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Post by Galway breeze on Apr 21, 2020 22:18:38 GMT
Delighted that some form of direction has been announced today. Players and fans can now feel this is 2020 put to bed and can look forward to 2021 once Gaa come out and say. Eddie Jones makes a very valid point saying that Rugby outfits and all the technology will be reduced come rugby’s return, and this will produce a better player. Gaa should look at this whole area and follow cutting back and not falling for all the fallacy.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Apr 22, 2020 12:46:02 GMT
It has been pretty much inevitable that we'd have no games this Summer but hearing today's announcement makes it real. At this point I think the GAA should just announce that 2020 championships are null and void, allow the players to just go and live their lives for a while and hopefully hit the ground running in 2021. On that point why is it automatically assumed that Dublin retain Sam , if no contest surely there's no winner. I don't think sports will deem anyone winners or losers for quiet a while, fear is we go back to 'normality' too quick only to get a backlash and which could put 2021 in jeopardy. Nobody knows much about this cursed thing and if that's the case then opening fast food outlets is crazy, I mean they are hardly 'essential services' and apart from a PR job for individual players they won't even put a dent in the beef industry issues. Given the undisputed asymptomatic aspect, i.e. people that have it but show no signs but they can still reinfect others, I think we need to redefine what 'normality is', it is now respecting the threat until it is o longer a threat. The vulnerable are on death row and we are told the worst is yet to come. Poor countries could be wiped out as they have no buying power, so no protection - Doing my head in like everyone else and maybe if we start to share that reality then it breaks the back of it, i.e. problem shared is halved. Stay safe GAA folks! Ballythefireside Quote of The Day - If creativity loves constraint, there was never more going on than right now.PS Sean Kelly appears to have taken me too seriously here, being far too creative - I'd be the forever optimist but the reality is that false optimism will only make the work of Gardai harder as some will interpret sound Sean's voice as a relaxation of rules, and, well we know the rest. We have been told the worst is yet to come so while we hope we get a 2020 competition, it is down the list from saving vulnerable souls - maybe Sean's likes should watch that TV program on the poor Italians on death row, and/or visit a home here where the story isn't so good. Sean's views are obviously personal, don't think he has thought his one through, ah maybe he will stir a response and issue an 'update.'
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Post by sandradee on Apr 22, 2020 16:59:44 GMT
It has been pretty much inevitable that we'd have no games this Summer but hearing today's announcement makes it real. At this point I think the GAA should just announce that 2020 championships are null and void, allow the players to just go and live their lives for a while and hopefully hit the ground running in 2021. On that point why is it automatically assumed that Dublin retain Sam , if no contest surely there's no winner. I don't think sports will deem anyone winners or losers for quiet a while, fear is we go back to 'normality' too quick only to get a backlash and which could put 2021 in jeopardy. Nobody knows much about this cursed thing and if that's the case then opening fast food outlets is crazy, I mean they are hardly 'essential services' and apart from a PR job for individual players they won't even put a dent in the beef industry issues. Given the undisputed asymptomatic aspect, i.e. people that have it but show no signs but they can still reinfect others, I think we need to redefine what 'normality is', it is now respecting the threat until it is o longer a threat. The vulnerable are on death row and we are told the worst is yet to come. Poor countries could be wiped out as they have no buying power, so no protection - Doing my head in like everyone else and maybe if we start to share that reality then it breaks the back of it, i.e. problem shared is halved. Stay safe GAA folks! Ballythefireside Quote of The Day - If creativity loves constraint, there was never more going on than right now.PS Sean Kelly appears to have taken me too seriously here, being far too creative - I'd be the forever optimist but the reality is that false optimism will only make the work of Gardai harder as some will interpret sound Sean's voice as a relaxation of rules, and, well we know the rest. We have been told the worst is yet to come so while we hope we get a 2020 competition, it is down the list from saving vulnerable souls - maybe Sean's likes should watch that TV program on the poor Italians on death row, and/or visit a home here where the story isn't so good. Sean's views are obviously personal, don't think he has thought his one through, ah maybe he will stir a response and issue an 'update.' Why not? There are plenty of well qualified Virologists, Microbiologists and Doctors talking out about it. You will learn nothing from Leo and RTE. Please do your research.
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 23, 2020 17:06:38 GMT
IrishExaminerOpen Menu
Michael Murphy: "I always look at my life as football being the be-all and end-all, but this is probably one of the occasions in my whole life where I realise that maybe there is something every bit as important."
