Wexford senior hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald says hurling is at the very back of his mind, as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.
His side had been expecting an Allianz Leagues Division One quarter-final at home to Galway last weekend, before all GAA matches were postponed.
March 29th had been given as the provisional date, however it is expected the calendar will experience serious push-backs as a result of COVID-19.
Fitzgerald told Off the Ball's Shane Hannon though that gaelic games will rightfully take a back seat for the next while.
“People are very worried… they have to leave work and they’re not sure where their next pay-check is going to come, that’s worrying times.
“I think the first thing is we have to make sure everybody is healthy, I think that’s very important.
"Games and all that stuff will come in the future, please god, but we’ve got to try and make sure as many people as we can are safe and healthy" | #GAA@OfficialWexGAA boss Davy Fitz spoke with @ShaneHannon01 about #CoronaVirus | ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dLEpWaPYlr
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) March 18, 2020
“There probably are elderly people out there that you know that could do with a call to make sure everything is okay.
“It’s important we realise what’s going on around us. Obviously a lot of us will take a space and stay home, but I think it’s also important to also maybe think of people who can’t really take care of themselves or wouldn’t be as mobile.
“It’s just important to be very sensible now. I’m glad after the weekend we realised that gatherings in pubs or whatever isn’t on.
“This could take a small bit of time and we just have to be prepared the best we can for that, and be as smart as we can, and do everything the HSE has asked us to do."
The Sixmilebridge clubman says although it appears the worst effect of COVID-19 are yet to come, there are plenty of ways in which people can help make life easier.
“The next two or three weeks is obviously going to be vital because things will ramp up a lot, and probably a lot more people will get it.
“We just need to be a small bit smarter. It isn’t going to be easy staying home and staying out of peoples’ environment, I think that’s going to be harder.
“You can pick up the phone to talk to people, you can video talk to people, you can Skype or whatever. There’s a lot of ways you can keep in touch and I think that’s important too that you do.
22 February 2020; Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald with referee Johnny Murphy prior to the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B Round 4 match between Dublin and Wexford at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile“I actually think it’s important to fill your day as much as you possibly can. What I mean by that is just have a little plan of doing x,y, or z throughout your day if you can.
“Maybe that’s a walk or exercise, maybe getting time to read a book and then another time a movie and stuff like that, that you’re just not bored out of your tree all day."
Cabin fever is something many people will likely experience over the coming weeks and months, and Fitzgerald says having a plan for your day is a crucial way of filling the void.
“I’d watch a lot of telly so I would believe it or not. I’d watch movies there so I would a lot of the time.
“I’m watching back a load of GAA games believe it or not, it just gives me a bit of time.
“I don’t spend all my day doing that like, there will be part of my day where you will get up, go for a walk, do a certain amount of exercise.
“I will look at the games or whatever, then I’ll take time to ring a few people or whatever. I’m trying to break up my day in different segments to keep it busy.
“I’m doing bits of food prep around the house which she’s finding very funny I think, because I never would have done as much as I should have probably.
“I just think it’s important that you break up your day with different bits and pieces, I think that’s vital.”
And so does the Clare man watch back only the games he has won, or the painful defeats too?
22 February 2020; Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald speaks to his players in a huddle prior to the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B Round 4 match between Dublin and Wexford at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile“No I’m watching everything, it’s giving me a chance to watch... I’d watch other teams, you’re always looking for different bits and pieces.
“I suppose it’s just giving me a bit of time to sit down and do stuff like that.
“I will spend some of my day tuning in to what’s happening outside, but I’m not letting it dictate my day.
“If you really wanted to you’d read so many different bits and pieces about the pieces, and I think it is important to keep in connection but I won’t spend my whole day looking at it.
“Take care, and to everyone out there the same thing, just mind yourselves and do the things right, and please god we’ll all be back soon together.”
Meanwhile, Down senior football manager Paddy Tally says he doesn't expect any GAA action for quite some time.
"In terms of the future, I do not see any football taking place for a number of months.
"I honestly don't think much is going to happen until at least the summertime, maybe July or August time when the virus has settled down and people are back to normality.
"That might even be an optimistic, wishful scenario, there might be not much happening this year.
"It's crazy the way it's worked out but it is what it is, we have to look at the bigger picture here. The societal risk and the pressure on our health services."
