Brian Barry
GAA Editor @BrianGBarry
Water breaks return for club GAA games amid heatwave in Ireland
Gaelic football and hurling will see the return of water breaks in the coming days, as counties sanction the stoppages for club games amid a heatwave in the country. Dublin GAA has confirmed their return, with others likely to follow suit
Last Updated: 12/08/22 6:18am
Water breaks have made a return to club GAA games this week as Ireland experiences high temperatures.
The stoppages at the midway point of each half were in place during 2020 and 2021 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. They were then removed in 2022 following the conclusion of the intercounty pre-season competitions.
However, as Ireland experiences temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius this weekend in some parts, county boards have elected to re-introduce the breaks to help teams playing in the heatwave.
Dublin and Tyrone have already confirmed the measure, with more counties likely to follow suit.
"Due to the current heatwave, and on an exceptional basis, the CCC has decided that for all games being played this weekend, August 12 to 14th inclusive, there will be a water break (approx one minute) at or about the 15th minute of each half of a game," read a Dublin GAA statement, ahead of the latest round of hurling championship games in the capital.
The breaks came under scrutiny last year when they were used predominantly as mini coaching sessions, alongside rehydration.
With the split season in operation, the vast majority of county championships are in full swing.
