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Galway’s hopes of a first Allianz Football League title since 1981 have been hit by a major blow, as Moycullen’s players on the team were forced to retire after some members of the team that won the title of the county for the first time recently tested positive for Covid. -19.
The outbreak will also affect the Galway U-20 team, who will face Kerry in the Irish semi-final in Limerick on Saturday.
The Moycullen club, which celebrated its best day when it defeated Mountbellew-Moylough to win its first senior title last week, canceled all activity following an outbreak in the community.
And since players must be quarantined while the contact tracing process continues, the outbreak will have an impact on Galway’s senior and under-20 teams.
Seasoned defender Gareth Bradshaw, Moycullen captain Dessie Conneely and versatile Sean Kelly are among those in line for action with the Tribesmen, while young Paul de Kelly has also recently been added to the squad by Padraic Joyce.
Paul Kelly is also a key member of the U-20 team alongside players like James McLaughlin and Daniel Cox and would have appeared on Saturday as Galway, last year’s runner-up, seeking his sixth grade title and his first since 2013..
The Galway senior team, already expected without captain Shane Walsh, will face Mayo on Sunday at Tuam Stadium and Dublin the following weekend with victory in those two matches that guarantee a first league title in 39 years.
Moycullen club president Paul Clancy, winner of the All-Ireland with Galway in 1998 and 2001, said all club activities have been canceled until further notice.
“The global Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire world for the past seven months. In recent weeks, national numbers have started to rise at an alarming rate and sadly, there are several cases in our community.
“This includes some members of our senior soccer team who recently won the county title.
“Upon learning of these cases at the club, we acted immediately and canceled all activities to allow time for all necessary actions to be carried out in relation to the contact tracing process.
“Prior to this, the club had canceled club celebrations after our county’s final victory.
“We will follow all the protocols established by the HSE and GAA as we all try to get through these difficult times together,” he said.
Moycullen is also in the Galway intermediate hurling final, but that match against Killimor, which was due to be played last Saturday, was called off when the GAA suspended all club activity across the country.
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