OFFALY WON’T BE fulfilling this weekend’s Christy Ring Cup fixture against Kildare, with the Lilywhites to receive a walkover.
It comes after an Offaly GAA statement issued this evening confirmed that a member of the county’s senior hurling panel tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday.
The unnamed individual hadn’t trained since 13 October, but Offaly say that “almost every member” of the panel has been considered a close contact by the HSE. The players must subsequently isolate until 27 October.
“Offaly GAA County Board officers have liaised with GAA officials in Croke Park since this issue arose on Wednesday afternoon,” the statement explained.
“Our preferred option was for a postponement of the game, but we understand that this course of action is not possible as all GAA championships must be completed in a short timeframe.”
Offaly and Kildare were scheduled to meet in the opening round of the Christy Ring Cup at Bord na Móna O’Connor Park in Tullamore on Saturday afternoon. However, Michael Fennelly’s side will now be relying on the back-door route.
The statement added: “We hope to participate in the second round of the Christy Ring Cup on the weekend of 7/8 November, when the players who are restricting their movements will hopefully be available. They are currently availing of the GAA’s rapid testing facility.
“Offaly GAA wish to stress that we would be prepared to participate in Saturday’s game with a depleted squad. However, it is simply not feasible with over 25 players ruled out.
“We also wish to emphasise that the County Board, team management, players and backroom staff have followed HSE and GAA guidelines in relation to Covid-19 at all times, and had expected that the panel members would have been deemed ‘casual contacts’ rather than ‘close contacts’ of the one player with Covid-19.
“Finally, Offaly GAA accept that this is short notice for Kildare ahead of Saturday’s fixture, but wish to assure them that since this matter arose on Wednesday afternoon, we have been working tirelessly to avoid this unfortunate situation whereby the game cannot proceed as fixed.”
GAA should have been closed down altogether it’s shambolic really
@Jonnie Marre: 100% agree, completely non essential.
@Jonnie Marre: your comment is shambolic
@Jonnie Marre: Curtain twitcher.
@Jonnie Marre: stop being so hysterical
@Jim Buckley Barrett: go back to the rugby articles
@Mike Kelly: ah stop,he’s dead right,not a chance of either code finishing this year,shambolic just about sums it up,Fermanagh missing 17 last Sunday, what is the point of that ?
This is a joke now, stop all GAA competitions and training.
@Seán Dillon: the gov document is called ‘living with covid’ not ‘cancel life’ or ‘hide in your house’
Close all these amateur games down a.s.a.p. and join in the Lockdown as it is meant to be. Already too much emphasis on how to find loopholes and how to get around guidelines. I think to make sacrifices and try and abate the present surge by lying low .
If they were all deemed close contacts then they must not have been following the rules.
@Lurfic: they’re training together?
@Lad: Exactly, gaa needs to be shut down. It’s clearly not safe
@Lad: training together wouldn’t class them as close contacts. It would be normal for one or two teammates to be classed as close contacts. If the whole panel have been effected, they’ve been doing something they shouldn’t have
@Lurfic: I agree, something not right if they are all deemed close contacts. Training is classed as casual contact.
Cancel the GAA. We watch enough TV right now. Open the golf clubs. They are safe and can be played alone if needs be. Not even for myself. I’m young , I’ll be okay. The older members of the club really need it right now. It’s exercise and something to really look forward to. To close them was a political decision and it needs to change.
@IrelandForChange: The golf courses are shut but GAA isn’t? Doesn’t make sense at all.
Time to call a halt to Inter county games before it descends into a farce
GAA need to do the right thing and pull all competitions.
@Mick Jones Arm (aka Ciarán): and what about rugby and other elite sports
@Mike Kelly: you mean Professional sports. Hurling is an elite sport I’ll give you that.
poor Offaly, have they gone down 2 divisions in 2 years? This could make it 3. Laois were a breath of fresh air in the top tier last year though.
It’s just ridiculous, it won’t work
Close Gaa. Open the golf courses… :-/