SLIGO’S DECISION TO forfeit their Connacht football semi-final with Galway has not affected the integrity of the championship according to the GAA’s Feargal McGill.
Paul Taylor’s squad had seven players test positive for Covid-19 with four others deemed close contacts.
The positive cases, in addition to a number of injuries on the panel, prompted the Sligo county board on Tuesday night to withdraw from Saturday’s game.
McGill, the GAA’s director of player, club and games administration, would not be drawn on how many players were available to Taylor for the weekend.
“All I can say from our point of view is that there were a number of players that tested positive and there were a number of players who had injuries and my understanding is that that’s what led to them having to take the decision,” he stated.
Galway now receive a bye into the Connacht final where they’ll face the winners of Mayo and Roscommon. It means that Padraic Joyce’s side need to win just three games to lift the All-Ireland.
“It’s not ideal but, what I would say is a number of things about this year’s championship aren’t ideal but we knew they were coming,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult year and it’s a pity that a team has had to pull out but we flagged that well in advance that there was always that possibility and always that likelihood.
“We hoped it wouldn’t happen but having said that, it’s happened. It’s not ideal but it is what it is.”
McGill said the decision does not bring the integrity of the championship into doubt.
“I don’t think there’s any question about the integrity of the championship. Galway will still have to win a provincial title.
“They have to win an All-Ireland semi-final and win an All-Ireland final if they’re going to get there,” he continued.
“You could be smart and say it was always likely that Galway were going to beat Sligo anyway, they would have been hot favourites for that game, but I don’t think it affects the integrity of the championship, no.
“It was well flagged that this was going to be a possibility. We’re not operating in normal times.”
The Connacht final is scheduled to take place a week before the other three provincial deciders, so in theory it could have been pushed back in order to facilitate Sligo.
“I know from various conversations we’ve all had, that’s all grand assuming that something doesn’t happen in Galway in the meantime or a second wave doesn’t hit Sligo. So where do you stop?” asked McGill.
“But to be fair, that’s for (Connacht Council secretary) John Prenty to answer, not me.”
With the daily cases dropping once again, McGill is cautiously optimistic that other counties won’t suffer the same fate as Sligo.
“We just don’t know. All I can say is that there’s less of Covid in the community today than there was even three weeks ago when we began the inter-county season so we would hope that’s a positive sign but there are no guarantees with this. We’ve seen that from day one.”
The42 GAA Weekly is here! Join hosts Shane Dowling and Marc Ó Sé as they preview Tipperary v Limerick, Donegal v Tyrone, and the rest of the weekend’s action:
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