By Niall McCoy

ULSTER GAA provincial secretary and CEO Brian McAvoy has said that officials acted as responsibly as they could when establishing their
return to play protocols around Covid-19.

Ulster’s return dates aligned closely with the GAA’s, with games and training for non-elite players put into lockdown twice over the last two years – in March 2020 and, again, in December 2020 when the South returned to Level 5 restrictions.

In April 2021, players in the six counties made their return with the rest of Ireland belatedly joining them as their stricter restrictions eased over time.

Those delays caused frustration – but McAvoy said that scientific data always spearheaded their approach.

“I think the important thing was to block out the noise and go with the science, and that’s what we did. We would have all loved to have seen kids back sooner but we got them back when we could,” he said.

“It’s very easy for people to say things from the sidelines but they have no responsibilities, they don’t have to deal with the consequences. We got it 100 per cent correct, of that I am certain.”

In a wide-ranging interview to appear in next week’s Gaelic Life, McAvoy also believes that Tyrone’s All-Ireland triumph earlier this month can lead to a golden period for football in the province.

“Ulster teams are up there and competing, and that’s very good.

“Derry won last year’s All-Ireland Minor, which had been held over because of Covid, so there are signs there.

“We saw an exceptional Tyrone minor side this year who were very unlucky not to win an All-Ireland. We also saw an exciting Down u-20 team that is a work in progress but looks good. Ulster football is in a good place.”

RESPONSIBILITY….Brian McAvoy said that their Covid return protocols were guided by the science