Intermediate Final postponed as Covid concerns grow

By Liam Hogan and Shane Brophy

The North Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship final between Moneygall and Borrisokane has been postponed due to a Covid outbreak in the Borrisokane club.

The game was scheduled for Cloughjordan this Saturday evening, but Borrisokane alerted the North Board about their situation. As a result, it was up to Moneygall to decide if they wanted to take the game but they refused and the Board decided to postpone the final until Saturday 4th September.

A spokesman for the North Board said Moneygall were gracious enough to agree to the postponement and agreed to put the final back for two weeks. He also said that the Board had been working with Borrisokane adding that the game could be awarded to the opposition until it was agreed to have a suitable date for the re-fixture found.

The spokesman added that the North Under 19 ‘B’ hurling final between Borrisokane and Ballinahinch/Templederry, planned for this Wednesday is also postponed.

The situation in Borrisokane follows on from a Tipperary County Board meeting last week which warned clubs that postponements will not be allowed in the upcoming county senior and intermediate club championships if there are Covid cases in a squad.

With the Tyrone senior footballers’ a high profile case with their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry having been put back, not once but twice, the County Board have insisted because of the tightness of the schedule when the county championship gets underway on the weekend after next that postponements can’t be facilitated.

“Anyone that has studied the games schedule for the county championship, there is no room for error if a match has to be called off, there will be walkovers,” insisted county chairperson Joe Kennedy.

“The last thing we need in a county championship, or indeed any championship, is walkovers being given because of Covid. We have enough other things to be dealing with dual clubs, and fixture congestion, without having to deal with Covid as well.”

County Secretary Tim Floyd read an updated statement from Croke Park that given the increased transmissibility of the Covid-19 virus and its levels in the community currently, it is now more important than ever that the return to play guidelines are strictly followed if the playing season is to pass off successfully.

However, one Tipperary club was reported to Croke Park for breaching Covid guidelines and Joe Kennedy urged all clubs to redouble their efforts to ensure the club championship passes off without too much difficulty.

“I know there is a lot of people vaccinated, and we are all letting our guard down a small bit,” he said, adding “but I would urge everyone, especially the players to be very conscious of their actions, both in the club in the community, until we get our games played.

“We are playing games under guidance from Croke Park and the health authorities.

“I would urge everyone, players, mentors and club officials to be very vigilant. We must understand there are people in every community that might not be as fond of the GAA and might want to take us down a peg or two, and it is those people that are looking at us.”