Shutdown 'a shock to the system' for Faulkner

Paul Fitzpatrick

The general shutdown has left sportspeople and teams in a state of limbo and the Cavan senior squad are no different.

Full-back Padraig Faulkner, a national schoolteacher, describes the shutdown in schools and sporting activity as “a shock to the system”.

“It’s complete shut-off from all camp now. We can’t be in any contact with each other. It’s individual training only.

“Andre [Quinn, strength and conditioning coach], has given us running programmes that we can get done on our own and we’re trusting everyone to put their own shift in and it will show when we get back.”

The situation has been exacerbated by uncertainty; nobody knows how long the current crisis will last.

“Who knows when school will start back. It could be the start of June, it could be next September, you just don’t know what way it’s going to pan out.

“As for football, no idea. No idea. It could go any way, the league could be scrapped, it could be a straight final based on where teams are now. Who knows? Everybody is in the same boat and no-one is any the wiser what’s going to happen.

“Even championship-wise, you don’t know what format they are going to run it on this year, it could even be a knock-out. I can’t see them having the Super 8s because it will just run on too far, that’s my own opinion.

“It was such a shock to the system. I was teaching in school and within an hour there were a lot of changes. First of all school ended and that was it, shut now, and then within the hour all GAA was off. I just looked it up online and saw it.

“Originally before we knew the severity of it, we were going to use the gyms in ones, twos or threes but now we can’t even do that because it’s shared equipment and you can get infected that way.

“You have to go off on your own and nearly do your own thing. It’s very hard in a team sport to go straight back to being an individual.”

For a full interview with Padraig Faulkner, pick up next week's print edition.