Limerick hurling manager John Kiely says his players are training on an individual basis during the Covid-19 outbreak. The GAA announced on Thursday that, in line with government measures, all games and training have been suspended until after March 29th.
"As an inter-county manager looking at this problem, it's obviously another challenge for us," Kiely told RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland.
"We've had the players in now for a number of months training and playing matches and we were coming to the closing stages of the National Hurling League.
"Since Thursday, we've realised that a far bigger issue has come over the horizon for us all to deal with, it's a far bigger challenge. There's a huge onus on us all now to knuckle down and do everything we can within our own environment.
"We need to look after are our neighbours, our families, and friends and get back to the basics really I suppose and take on the responsibility that's being asked of us.
"As for our players, we've given them their individual programmes that they can work on themselves at home.
"They're well-able to manage that. They're as qualified as an awful lot of the people who are instructing them.
"They've been through the mill a number of years now. They know what's expected of them. They need to look after themselves and ensure that when this is all over that they can resume full training again and be fit and healthy and well.
"It's an opportunity for them to rehab injuries and freshen up and come back with a great appetite when this is over and hopefully provide us with lots of fantastic entertainment that I'm sure the nation will need as an uplift when this is over.
"It's going to need a lift and I think sport will be a huge player in lifting the spirits of the nation when it does come back on the agenda when this is all over."
Kiely is the principal of the Abbey CBS school in Tipperary town. He explained how he and his staff are still working with their students.
"We were preparing for a number of weeks beforehand," he said.
"A number of the staff were helping to set up Office 365 with Microsoft Teams and that facilitates the students and staff being able to work from home and being able to interact and share resources.
"Even though we're not in school, technology allows us to have an interaction with the students at home. To be fair to the students and the staff, they've worked really hard on that and we got off to a great start on Friday.
"I know this is happening in schools all over the country. Staff will sit this morning at their table at home and they'll be communicating with their students, setting them work and receiving work back from them, correcting work, planning work for later in the week. And that will go on right through the next few weeks, however long it takes.
"We're very fortunate that our teachers are so dedicated and hard-working. They're trying to ensure the students are kept busy at home and will be ready for their exams whenever they do come around.”
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