By Paul Keane Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 07:00 AM Donegal great Michael Murphy hasn’t given up hope of Championship activity this summer — despite the Government’s decision to ban all mass gatherings until September at least.
The Glenswilly man is currently in lockdown with his parents at the family home. But, in an interview for Benetti Menswear, he says he is still looking forward to football in 2020.
Learn more “Where do I see it? I still believe in my heart of all hearts that there’s still going to be a Championship this year, for ourselves footballing wise,” said Murphy.
“But that’s solely football and I think the most vital thing for us at the moment, as a county in Donegal, and as a country in Ireland...I mean I think the work that frontline staff are doing at the moment and the work that by and large everyone in the country is doing to help tackle this, to help stem this, is unbelievable.
“It’s really hit home with me. I always look at my life as football being the be-all and end-all. This is probably one of the occasions in my whole life where I realise that maybe there is something every bit as important.”
Murphy reckons he’ll have a different perspective on life and sport when the national health emergency ends.
“I think so, I think a lot of people will,” said Murphy.
“There are moments that come across us on a yearly basis or maybe on a monthly basis, where everybody sort of stops and checks themselves and they say, ‘You know what, I’m not going to take things as serious anymore’ or ‘I’m going to put value on things that I should be putting value into’.
"This prolonged period now, for myself, means you’re doing that a lot.”
Murphy admits he has lived with a decade of regret and feeling that he let his former colleagues down.
The 2012 All-Ireland winning captain wasted a glorious opportunity to win the U21 title for Donegal in 2010 when he smacked a last-gasp penalty against the crossbar.
Dublin escaped with a two-point win and Murphy admitted it ‘still rankles’ as he felt he ‘let the whole group of lads down’.
The 30-year-old went on to redeem himself with five Ulster senior wins and the 2012 All-Ireland.
But he’s never forgotten 2010 or, apparently, forgiven himself and revealed that he’s so sorry for his ex-colleagues.
“It’s difficult, it was horrible, you were captain of the team,” said Murphy.
“It was the really stereotypical moment where you felt you let the whole group of lads down. You felt you let the whole county down basically.
“The whole county came out in absolutely massive numbers. Listen, it was just horrible. And it still rankles with me.
“Because every time you see those lads, there’s a couple that are still in the senior team at the moment, any time you bump into one of them you still have that in the back of your mind that you basically lost a medal for them.
“For me personally, it was either sink or swim, get up and get on with it and push on.
“That was on the Saturday night and I remember there was a club league game, I think it was the Bank Holiday Monday, I think we were playing Glenties and we got a penalty in the first 10 minutes.
“There was a kind of a quiet eeriness surrounding the place.
“I think some of the Glenties fans were hoping for a repeat!”
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 25, 2020 10:30:38 GMT
Irish Times Logo User Menu NEWS LIFE Lifting the lockdown: What are the plans? Simon Carswell Apr 25, 2020 14 min read 2 We can do it: a mural by the artist Emmalene Blake on a gate in Dublin thanks healthcare workers on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
INTENSE DISCUSSIONS ARE TAKING PLACE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AMONG POLITICIANS, HEALTH OFFICIALS AND OTHERS ABOUT WHEN TO BEGIN REOPENING IRELAND, AND HOW FAR TO GO. HERE IS WHAT’S BEING DISCUSSED It has been called “the hammer and the dance”. This is the ebb-and-flow approach countries must follow to reopen their societies after enforced lockdowns to stem coronavirus outbreaks.
The term was coined by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Tomas Pueyo in a widely shared blogpost to explain how to lift social distancing restrictions while monitoring any resurgence in Covid-19 disease that has killed close to 200,000 people globally and more than 1,000 on the island of Ireland.
The “hammer” is the lockdown – strictly enforcing physical distancing rules to stop outbreaks – while the “dance” is the combination of comprehensive and rapid testing, isolating infected people and tracing their contacts to manage the virus while easing restrictions.
Ireland sits precariously between the two. The Government is seeing the benefits of the hammer, with infection rates, hospital admissions and deaths declining.
