In an interview on Tús Áite on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta this evening, Mr O'Neill said: “From the start of the year, I’ve said that we need to be careful, to be safe ... I’m saying now that the intercounty games shouldn’t go ahead. It’s time to put a stop to it now. The numbers are going up every day.
“If we think that’s the right thing to do, then we should do it, regardless of the consequences."
Mr O'Neill added: “If we stop it, nobody will be put in danger as a result, if we don’t, they might be. There’s only one decision, to stop it immediately. I think it’s as simple as that. There are more important things than matches ... nothing is more important than people’s lives.”
Mr O'Neill said he would accept whatever decision was made in relation to the championship, but that as a citizen on a personal level, he didn’t think it should go ahead.
“As someone who has an interest in GAA, as someone who’s deeply involved in my own club in my community, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.”
Mr O'Neill's comments come amid uncertainty surrounding the inter-country championships after positive Covid-19 tests in a number of county panels.
The GAA also suspended the club season recently after criticism of a lack of social distancing at celebrations following county finals across the country in recent weeks.
