Fermanagh midfielder Ryan Jones admits that football is not a priority at this minute with the country still trying to come to terms with the coronavirus pandemic.

And as a pharmacist, and therefore a key worker in this crisis, the Derrygonnelly Harps man has plenty to occupy his time at present.

“Football should not a priority in anyone’s life at the minute and I think we need to realise that and whatever comes our way just deal with it and move on.

“What we are faced with is a serious issue and the most important thing is to get over this and we’ll just pick it up whenever the time is right,” he said.

Jones and good friend John Slowey opened up RJS Pharmacy in Drumshanbo, Leitrim at the end of last year and there has been no letting up since the coronavirus situation began.

“This last couple of weeks with this Covid-19 it has been very busy and we had to put things in place like protective screens and we have tapped out the floor and all that but you don’t mind doing things like that when you are serving the community and trying to reduce risk for as many people as possible,” he said.

Indeed, the GAA suspending all activities worked well for Jones.

“In a way, the break from football did no harm because is was chaos in here for those initial two weeks with people, especially elderly people, panicking about having enough of their medication and with regards training there might have been a few sessions that I would not have made.

“We don’t have many staff so we are just trying to get by it as best we can. John hasn’t been here since the coronavirus kicked in, he has been working in Dublin and doing things behind the scenes like the ordering.

“He has been staying away in case I was unlucky enough to pick it up as at least then he can fill in.

“Locums are what you would normally do to cover but you can’t get locums because they are reluctant to go into a random shop because that would increase the risk as well,” he added.

He has though still been able to get some training in most evenings.

“Thankfully the weather has been decent enough and after a busy day you do look forward to getting out in the evening and getting a bit of fresh air. I just get out whenever I can for a bit of a run or whatever,” he said.

He does feel though that with no date in sight for a return to action that it can be hard to stay motivated.

“I feel it is harder to keep the discipline of training because you don’t know what is happening. You don’t know if the league is going to be completed and you are thinking it is not that long until we are meant to be playing Down in the championship.

“You don’t know how long this virus is going to be here so it is hard for lads to stay focused. We haven’t been together as a group since the Tuesday night after we played Armagh but then that is the same for everybody across the board, every county is in the same position and I’m sure all teams are smart enough to follow the regulations that have been put in place.”

With the GAA following government guidelines the suspension of activity will be to April 19 at the earliest and it is expected to be increased further.

At this stage the overall championship plan remains in tact with Fermanagh’s clash with Down still pencilled in to go ahead at Brewster Park on May 24.

However, there is every likelihood that could change with no indication yet of when things will return to normal and there has been suggestions of a shortened championship.

Jones though is hopeful that the Ulster Championship will stay in place.

“I would still love the Ulster Championship to take place, it is something that Fermanagh have never won and I’m sure every Ulster county would love the provincial championship to remain.

“I suppose in a best case scenario and things went well and were to clear up coming into May then if you had a three week gap to let teams prepare for the championship then that would be alright.”

The club season must also be taken into consideration when play does get back up and running. The Fermanagh senior leagues were due to begin last weekend.

“Within Fermanagh we play two rounds of games in the league, home and away. They still might fit two rounds in, I don’t know, but with one round you are still getting nine matches and I think that would be good,” said the Harps man.

“If a club got nine games were everyone was available to them and then they had a couple of weeks before the championship kicked off I think we would have more than enough time, especially as our championship is straight knock out and is played every two weeks.

“But, as I said, the important thing is getting through this and then we can worry about getting back to football,” he said.

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