It is now choreographing the dance to pave the way for some restrictions to be eased when they expire in 10 days, on May 5th, the end of the May Bank Holiday weekend, though officials have warned that they could be extended because of “slippage” in compliance.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, has warned that failure to adhere to Covid-19 restrictions could see Ireland "lose a lot of the progress" that the country has made in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Video: RTÉ
Sources say that whenever the relaxations come, they will not happen all at once, that they will be in phases or waves over several months, or longer. Some restrictions are likely to be in place until a vaccine or effective anti-viral treatments are found or research shows the population has reached a level of mass immunity. None of those milestones is likely to be reached soon.
The State’s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned this week that he was “very concerned” about public complacency setting in and warned that it was still not safe to lift any restrictions, saying people should not automatically assume anything will change on May 5th.
Intense, complex discussions are ongoing behind closed doors in Government departments between politicians, public health officials and civil servants, in consultation with advisers, and industry representatives outside, about how far, how quickly and how best to reopen.
Signs reminding people to adhere to social distancing in Corkagh Park in Dublin. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO. SIGNS REMINDING PEOPLE TO ADHERE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING IN CORKAGH PARK IN DUBLIN. PHOTOGRAPH: LASZLO GECZO/INPHO. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says a plan will be shared with the public before May 5th.
If there is a loosening of restrictions by then – and they are likely to be small, limited steps – they will be followed by a “wait and see” period of at least 14 days and up to 28 days, the equivalent two 14-day incubation periods of the disease, to see if the changes lead to an increase in infections.
The reopening will not follow the same switch-flicking introduction that locked down the country in two phases in March when cases of coronavirus were increasing at an alarming rate.
Public health officials, while complimenting the level of compliance with the restrictions, recognise the toll that they are having on people, particularly the over 70s and medically vulnerable “cocooning” at home.
“We are conscious of how difficult this has been for people,” says Cillian De Gascun, chair of the Covid-19 expert advisory group at the Department of Health’s National Public Health Emergency Team. “We are conscious of the cure not being worse than the disease. We do want, if it is safe to do so, to be able to lift restrictions in a measured, phased way. It is a very delicate process.”
Among the main measures being considered on public distancing is whether the two-kilometre limit from homes could be increased to five or 10 kilometres in the first phase of restrictions being lifted. This could allow people to spend more time outside as long as they follow the physical distancing restrictions of keeping two metres away from other people.
There are also discussions around whether older people, currently cocooning, could be permitted to go outside for a walk for a couple of hours a day as long as they avoid all other human contact and touching things. They could perhaps be asked to wear a mask during that time.
AN EMPTY GRAFTON STREET DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN. PHOTOGRAPH: DARA MAC DÓNAILL/THE IRISH TIMES. Older people and others in vulnerable groups could be permitted to use supermarkets on restricted hours to protect them from others, similar to the hours some supermarkets operated before cocooning was introduced at the end of March. This could help ease the emotional and psychological effect of social isolation that some older people are feeling now.
Public health officials are also looking at the possibility of allowing family members to meet other relatives so that contacts are not limited to immediate households.
“Could we expand that to the family network? Your family might be able to interact with your siblings’ family and maybe your parents. Maybe the network gets a little bit larger but it is still controlled and it is not bringing in ‘randomers’ or strangers,” said Dr De Gascun.
“From a mental-health perspective, that would be useful for grandparents if they could see their families, their children and grandchildren. They could come in and have dinner or a hug.”
This would follow what New Zealand, which has one of the lowest per capita number of Covid-19 cases in the world, is planning to do when it starts lifting its lockdown on Monday.
The country has scaled up testing to one of the highest testing rates in the world relative to its population, allowing more businesses to open and to expand family “bubbles” to include close family members or those who might be alone or isolated in the community.
“It is making life a little bit more bearable and a little bit more normal,” says Dr De Gascun.
Pete Lunn, head of behavioural research at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and a member of one of the subgroups advising the NPHET officials, recommends this cautious approach.
If the Government moves “too far too quickly” it would cause social tension because people are “extremely nervous about being asked to return to work and don’t feel comfortable”. It could also create a much bigger problem of having “some kind of second surge” or rise in infections, he says.
Getting “the big call wrong” could lead to a loss of public confidence, he warns.
“It could be very difficult to get the genie back into the bottle and to then go back to a world where we are all following their advice and complying as well as we have been,” he says.
“I don’t like the phrase ‘return to normal’,” says infectious disease specialist Sam McConkey, professor at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Dr McConkey says that talk of a vaccine becoming available in 12 to 18 months is a “best-case scenario”. The last 10 licensed vaccines brought to market for human diseases took about seven years to develop and make, he says.
