Lidl National League Will Not be Completed

The Lidl Ladies National Football League has been cancelled for 2020 and will not be completed. The decision was taken by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association yesterday in light of increased restrictions on movement and gatherings.
The LGFA Interprovincial competition, as well as the U14 All Ireland Championship, the national Féile na nÓg Championship and the Féile Skills Challenge, have also been cancelled for the year.
These are among the first of the major tournaments and events to be formally cancelled as a result of the CoronaVirus but it is hoped that the TG4 All Ireland Championships will be played in full once the virus has been taken under control and a return to normal activity has begun.
With new restrictions now in place until April 19th at the earliest, it is inevitable that more such announcements will be coming down the line.
Sport requires a highly complex level of fixture planning and facility management and while it is hoped that as many tournaments will return in full and be played to a conclusion there is actually very little leeway built into the 52 weeks that make up a calendar year.
Events like Euro 2020 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games can box off their time-limited activity and move things by a year, impinging on their next four-year cycle but not having an annual refresh to accommodate.
The continuous cycle of fresh competition and new hope will mean that there will be gaps in the historic record when we look back on 2020.
It’s a price that has to be paid for the good of the public health in these times of crisis.
The context of the announcement has to be judged against a background where tournament sponsor Lidl is one of the key bulwarks supporting society. There was no public reaction to the postponement yesterday but we have no doubt that they will be there when the action returns.
At the moment they have a few other things on their mind.

Our stores, warehouses and offices have been catapulted through unprecedented circumstances. Every single team in Lidl have worked around the clock to keep our shelves stocked and customers fed.

This is a shout out to every single one of them.

Thank you for your hard work. pic.twitter.com/rfeKoQxc8G

— Lidl Ireland (@lidl_ireland) March 21, 2020