuck to our original plan to open up in the 5 phases. We all love gaelic games and want to play and watch matches but it is a hobby. If there is another outbreak, we will find it difficult to control. There is no chance that clubs up and down the country from all different sports are going to stick to the rules for a sustained period of months, maybe a year. The cul camps are a great example, kids from anywhere can attend and will be impossible to track and trace if there is a case at one of them. I hope I am just being pessimistic."
It's difficult for policymakers as this is an unprecedented situation and I'm sure they are coming under a lot of pressure from various lobby groups to reopen everything, especially from the business sector.

It just seems to me that slow and steady will win the race here. Just today, there are reports that Texas has seen a huge spike in cases following its reopening:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/how-texas-reopening-backfired-as-coronavirus-cases-surge-1.4288280

As of last Monday, there were over 500 coronavirus clusters in the State, meaning houses with two or more infections therein. I could imagine that this might increase in the event that organized sports training is given the green light nationwide.

It's just my opinion, but Ireland is not nearly at the point where the risk of infection has been minimized.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/06/2020 13:59:12    2281810

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Replying To Gleebo:  "It's difficult for policymakers as this is an unprecedented situation and I'm sure they are coming under a lot of pressure from various lobby groups to reopen everything, especially from the business sector.

It just seems to me that slow and steady will win the race here. Just today, there are reports that Texas has seen a huge spike in cases following its reopening:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/how-texas-reopening-backfired-as-coronavirus-cases-surge-1.4288280

As of last Monday, there were over 500 coronavirus clusters in the State, meaning houses with two or more infections therein. I could imagine that this might increase in the event that organized sports training is given the green light nationwide.

It's just my opinion, but Ireland is not nearly at the point where the risk of infection has been minimized."
Thing about the US and UK though is they are nowhere near the numbers that they need to be at to come out of lockdown but politics is winning over science in these places

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 25/06/2020 14:11:53    2281811

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In my own club we have players who live with old or vulnerable people and asthma but all have come back. It was made very clear no pressure and if a player didn't want to commit we all understood completely.

I think is a low chance out in the open. More chance of picking up the virus elsewhere...I just fear a second wave is inevitable.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 25/06/2020 14:35:50    2281813

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Replying To Breezy:  "Thing about the US and UK though is they are nowhere near the numbers that they need to be at to come out of lockdown but politics is winning over science in these places"
Yes, I agree with that. Johnson and Trump were initially very bullish about the prospects of mass contagion and were soon proven wrong, now it's all about restoring the economy even though there are circa 1,000 cases or thereabouts in those states per day. Bolsonaro has had to be rebuked publicly by a judge threatening to fine him every time he appears without wearing a face mask in public.

It doesn't seem coincidental that those countries adopting the most sceptical (cynical?) stances on Covid-19 are the ones seeing the worst transmission rates.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/06/2020 15:32:52    2281823

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Replying To yew_tree:  "In my own club we have players who live with old or vulnerable people and asthma but all have come back. It was made very clear no pressure and if a player didn't want to commit we all understood completely.

I think is a low chance out in the open. More chance of picking up the virus elsewhere...I just fear a second wave is inevitable."
Fair enough, can't really argue with that. I just know that there were a couple of potential cases in my club at one point (which thankfully came back negative from testing) which definitely gave me pause on whether a kickabout or puckabout was worth the hassle, particularly in the absence of any competitions at the moment.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/06/2020 15:36:33    2281824

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In my club in uk, we have cancelled all youth teams and cul camp this year over here its shameful what this goverment our doing.
we have put a questionnaire to both our mens and ladies teams to get a feeling off were they stand ( we have a number of teachers and NHS workers ).
Personally i would cancel all Gaa games over here throughout the country.

Yourjoking (USA) - Posts: 703 - 25/06/2020 16:33:21    2281831

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Not at all at the moment as the cases are increasing in the age group playing. It is the only age group which is increasing, which worries me a lot.
We are starting back training next week, but in fairness to management they are not putting pressure.
To be honest, I am more bothered this year than I would have been, I had decided to quit last year, as I have started a new job in Dublin. Covid-19 has meant I am around and the fixtures schedule is what I wanted for years.
But I am not sure I am comfortable.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1732 - 25/06/2020 21:50:07    2281844

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Replying To Gleebo:  "It's difficult for policymakers as this is an unprecedented situation and I'm sure they are coming under a lot of pressure from various lobby groups to reopen everything, especially from the business sector.