THE CHURCH OF SACRED HEART IN ARBOUR HILL, STONEYBATTER WITH A SIGN FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING. PHOTOGRAPH: TOM HONAN/THE IRISH TIMES. The Government and public officials are following documents from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on how to exit lockdowns safely.
RELATED Share your story: How have you been affected by the Covid-19 crisis? WHO warns against idea of coronavirus ‘immunity passports’ PSNI welcomes move to clarify rules on exercising during pandemic
To successfully leave lockdown, the WHO has published a six-step plan. The recommendations include ensuring a government has the capacity in place to carry out adequate testing, contact tracing and surveillance to detect rapidly if any relaxation steps fail.
Dr De Gascun says that the case definition or testing criteria will be broadened to test more people and carry out more active contact tracing to get a “more real-time picture of what is happening in the community”.
One of the most challenging recommendations for Ireland is that governments be able to mitigate the risk of importing Covid-19 cases from outside their borders, which will be difficult given the open border with Northern Ireland and ease of travel with the rest of the UK.
Dr Gabriel Scally, the Northern Ireland public health specialist who authored a report on the CervicalCheck controversy, says that it would be “extremely problematic” if the North and South were “in different gears” on lifting restrictions particularly given the UK’s poor record on testing.
He notes the high proportion of cases per capita in Cavan, a border county with the second highest incidence of cases in the country as a percentage of its population.
The flattening of the infection curve and the reduction of the reproductive rate within the community – the rate at which others are being infected in the community – to 0.5 (meaning one person is not infecting others) gives the Government “more wriggle room” to get things wrong on lifting restrictions, says Paddy Mallon, infectious diseases specialist at St Vincent’s in Dublin and professor of microbial diseases at UCD.
This and the Irish public’s strong compliance with social distancing were “slotting into place beautifully” for restrictions to be lifted, he says, but the “final piece of the jigsaw” is getting the testing right.
Mallon believes that “everything is on the table” on what restrictions can be eased and some mistakes can be made in relaxing restrictions so long as public health officials do not lose control of the epidemic and can control “real-time monitoring” of the reinfection rate in the relaxation phase.
Based on interviews with public health officials, the following are among the things being considered.
EDUCATION As flagged last weekend by the Minister for Health Simon Harris, the return of primary schools is being considered, starting with classes reopening for up to one day a week. This could be increased over time if social distancing can be maintained and new Covid-19 cases do not increase.
Priority could be given in secondary schools to allow Leaving Cert students only to return ahead of the start of the exams on July 29th, with maybe 10 in a class at any one time.
All eyes are on how similar relaxations fare in Denmark, the second country after Italy to announce a lockdown but the first in Europe to reopen primary schools last week.
In Denmark, desks must be at least two metres apart and no more than 10 children are permitted in each classroom. Children can play only with a limited numbers at break times, hands must be washed regularly, and pick-up and drop-offs by parents must take place at intervals.
ECONOMY Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has indicated that he will be “tapering and changing” the Covid-19 pandemic welfare subsidies that are supporting 740,000 people and costing €300 million a week when the 12-week introduction period expires in mid-June.
Part-time and casual workers, the vast majority of whom are young, are expected to be in line to lose out from reduced payments as the current scheme is considered unsustainable beyond the 12-week period, if lockdown measures are not lifted to allow people to return to work.
“I don’t think it is sustainable to have the kinds of forced unemployment we have now for a sustained period of time,” says Dermot O’Leary, chief economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers.
“The focus will move to how do we return to work and live with the virus if some of the views about how long the virus is going to be around are correct.”
BUSINESS As a first step, the Government is considering allowing the reopening of non-essential businesses that can easily implement physical distancing. These could include garden centres, hardware stores and some shops and retail outlets with restricted capacity and limited access.
Remote working would continue to be encouraged to maintain social distancing among employees. A risk-based approach would be applied to companies and offices on whether they could facilitate social distancing in order to reopen.
There is likely to be guidance around square footage of workplaces and the maximum capacity of work spaces, and the Health and Safety Authority could play a role in assessing the suitability of workplaces, along with the safety of employees in work settings.
Germany started reopening for business last Monday. Shops with a floorspace of up to 800 square metres – about the size of four tennis courts – along with car and bicycle dealerships and bookstores, were allowed to open provided they apply strict social distancing and hygiene rules.
