GAA president John Horan says clubs should offer premises to facilitate roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines
John Horan, in a newsletter to clubs, said GAA units around Ireland should make their facilities available to general practitioners and pharmacies, in order to aid the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations
Last Updated: 29/01/21 12:54pm
GAA president John Horan has urged all Gaelic games clubs to make their premises available to facilitate the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations.
All GAA activity in Ireland is currently on hold, with the country in Level 5 restrictions.
Horan, whose term will come to an end at next month's GAA Congress when New York GAA's Larry McCarthy will take the role, urged the association's units to offer whatever help they can.
In recent months, several GAA stadia were used as testing centres, while clubs also led community drives to help with shopping for vulnerable members of society.
"Seeing how GAA clubs and club volunteers stepped up and responded in such huge numbers and worked so hard in their communities was one of the silver linings to the cloud that has been Covid-19," Horan said, via GAA.ie.
"It really underlined what we have known all along about the club being at the heart of the communities they represent.
"I have had conversations with GPs who have concerns about their practices being set up to adequately cater for the numbers that will be involved in administering the vaccine because in many cases they are just not suitable for the turnover in people that will be involved.
"It is with this in mind that I would make a plea to our membership that they would engage with the GPs and pharmacies in their area to make their club facilities available where needed to make the roll out of the vaccine operate as efficiently as possible.
"Our clubs and club members were at the forefront of the community response to this crisis when it hit last March.
"I think there will be an opportunity to again offer assistance in our local areas in this manner as the country hopefully starts to move towards mass vaccination in the weeks and months ahead."
