Kerry legend Tomas O Se hopes that the All-Ireland Championships can go ahead even if the country moves to Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions nationwide.
Under Level 5, all sport is suspended and only individual training can take place.
But O Se is hopeful that an exception could be made for inter-county GAA, with the last two rounds of the National Football League being played on the weekends of 17/18 and 24/25 of October, before provincial championships begin at the end of the month.
O Se told RTE's Morning Ireland: "It would be a hard sell for the Government if they asked teachers and schools to stay open, and then you can't have the elite sports people of the country Gathering, probably in healthier environments than school life.
"It'll come down to the health authorities and the government, and what they decide, with the ultimate power being held by the Government.
"You could see a situation whereby the Government might apply the Level 5 restrictions to certain areas, and allow other areas not to have those implications set upon them."
Reports indicate cabinet will meet later today to discuss NPHET's recommendation of Level 5 restrictions being enforced across the country.
If Level 4 were to be introduced, elite sport would be permitted to go ahead and the Championships could be played.
O Se added: "Time was always going to be an issue, and now with this Level 5 you're talking about four weeks.
"So I suppose the big question right now is if they go ahead with this Level 5, and there is four weeks without inter-county training or gatherings, do they have the time to run off a championship afterwards?
"I suppose right now, thinking and looking at it, you'd have to say probably not.
"On the other side of that we don't know what's going to come out of these meetings. We'll always stay positive.
"But health has to be at the foremost of everybody's mind here. Certainly if it goes to Level 5, you'd have to think the worst for the championship at the moment."
