"From an ex-player and current manager point of view it's annoyed me"
February 15, 2021
Former Tyrone footballer Enda McGinley. ©INPHO/Donall Farmer.
New Antrim football manager Enda McGinley says he’s annoyed with the Irish government’s decision not to include inter-county GAA training and games as elite sport.
As a result, no GAA activity is expected to take place until after Easter as the government continues with its Level 5 restrictions to battle the spread of Covid-19.
Speaking to BBC Sport Northern Ireland, three-time All-Ireland winner McGinley feels the GAA should be recognised as an elite sport.
"From an ex-player and current manager point of view it's annoyed me. While it’s not a professional sport it is an elite sport,” said the former Tyrone midfielder.
He added: "As someone said the GAA might not be professional but in terms of how the county teams prepare, the effort that goes into it, the technology that goes into it and the demands that are placed on the players in terms of preparation are elite - their mindset has to be elite to even get near competing at that level.
"For me it was an unfortunate discussion point, unnecessarily raised in the last week - it has been a complete hit from left-field."
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