The possibility of sport in Ireland returning to normal in the coming months looks increasingly remote after Minster for Health Simon Harris said he believes it's "highly unlikely we're going to be seeing mass gatherings" this year.
Speaking to The Sunday Independent, the Minister praised the measures taken by sporting bodies to date as the country tries to contain the spread of Covid-19 that has brought the world to its knees.
Last Tuesday, the Gaelic Athletic Association said the 2020 inter-county championships in hurling and football are "highly unlikely" to begin before the month of July.
The Football Association of Ireland has extended a ban on all football-related activity in Ireland until 5 May, though they remain committed to resuming the men's and women's domestic leagues in June.
Last Monday, Dr Colm Henry, the Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE, appeared to diminish the prospects of matches being played in front of crowds any time soon when he said: "Why would we beat that curve down, hopefully crushing it in the coming weeks if we all buckle down, if suddenly we all decided to congregate on beaches and football stadiums or matches?"
Harris has echoed those sentiments, with his latest comments casting more doubt on the games being played in front of crowds in 2020.
"It's highly unlikely we're going to be seeing very large kinds of mass gatherings this year," he said.
"Could you get to a point where you can’t have massive GAA matches, but you could have local kids having a kickabout safely? That’s the sort of space that we’re in, that we need to work our way through.
"What's not going to come back quickly are scenarios in which we can’t safely socially distance.
"I can't see how people can be in packed pubs again as long as this virus is still with us and we don't have a vaccine or an effective treatment."
