Given the current exceptional rise in infection rates of Covid 19 and the increased risk of community transmission, the GAA has taken the decision that there will be no collective training permitted for inter-county teams for at least the remainder of the month of January.  

In addition, Club and County gyms must stay closed until further notice.  

As previously advised, and under the current Government Regulations in both jurisdictions, neither training nor games are permitted at club level currently.   

Breaches of any of the above provisions will be dealt with under Rule 7.2 (e) “Misconduct considered to have discredited the Association”. The full wording of this Rule and potential penalties are included as an Appendix 1 below.  

As you are aware, the current Level 5 restrictions in the South will run until January 31^st at which point the GAA will review the current situation and further advice in this context will be provided.  

Finally, it is important to note that outdoor gatherings on GAA property are not permitted – the only current exception to this is for walkways (which may stay open for use by the community with social distancing in place) and for clubs registered under the “Ireland Lights Up” walking initiative (see Appendix 2).  

I fully appreciate the frustrations these additional restrictions may place on our inter county players and management teams. However, the safety of everyone in the game and indeed in the broader community has to be our primary focus. It has never been more important for our players, coaches and officials to follow both the Government guidelines and our own provisions around training.  

I thank you for all you have done in this context to date and ask again for your cooperation and understanding as we battle to defeat the virus and finally return to normality.  

Is mise le meas,   

Tomás O Riain              Seán Ó hÓráin

ARD STIÚRTHÓIR       UACHTARÁN

This year there will be a grant available to support the costs associated with delivering the GAA’s annual Ireland Lights Up walking initiative (run in conjunction each year with RTE’s Operation Transformation).

This funding has been made available through Sport Ireland & the Healthy Ireland Keep Well Campaign and includes a potential maximum grant of €1,000 per club (on a scaled basis depending on criteria laid out by Sport Ireland). All clubs that register to participate in Ireland Lights Up will be considered for a grant. Clubs that don’t have a floodlit walking track but wish to organise a walking group in their local town/village/community may also be eligible for a grant to encourage this type of activity at a time when safe physical activity is so important.

All walking activities must be compliant with public health guidelines at the time of delivery.

In 2020 almost 400 GAA clubs participated in Ireland Lights Up across the 32 counties. 40 of these did not have walking tracks or facilities on their premises. This year we hope to reach 500 clubs participating.

During these times of social distancing, to ease the volume of people gathering at their local GAA clubs to walk, and to ensure that Every Step Counts, the GAA Community & Health department has once again partnered with Irish Life to run a ‘Steps Challenge’ through their MyLife App to coincide with Ireland Lights Up. A prize fund of €20,000 is available, with clubs in each province able in with a chance to win O'Neill’s vouchers worth €2,500, €1,500 & €1,000 (T&Cs apply).

Details of how clubs has register for Ireland Lights Up and the ‘Steps Challenge’ can be found here: https://www.gaa.ie/my-gaa/community-and-health/social-games-physical-activity/ireland-lights-up

The GAA are set to sign off on plans for a new shortened season that will see no pre-season, provincial hurling round-robin games or football Super 8s in 2021.

RTE Sport reports that the GAA will see a February return next year with the Allianz Hurling and Football Leagues and the All-Ireland championships set to be pencilled in between the months of April and July.

It is understood that the qualifiers in both championships will go ahead, with a secondary Tailteann Cup competition still set to take place in football.

It is planned that the inter-county season will be completed by the third week in July, after which club competitions will see an uninterrupted flow of games.

The drafted plan by the Central Competitions Control Committee is set to be examined by Central Council this weekend.