Former GAA President Nickey Brennan believes that the start of the National Leagues will be pushed back to March due to COVID-19.
"At best, it could very well be Patrick's Day by the time the National League will take place. That's going to mean a crammed competition, it's going to mean that club competitions are going to have to give up a couple of weeks and that's going to cause other challenges at the bottom end of the year. We can't blame anybody, the times we're in are the times we're in."
He says that counties won't receive any financial support if the competition goes ahead. "County boards will have to work on the basis that there isn't going to be any funding coming from Croke Park to support a National League programme. They are already forecasting a loss of around 17 million and it could be more. There is no guarantee that there is any exchequer funding coming to the GAA to support the association. There's every possibility that counties playing in the National League will have to cover their own costs and there will be no income coming through bar a small portion from the TV rights. There has to be a big question mark about the National League."
Listen back to the full interview with Nickey Brennan from Friday's Lár Na Páirce.
https://www.spreaker.com/user/wlrfm/larnapaircejan22part2
