Today’s Easter Sunday is currently being celebrated in the strangest of ways and times. In times such as this all sports, and in particular our own sport of Ladies Football, takes a remote second best to the health of all our players, officials, mentors, supporters and friends.

My deepest sympathies go to the friends and families of everyone who have had their loved ones pass away during this unprecedented crisis. This crisis has deprived families of the normal Irish process to enable them to grieve together and I hope that when this crisis has passed we will be able to celebrate all our lost loved ones in a manner which befits their wonderful lives.

Similarly, at this time I pay a humble tribute to all our health workers and everyone making such a huge effort to keep continuous supplies available to us. These same health workers on the front line who are, at great personal risk to themselves, ensuring that everyone presenting with issues are dealt with in the best possible way with professionalism, love and care.

I would also like to thank our own people for helping to get us through these strange days whether by setting quizzes, sending humorous videos, playing musical recitals, setting training goals and challenges, hilarious posts or for simply reaching out to help each other with the community spirit which had been instilled in us in many cases by our now cocooning parents and loved elders. I would also particularly encourage our younger players to continue to post your great football challenge efforts which we all enjoy so much and for those who are preparing for exams I send you my heartfelt best wishes.

I would like to wish you all a happy and healthy Easter. Please take care to observe the current restrictions which are in place for our protection.

Finally, I would like to thank all our County Boards in each of our Leinster counties for their tremendous work throughout the pandemic and to my own Leinster LGFA officers and staff (Margaret and Miriam) and the officers and staff of LGFA at national level for their constant help and support during these strange times we currently live in. There is no doubt that our great game will return in an appropriate time - when it is considered to be physically and medically safe to do so and until then I would ask you all to please take care and stay safe.

Enjoy your Easter