Opening the Gates
By Shane Brophy
GAA pitches will be a hive of activity this week after being allowed open their facilities for the first time in over three months following the earlier than expected lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
As of this this morning, GAA pitches can open for non-contact adult training while from next Saturday, non-contact training can resume for all minor and juvenile teams on the basis of a maximum of 15 players in a designated area of the field.
From next Monday, 29th June, contact training and challenge games for all teams can resume.
The restriction on participants only attending training sessions is also to be relaxed from June 29th – subject to government specified maximum of 200 people in the ground at anyone time
Club fixtures can resume from Friday 17th July, two weeks earlier than planned which has provided Tipperary County Board with much needed leeway to complete their fixtures schedule prior to the resumption of inter-county training on September 14th of the restart of inter-county competition on October 17th.
However, all control measures for players, coaches and other team personnel including the completion of a health questionnaire and an online eLearning education module prior to the first training session remain in place until advised otherwise, while dressing rooms to remain closed until July 20th.
The GAA’s Advisory Committee is considering the position in relation to other buildings (such as Club bars that are serving food, Gyms, Handball alleys etc) and guidance will be provided in this context before Monday next.
The decision to allow the reopening of GAA grounds has been welcomed by Tipperary County Board Chairman John Devane.
“We have come a long way,” he said.
“We don’t want to put anyone at risk but people are looking forward at getting out, from a health point of view as well.”