The GAA have confirmed today that a number of coaching and games initiatives will not go ahead in 2020 due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Included in these are Féile na
Gael 2020 in hurling and camogie which was to be hosted in Dublin, Kildare and
Meath on the 5th, 6th and 7th June.
Also gone from the schedule is
the Féile na nÓg National football tournaments where were to be held
across Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone on the weekend of 26th - 28th June.
The Celtic Challenge hurling
development competition which involves all 32 counties at U17 level has
also been removed from the 2020 schedule, along with all activity involving
Academy Squads.
All GAA academy initiatives also cancelled for 2020- there will be no under - 14, under -15 or under -16 Galway Academy teams in hurling or football this year.
The news was relayed in a
letter to all clubs and GAA units from GAA Director General Tom Ryan today.
The letter reads:
As part of our collective
efforts in dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak, it is our intention to
communicate with our units on a regular basis and keep you informed of
developments as they happen.
The GAA can today confirm that
a number of coaching and games initiatives will not proceed in light of the
prevailing circumstances.
These include the 2020 Féile
competitions, the Celtic Challenge and activity involving Academy Squads.
It has also been confirmed
that the Connacht Senior Football Championship meeting between New York and
Galway, scheduled to take place in Gaelic Park, New York on May 3rd, has been
postponed
The future for this fixture
will be considered at a later date and in the context of the anticipated
overall re-drawing of the national fixtures calendar for 2020 as necessitated
by the ongoing disruption to the GAA games programme.
We will add to this list as
further cancellations arise.
The Association would like to
reassure our members that when games activity re-commences we will provide an
adequate games schedule for our players at all ages and grades.
In the meantime, we are
working on a unified approach for all of our units on the issue of Games
Development and Administration personnel and will be liaising
with our Provincial Councils and County Committees in the coming
days.
Thank you for your combined
efforts to date.
These efforts have the
potential to make a massive difference and it is in this vein that we ask you
to continue to mobilise the GAA network and our wider membership in the interests
of public health and the greater good.
Please continue to exercise
caution relating to social distancing and coughing and sneezing etiquette and
continue to refer to HSE.ie for more detailed advice.
Tomás Ó Riain, Ard Stiúrthóir
