Most Popular Sport in Ireland

Crania

I'm just wondering what most people here think is currently the most popular sport in Ireland. I'm not asking what you're favorite sport is, but what you consider to be the most popular sport. I would think that soccer probably is, but if you count Gaelic Football and hurling together then the GAA as a whole is probably more popular than soccer. But with the GAA sports being apart from each other I would think that its soccer number one, closely follwed by gaelic football, then rugby and hurling joint third.

I know the GAA attendances are very high but I think thats more so to do with the fact that our own soccer league is a bit rubbish than the GAA actually being really popular. Like I think that if the Eircom League was any way good then Dublin wouldn't get near as many Croke Park suporters as they do now.

I know its different in differnet areas, with the GAA being fairly weak in urban areas, but being extremly strong in rural areas. But as a whole waht do you think is the country's most popular sport.

Please don't just say your preferred sport, say which sport you think is most popular.

Wishbone Ash

CoolCiaran wrote:

, but if you count Gaelic Football and hurling together

What about camogie, handball and rounders - AFAIK they are also GAA sports?

Pighead

He he he he he he he Pighead will tell you in a minute what his favourite sport is when he stops laughing. At the moment its laughing at stupid usernames.Ha ha ha ha ha ho ho ho ho ho
Your username is CoolCiaran! That is without doubt the funniest thing Pighead has seen since 10 o clock. CoolCiaran! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Classic.

Wishbone Ash

Sport Forum?????????

bluto63

I'd say it's soccer

Terry

none of the above.

the most popular sport is actually pro wrestling, but nobody wants to stand up and say they watch it.
how else do you explain it being the highest rated show on sky sports for many years now?

Pighead

julep wrote:

none of the above.

the most popular sport is actually pro wrestling, but nobody wants to stand up and say they watch it.
how else do you explain it being the highest rated show on sky sports for many years now?

How else do I explain it? By saying your talking through your behind, thats how. Saying Pro Wrestling is the highest rated show on Sky Sports is the most ridiculous thing Pigheads heard since the Birdie Song back in 88.

Soccer is quite obviously the real answer.

DaBreno

What, no pub brawling?

Pherekydes

julep wrote:

the most popular sport is actually pro wrestling, but nobody wants to stand up and say they watch it.
how else do you explain it being the highest rated show on sky sports for many years now?

And everybody has Sky Sports?

It's actually Horse Racing.

But I voted for GAA.

And to the poster who thinks that Croker would be half empty if Shamchester United were playing Sliverpool next door: no way, José.

Terry

In 1989, Sky Sports had acquired the rights to WWF Wrestling (now World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE), from America. Despite being sports-entertainment as opposed to a competitive sport, the show proved popular. WWE ranks among the most watched Sky Sports shows, along with football and rugby league

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Sports#Professional_Wrestling

dang.

Pighead

Oh so it ranks among the top watched programmes along with Rugby and Soccer. For one crazy minute Pighead thought you said it was the most popular. Silly Pighead!

Terry

i can't find a link, but i did read somewhere that RAW is the most watched show on sky sports. or at least it was when it was on at a decent time on sky sports 1.

Pherekydes

julep wrote:

i can't find a link, but i did read somewhere that RAW is the most watched show on sky sports. or at least it was when it was on at a decent time on sky sports 1.

Yes, but in Ireland, julep.

Amz

This is a stupid poll.

The statistics are out there. People on these boards are always going to dispute things like "Soccer is more popular than Gaelic football etc." so there's little point in expecting rational discussion, particularly when Pighead sticks his oar in.

Also, Pro-Wrestling isn't a sport, it's sports entertainment, it's not the most watched/participated in sport in this country and for the love of all things good and holy I hope it never will be.

Go watch some UFC, or Pride if you want to watch something decent where there are real athletes.

Drag00n79

As much as I hate to say it, I think its GAA. In many areas it's very hard to even get a soccer team going when the GAA is so strong, re: attendances, facilities etc. I'm in Mayo and football is way behind Gaelic Football with the vast majority of kids. Don't laugh, but there's still some "foreign games" mentality with some here too. It's also not helped by the apparent lack of organisation of football affairs by some of the local associations.