In the western state of North Rhine Westphalia, larger furniture outlets, including 11 stores of Swedish chain Ikea, were allowed to reopen.
Danny McCoy, chief executive of the business representative group Ibec, says that the term “essential” might not be appropriate when it comes to reopening Ireland, given the economic and employment crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The reopening is trying to deal with the other curve problem, which is the unemployment curve,” he said.
“One criteria [for reopening] would be that labour-intensive industries would become more essential to get more people back to work to deal with the economic problem.”
Protecting workers might involve companies looking at “rationing time” by using more of the 21 eight-hour periods in the working week and not just the five regular daytime periods, to facilitate social distancing in workplaces.
“The idea of getting mass groups back to work, while it might seem counter-intuitive from a public health dimension, is very important for the economic problem we have,” he says.
CONSTRUCTION Construction resumed on 35 social housing projects on Monday to deliver local authority accommodation for people in emergency accommodation or at risk of homelessness.
Public health officials consider the return of construction activity as being low-risk given that builders typically work outdoors and can maintain social distancing.
The construction industry has introduced detailed safety guidelines including regulations on lone travel to and from work, extra sanitation and the issuing of personal protective equipment and time limits of less than 15 minutes for those who have to work with others within two metres.
“We have prepared ourselves very well for whenever we get the get-go,” says Tom Parlon, director general of the Construction Industry Federation.
“There is no evidence that construction so far has been a high-risk activity. There are no clusters on sites, and an awful lot of the projects closed down are quite essential. Obviously it is a big employer and there is a limit to how long we can continue to pay €1 billion a week to keep everybody idle.”
DANNY MCCOY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF IBEC. PHOTOGRAPH: ALAN BETSON/THE IRISH TIMES. Danny McCoy of Ibec says maintaining a competitive advantage to avoid the loss of orders or customers will force some companies to reopen in even a limited way if there is an “uncoordinated approach” between countries on lifting lockdowns.
This was particularly the case in construction, he says, given that Ireland was one of the few places to prohibit building.
“If you think about sectors like biopharma and medtech, they will be behind the curve the longer this is out,” he says.
SPORT AND RECREATION The return of contact sports such as GAA football and hurling, soccer and rugby along with mass sports gatherings have been ruled out in the first wave of relaxations, but other sports could return.
“We will be looking at outdoors sports first where you can physical distance, so things like golf is a classic example. Even something like tennis where you are on opposite sides of the net should be fine,” says Dr De Gascun.
“So the sports will be outdoor, small group or individual activities first. We will monitor the effect of that and keep track of the cases and build up to team-based sports that would be outdoors, and some clubs would be able to manage.”
Cinemas, theatres and music venues are unlikely to open soon because of concerns around compliance. Some might be able to impose physical distancing through allocated seating, though it is likely to be difficult to manage and would not be financially viable in many cases.
RESTAURANTS AND CAFES Public health officials will assess whether these businesses can reopen in a safe, physically distanced way, including for staff working in kitchens.
The Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI) has proposed reopening by following WHO guidelines to limit tables to four diners on a floor space of 10 square metres but they would need State financial support because, in many cases, opening with limited space will not be economically viable.
“Whether it is profitable for a business to reopen is dependent on whether the Government has support measures ,” said Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the RAI.
PATRICK GUILBAUD AT HIS RESTAURANT IN DUBLIN. PHOTOGRAPH: CYRIL BYRNE/THE IRISH TIMES. Restaurateur Patrick Guilbaud, who has a two-star Michelin restaurant in Dublin, says it is “ridiculous” to think the industry could reopen with heavy restrictions in place.
“You can’t do half-measures in the restaurant business. The last thing we want to do is open as an industry and to close six weeks later because we spread the disease. That will be even worse for us. We want to be part of a solution, not part of the problem,” he says.
HOLIDAYS Low-cost airline flights are likely to be a thing of the past for some time given how Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has ruled out removing middle seats in airplane rows.
While foreign holidays will likely be ruled out for some time, domestic holidays could be permitted in later waves of restrictions when the limits on travel could be loosened further to allow people to travel to holiday homes or to campsites around the country.
“At the moment, it is two kilometres. It won’t go to 200 but it might go to five or 10, and if we don’t see a significant increase in cases or any negative impact of those measures, then absolutely maybe by the middle of the summer, it could be a couple of hundred kilometres,” says Dr De Gascun.
