The 2020 inter-county championships in hurling and football are "highly unlikely" to begin before the month of July, the GAA confirmed in a statement this afternoon.
Three days ahead of Friday's remotely held Special Congress which will examine the possibilities for the coming season, the GAA said they noted the extension of the government restrictions and indicated that the championships will be delayed until later in the summer.
"The Senior inter-county championships, scheduled to begin in May, will be postponed until further clarity on the current situation is available," said the GAA.
"However, it is the Association's view that it is highly unlikely these will be rescheduled any time before the beginning of July, at the earliest."
The organisation also indicated that it was still its intention to complete the Allianz League season, if possible, with priority placed on games affecting promotion and relegation.
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"When sporting activity recommences, the GAA will accommodate both club and county games. The Association also intends to complete the Allianz Leagues, or at least those games that have a bearing on next year's divisions, where possible," it added.
With no league games played in either code since 8 March and the championship originally set to begin in the first half of May, it's long been accepted as inevitable that the Covid-19 pandemic would radically alter the 2020 inter-county calendar.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport this afternoon, GAA Director of Communications Alan Milton said May would indeed "fall" in the wake the government's announcement of the extension of social distancing restrictions until 5 May.
And while some, such as Cork manager Kieran Kingston, have called on the GAA to provide clarity on whether provincial championships would proceed and set a provisional date for a return to action, Milton argued that announcing a "fixed" programme of games would be unwise in what was a fluid situation.
"The month of May is now going to fall in light of the government's latest declaration that May 5th is the new deadline," Milton told RTÉ's Jacqui Hurley.
"I think everyone accepts there's going to have to be return-to-play protocols.
"Across the board, it's hard to see any activity taking place in the month of May at any level within the GAA.
"A number of weeks, ago at the very outset of this crisis, a number of contingency plans were drawn up and they still exist.
"But I don't know how prudent it would be for the GAA to come out with fixed programmes or plans and then to be seen to be changing them every week or two.
"It wouldn't give the right impression. It would look like organised chaos. We take our lead from the medical experts and that's how the GAA will operate."
It had been speculated that the Allianz Leagues might have to be left uncompleted - an outcome which would necessitate a change in the planned football championships at the very least - but Milton said the GAA were still minded to prioritise finishing out the leagues if and when action returns.
"We've done an audit of the league games that are outstanding. Some of them are critical or very important. Some are not so important. And we would prioritise, in a scenario where we get back to playing, in a way to ensure that the Allianz Leagues are completed.
"There will be no shortage of activity if and when we do back to playing and you can rest assured that games at club level will be every bit as important as those at county level."
A Special Congress of the GAA will be held remotely this Friday, which would prepare the ground for any major changes that may need to be made to this year's inter-county hurling and football championships.
The Special Congress, which RTÉ Sport's GAA correspondent Marty Morrissey reported will have one delegate per county on a conference call, will decide whether to delegate decision-making powers usually reserved for Congress to an emergency committee, likely the GAA's management committee in consultation with Central Council.
"This Friday's Congress is being organised solely to help us adjust to these changed circumstances," Milton said.
"It will attempt to empower a small group of people to be able to change our competitions if and when it becomes a necessity.
"At this moment, we're not there yet. The idea of convening a full Congress is not practical. We simply don't know what the timelines will be but as soon as we get clarity, we will reach for some of the scenarios I've already referenced and ask this body which one is most suited to helping us complete our season whenever that might be."
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Asked about the more downbeat predictions for the coming year, Milton said the GAA would wait for official direction. In response to questions this week, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan conceded it might be difficult to countenance mass gatherings at any time this year.
"We're waiting to sit down with the HSE and the relevant officials and hear it straight from the horse's mouth," Milton stressed.
"We haven't had that communication yet. If it was to come, it would obviously be a very, very challenging scenario, not just for the GAA I might add, but for all organisations where people come together to participate or spectate.
"We all hope it won't come to that. It's one of the reasons we've been so pro-active in advising and encouraging not just our members but all citizens to be as responsible as they can be. Because the sooner we can get on top of this, perhaps the situation might lift earlier than it would otherwise."
