Kerry boss Peter Keane says he’s more upbeat about games going ahead in the current climate than he was earlier this month.
Ahead of the restart of the Allianz League, Keane commented that counties were “hanging by a thread”, reflecting the pessimism that surrounded inter-county games getting underway after more than seven months off with Covid-19 case numbers spiralling.
The mood has lifted, however, after the last two rounds of the League were completed without incident along with the hurling Championship starting last weekend and Keane commented: “I think it’s been handled very, very well by the GAA. I did think it was hanging by a thread at the time.
“I feel, albeit it might sound like a contradiction, now that we are in Level 5 and albeit the HSE and the Chief Medical Officer are at pains to say that they don’t see it as a trend yet that the numbers are dropping, but if the numbers are dropping and you are still in Level 5, then you would have to imagine that things would be very safe.
“I wasn’t sure if it would ever get off the ground, that we’d get back to playing football – but we have.”
Kerry start their Championship campaign with a Munster semi-final against Cork on Sunday week and Keane said that Paul Geaney and James O’Donoghue are on the way back having sat out the two recent League games, though he wouldn’t be more specific on the nature of their ailments other than to say they had “bits of leg injuries”.
He also confirmed that Jack Barry is back after he “had a knuckle or something”.
Keane added: “I think everybody is near enough. The four sessions - you are always worried that some fella will take a bit of a bang somewhere.”
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