Although it has been dismissed by some in political circles, public health officials have discussed easing restrictions in particular regions, keeping people in their counties or provinces, given that the epicentres of the coronavirus outbreaks in Ireland have been in Dublin and Cork.
“Staycations are a very good option. You could have camping on the Wild Atlantic Way or on a beach. It is a realistic hope that you could be out in the cottage in Donegal with people you already live with. Unfortunately, I am not optimistic about the flight to Greece, ” said Dr Sam McConkey.
WHAT THE SPECIALISTS SAY All these measures must be carefully weighed given the risks involved, the specialists say.
Dr Paddy Mallon warns that State officials must not lose control of the epidemic while relaxing the restrictions, as it could undo weeks of progress made to suppress the outbreak. He warns that the outbreaks in nursing homes show how “frightening” this virus can be.
“I would be incredibly fearful that if we don’t get this right, the consequences could be dire,” he says.
Dr Cillian De Gascun, who is also director of UCD’s National Virus Reference Laboratory, points to the experience of Italy – where case numbers and deaths soared as hospitals became overrun with patients sick with Covid-19 – to illustrate the risks of losing control of the epidemic.
“That is why we have to be so careful. If we still have a large susceptible population, it will take off very, very quickly,” he says.
“People have done so well to get to where we are. It would be an awful shame to lose that now.”
Coronavirus Everything you need to know about the Covid-19 outbreak
SIMON CARSWELL Simon Carswell is The Irish Times’ Public Affairs Editor and former Washington correspondent
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Post by goonised on Apr 25, 2020 20:59:37 GMT
Thread is deteriorating by the day. It's a gaa forum. Not medical, socio economic . A lot of long winded *e being posted. Maybe time to close it until football up and running again.
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 26, 2020 12:10:42 GMT
Thread is deteriorating by the day. It's a gaa forum. Not medical, socio economic . A lot of long winded *e being posted. Maybe time to close it until football up and running again. I could have gone to the bother of isolating the bit about GAA contained Simon Carswell piece and pasted that up but it would have had no context. By putting the whole article up it helps,in my view, give some insight into the likelihood of GAA activity taking this year and how "non sport" matters are possibly of greater concern.
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Post by rollingstone on Apr 26, 2020 13:44:43 GMT
I could have gone to the bother of isolating the bit about GAA contained Simon Carswell piece and pasted that up but it would have had no context. By putting the whole article up it helps,in my view, give some insight into the likelihood of GAA activity taking this year and how "non sport" matters are possibly of greater concern. Agree 100% Mick
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Post by john4 on Apr 26, 2020 17:22:33 GMT
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mandad
Senior Member
Posts: 448
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Post by mandad on Apr 26, 2020 17:46:02 GMT
Thread is deteriorating by the day. It's a gaa forum. Not medical, socio economic . A lot of long winded *e being posted. Maybe time to close it until football up and running again. I could have gone to the bother of isolating the bit about GAA contained Simon Carswell piece and pasted that up but it would have had no context. By putting the whole article up it helps,in my view, give some insight into the likelihood of GAA activity taking this year and how "non sport" matters are possibly of greater concern. Every now and then we get a recommendation from a Backseat Moderator to the effect that a particular member should be barred, that a thread should be shut down or some other issue, not to their liking. That point of view requires rebuttal, in my opinion. Every message has a double goal; to communicate something and to evoke participation. It is not always easy to find the tradeoffs between clarity and brevity. It’s about having a voice and feeling safe in being able to share it to see if you’re the only one feeling that way. Guess how the pages have organically evolved over the years? Not by banning posts because they were not of interest to everyone or because they were too long. Speak, write, listen, learn, challenge fairly, issues that are pertinent, and without fear of censorship. Every perspective has validity. I find it odd that anyone would spend so much time and energy on something that makes you so visibly miserable. If you're not interested in the subject matter, or if it doesn't resonate with you personally, then don't read it or comment on it. If a moderator was to respond to negative contrarians he/she would be clearly failing in its purpose. Or, do you regard this forum as your private sandbox?