It just seems to me that slow and steady will win the race here. Just today, there are reports that Texas has seen a huge spike in cases following its reopening:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/how-texas-reopening-backfired-as-coronavirus-cases-surge-1.4288280

As of last Monday, there were over 500 coronavirus clusters in the State, meaning houses with two or more infections therein. I could imagine that this might increase in the event that organized sports training is given the green light nationwide.

It's just my opinion, but Ireland is not nearly at the point where the risk of infection has been minimized."
That 500 clusters figure sounds more alarming than it is as the vast majority are historic clusters. Over the same 3 day period that these clusters were reported there were 32 cases of new infections reported. To quote the Irish Times: " The significant difference in the number of new cases and reported clusters in private houses is down to a time lag in the reporting of family outbreaks". I have been keeping an eye on some county figures and your own county for instance hasn't had a new case at least since 12th June. Same for Galway.

That's not to disagree with you on the point that there could and probably will be a spike in new cases as restrictions continue to ease and particularly in a few months time when we are back in the flu season again. Everything is still very fragile and there is no room for complacency.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1902 - 25/06/2020 22:13:03    2281848

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Feck this nasty little bug anyway. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but it may well be that what was once normal behaviour has now changed irrevocably.
My own regard would be for the health service workers. It's bad enough those who should know better clog up the health system most weekends with drink and/or drug related conditions than to have this added to by the careless or couldn't-care-less brigade.
We've a health crisis that the government should do something about, or so commentators have said for umpteen years now. Nope, we've a health crisis that WE should do something about. In terms of social distancing, hygiene etc we can do something about it. The responsibility is our own

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1060 - 26/06/2020 11:36:31    2281865

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God..Santa Claus will be presenting Sam Maguire this year.

moros (Roscommon) - Posts: 1076 - 26/06/2020 12:05:41    2281866

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Replying To moros:  "God..Santa Claus will be presenting Sam Maguire this year."
Sorry to say but the good boys and girls of Limerick will be waking up to Liam under the tree so itll be lumps of coal for the rest of ye

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 26/06/2020 13:20:33    2281875

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Replying To Breezy:  "Sorry to say but the good boys and girls of Limerick will be waking up to Liam under the tree so itll be lumps of coal for the rest of ye"
Had to laugh at that lol I've my hotel booked for the 19th Dec ;)

All seriousness, The like of senior teams etc I think they should be old enough to choose whether they're willing to risk the consequences if (God Forbid) there is another outbreak.

Tyrone are splitting their Senior, Inter & Junior Leagues in 2 by region and condensing the season. Teams have the option to opt out of the current season but must do so by today. The championship is to be run as normal as Tyrone only did the straight knock out to begin with.

Youth wise, I think the season from U16 and above are to go ahead with U14's TBC due to the impact all these games in short notice will have on the referees and lack of. Blitz's has been given as an option for the U14 seasons but would like to think they will be rejected given the increased exposure and risk of catching/passing on the virus to what could be more vulnerable people.

Find_the_space (Tyrone) - Posts: 313 - 26/06/2020 15:29:58    2281890

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Replying To Maroonatic:  "Feck this nasty little bug anyway. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but it may well be that what was once normal behaviour has now changed irrevocably.
My own regard would be for the health service workers. It's bad enough those who should know better clog up the health system most weekends with drink and/or drug related conditions than to have this added to by the careless or couldn't-care-less brigade.
We've a health crisis that the government should do something about, or so commentators have said for umpteen years now. Nope, we've a health crisis that WE should do something about. In terms of social distancing, hygiene etc we can do something about it. The responsibility is our own"
I agree with the sentiment, but providing a much better health service comes at a cost: higher taxes. Countries such as Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, even the UK etc. have much better public healthcare systems than Ireland because they have higher rates of personal and corporate taxation.

I worked in Belgium for a while and was paying 60 per cent of my income in taxes and I wasn't even in the highest band.

IMO the limits of Ireland's race-to-the-bottom economic policies can be seen in any sort of a crisis, whether it be to do with utilities, health care or social care. The charity sector is massive in Ireland but in other European countries one would hardly notice it, because those services are well capitalised to begin with.

I don't personally mind as I've lived abroad and see the benefits of such a system, but I could foresee a lot of people in Ireland objecting to it.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 26/06/2020 15:48:11    2281893

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