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Post by goonised on Apr 26, 2020 18:56:56 GMT
Good stuff a bit off football news for a change.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Apr 26, 2020 18:57:36 GMT
Thread is deteriorating by the day. It's a gaa forum. Not medical, socio economic . A lot of long winded *e being posted. Maybe time to close it until football up and running again. The GAA is anything but an island and everyone is entitled to their opinion as to what they should post/read. I was once told not to uncap the economics wart only for the Dublin and Oz factors to bring it to the fore. Ah yes, that is a long winded article - maybe one could summarise such when posting, assuming it has been read and which it has been. The reality is that there may never be a 'cure' and we will only know the answer to that question if one is found, remember it is a 'discovery' we are talking about and while things move faster today, there are still no guarantees. Apparently the medics had defined the DNA of this virus in a week whereas it took years with the original Flu virus and the like, often decades. Though a mere poet and not a medic, one thing I do know is that injecting disinfectant is not a good idea. Spare a thought for the thousands who have lost their lives, those who are ill, and those around them, be that carers, family and friends. While this is not strict GAA speak, it certainly puts our noble pastime into perspective though the forum is a great psychological relief at this time. I'd like to hear more from some of our interesting characters on here, such wealth of information us keyboard warriors, keyboard kings, are possessed of! That's a nioce reference by Peter Keane re the free-range stage, playing on the road, breaking windows, Tadhgeen and the gable ball and how playing against the travelling community on the street might have played a role in shaping him, Gooch told a good one here too, Paidi broke windows - Church ones, he was always one better, wan God breaking another's windows bless him, mind you I broke 'the globe' on the top of a petrol pumps of old, the glass light with the brand name on it, cost a bloody fortune and my ar5e knew about it - ah all stuff that soccer in poor countries is made of really, that's where the trials took place, have we progressed or what? Another wan was Willie Joe Padden tying a ball to a rafter, say 15' from the ground, then jumping from the hay to catch it, i.e. practicing what would be his hallmark grip and which determined whether or not he hit the ground with a thud, legendary, improvised, you couldn't teach a lad to do that, instinct, intuition and will! PS In-between me starting this article and posting it didn't Mandad post his one above - he must be one of the most interesting people we have ever come across and I trust 'forumites' will know that this wouldn't be flatter. Come on Mandad, ah here's a challenge, tell us the best (GAA?) story you know of, no pressure, ah go wan, go wan, go wan - seriously, indulge us in these hard times, light a fire and heat up the house, keep us warm! And while we're waiting here's another great, Johno on Radio Kerry!
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kerryexile
Fanatical Member
Whether you believe that you can, or that you can't, you are right anyway.
Posts: 1,114
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Post by kerryexile on Apr 26, 2020 21:02:18 GMT
By Mícheál Lehane Political Correspondent
A plan to allow inter-county GAA teams resume training at some point this summer is under consideration at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
The plan, first reported on the RTÉ Your Politics podcast, is at a very early stage of development.
It would rely on the extensive testing of players, management and the backroom teams in each county.
This could involve testing upwards of 2,000 people on a regular basis.
It's understood there is a sensitivity around progressing this plan at the moment given the focus on limiting people’s movements but the details of the proposal continue to be worked on.
Such a move would have to get approval from the National Public Health Emergency Team and the Government.
If this were to happen it would raise the possibility at least of some competitive GAA games taking place this year behind closed doors.
However, restrictions on other sports classified as low-risk such as golf and cycling are set to be lifted before the GAA plan is progressed.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2020 21:31:59 GMT
Sitting here today, this seems a bit off the wall
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 27, 2020 9:10:13 GMT
Yes indeed.
A few "reeling in the years" posts from Mandad would certainly be welcome.
I would love to know whether he has a NK championship medal or two, did he play hurling and did Bryan McMahon ever teach him English...
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Post by An Bradán on Apr 27, 2020 11:25:32 GMT
It is done for 2020. The sooner we all accept this the better. I have given a huge part of my life to the GAA and my club in particular but there are more important things in life and sadly these days life and death. Our amateur players are so enmeshed in their community that it would be irresponsible beyond belief to suggest we return to a high risk situation which collective training and games would be.
It is done until we either get a vaccine, get effective meds or it burns out/fades away like other pandemics have done in the past.
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Post by john4 on Apr 27, 2020 11:25:54 GMT
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Post by An Bradán on Apr 27, 2020 21:23:27 GMT
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Post by An Bradán on Apr 28, 2020 22:20:32 GMT
Anyone else hearing rumours of certain clubs leaving "a side gate" open for players to go for a run or a quiet bit of shooting practice ?
I thought all GAA facilities were to be completely shut down for now
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Post by Whosinmidfield on Apr 29, 2020 10:43:53 GMT
Anyone else hearing rumours of certain clubs leaving "a side gate" open for players to go for a run or a quiet bit of shooting practice ? I thought all GAA facilities were to be completely shut down for now The 3 or 4 pitches I've seen aren't blocked off or closed up at all. But I don't think it's a problem, everyone knows they are supposed to be closed but if someone wants to go in on their own for a run or a kick it's not the end of the world.
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Post by glengael on Apr 29, 2020 11:40:52 GMT
Not the end of the world providing the pitch is within the 2km from their home and they're happy to take the chance of not being insured...
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Post by john4 on Apr 29, 2020 12:14:44 GMT
Not the end of the world providing the pitch is within the 2km from their home and they're happy to take the chance of not being insured... I don't know about the legal in's and out's of public liability insurance, but I would assume that once the club has erected a sign clarifying that the grounds are closed that this would imdenify the club against an personal injury claim. This is something that clubs should seek professional advice on in my opinion.
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Post by homerj on Apr 29, 2020 14:10:37 GMT
Anyone else hearing rumours of certain clubs leaving "a side gate" open for players to go for a run or a quiet bit of shooting practice ? I thought all GAA facilities were to be completely shut down for now all clubs should be doing this. if lads are going on their own, maintaining social distancing and living within 2km of the pitch, where is the issue? people need to get out and exercise for both physical and mental health. keeping them locked at home is not benifiting anybody.
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Post by Galway breeze on Apr 29, 2020 14:13:34 GMT
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Post by An Bradán on Apr 29, 2020 17:01:55 GMT
Wasn't talking about the Kerry team. That is only a bs story being spread by some donkey
My question was about clubs allowing access to their pitches at a time when as far as I know all GAA facilities are supposed to be in lockdown.
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kerryexile
Fanatical Member
Whether you believe that you can, or that you can't, you are right anyway.
Posts: 1,114
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Post by kerryexile on May 1, 2020 20:15:01 GMT
RTE are saying that one of the points listed for the 20th July is:
Permit sports team leagues (for example soccer and GAA), but only where limitations are placed on the numbers of spectators and where social distancing can be maintained.
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Post by sandradee on May 1, 2020 22:42:06 GMT
RTE are saying that one of the points listed for the 20th July is: Permit sports team leagues (for example soccer and GAA), but only where limitations are placed on the numbers of spectators and where social distancing can be maintained.Good, a tiny bit of uncommon sense creeping in. At least a small step in the right direction in this crazy world. Can't wait to see my beloved club and county playing some football again.
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Post by Mickmack on May 2, 2020 11:15:29 GMT
I am puzzled by the talk of it being easier to get clubs back into action rather than intercounty teams.
I would have thought the exact opposite.
I could see a group of say 40 individuals per county signing up to a strict regime of testing on a thursday, result on friday and strict lockdown till the game on sunday.
I cant see any other way it could work and if i am right, i cant see that working at club level.
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Post by Galway breeze on May 2, 2020 12:55:00 GMT
Clubs are the bread and butter of the Gaa everything else should follow. Without volunteers and local sponsors the Gaa would not exist. Clubs should be and always be priority over inter county. On games behind closed doors with conditions, it looks very hard to see how a game of football can be played without break social distance rule.
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Post by jackiel on May 2, 2020 13:55:52 GMT
Havent' been on here for a few days, with regard to players having access to pitches it's difficult to police 24/7 but I'm sure that as in my club's case the players have been told to stay away. The positioning of our pitch means that neighbours are constantly ringing officials to tell of gangs of youngsters on the pitch. Unfortunately in our case they're there to have drinking parties in the dugouts. Any time I pass I drop in and check it out, the guards are also including it in their regular rounds. The insurance states clearly that player injury scheme is suspended for the shutdown so any training done is at players risk.
On the issue of club resumption I really can't see how social distancing can be properly adhered to , the dressing room set up in most places wouldn't be conducive. You're talking 40 odd people per team never mind officials for clubs and way beyond that for county panels. Much as I'd love to be back watching Kerry this summer , I can't see it and I think the idea of behind closed doors is bonkers, it goes against everything that is natural to us. KD said in his Laochra Gael that the sea of green and gold meant so much in 2014 even though half of them were Donegal.
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