Amz

Timans' post removed, don't bother rising to the bait, it only makes you look foolish.

Pighead, cop on to yourself, there's no need to critique people's user names, that's for the afterlife.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

monosharp

I can't understand why a great majority of people in urban areas, especially Dublin, have such a huge dislike for the GAA. I play and have played GAA for my entire life, i've often played soccer, although not in any organised fashion.

A lot of people in my club play Soccer, Gaelic Football and Hurling, all in an organised fashion.

Yet theres a huge percentage of people who not only dislike GAA but actively hate it. By "actively" i mean that they make sure everyone knows they dislike it and a lot of people fail to give a single reason, yet the majority of these people don't even follow/play/watch the eircom league but some overpayed tossers in some english club.

edit -> And on the popularity stakes.

Gaelic Football countrywide by a long way. Soccer probably next countrywide followed by Rugby and Hurling.

In Dublin alone i'd say its soccer by quite a lot, in Munster i'd say its hurling by a long shot. In Connacht & Ulster and Leinster as a whole i'd say Gaelic football by a LOT.

Amz

See, there's no need to resort to calling the overpaid (in your opinion) soccer players names.

There are obviously going to be different sports which are popular in different areas. The question was what's the most popular sport in Ireland. There was no need for a poll as the answer is already available from more reliable sources than the users of boards.ie.

monosharp

CoolCiaran wrote:

I know the GAA attendances are very high but I think thats more so to do with the fact that our own soccer league is a bit rubbish than the GAA actually being really popular. Like I think that if the Eircom League was any way good then Dublin wouldn't get near as many Croke Park suporters as they do now.

Technically on a per population basis Dublin is the worst supported county in Ireland.

monosharp

Amz wrote:

See, there's no need to resort to calling the overpaid (in your opinion) soccer players names.

Ah yes but i am insulting wages and players, not the sport. I have no problem with soccer at all as a sport, you could say i have a problem with some aspecs of "professionalism" in sports but i am not insulting soccer in any way.

Amz

By referring to and insulting the players of the English premiership teams you're complaining about people supporting, you're insulting the supporters. It's your opinion that these people are over paid tossers, but to the fans that's not the case. You could have made your point without calling anyone tossers. It's hardly the players fault that money/wages/sponsorhip is now at ridiculous proportions The GAA is not without it's own problems in that regard.

I've played inter county football and I've played soccer and rugby at inter varsity level, so I've a fair insight into the 3 codes. They all have their problems, they all have their merits, there's no point in a GAA player/fan coming out and slagging off soccer fans, or soccer, just as there is no point in a rugby fan coming out and slagging off the GAA etc.

I don't know why people seem to think that you have to plant your flag firmly in one camp on this matter. It seems to me that people are suspicious of you if you say you like all three, or two of the sports, as if you have to proclaim your bias towards one.

There are aspects within the 3 groups which I despise and don't get me started on the treatment of women or youth players within the various sports, but that's not up for discussion here.

If you want to talk about how GAA is great, go to the GAA board, same with soccer and rugby.

monosharp

Amz wrote:

By referring to and insulting the players of the English premiership teams you're complaining about people supporting, you're insulting the supporters. It's your opinion that these people are over paid tossers, but to the fans that's not the case. You could have made your point without calling anyone tossers. It's hardly the players fault that money/wages/sponsorhip is now at ridiculous proportions The GAA is not without it's own problems in that regard.

1. I play/ed GAA (both codes), Soccer (non-organised mostly) and Rugby (as a kid). I have nothing against any of them as a sport, even though my preference is hurling i don't think there is anything "wrong" with Gaelic Football, Soccer or Rugby.

2. I was in Cardiff for the Heiniken Cup, i've being to a lot of Celtic League games. I used to go to quite a lot of my local eircom league team matches (don't go anymore for reasons not important to this thread) and i still go watch my local amateur soccer team playing.

a. I think the GAA has crap quality referees, i think the rulebook needs a complete makeover, i think the "tackle" in gaelic football is ridiculous because you never know whose gonna get the free, i think that the disciplinary system is an absolute joke as a whole, i think hurling is dying and the GAA don't care, i think the championship format is completely crap and i think that the GAA are now more interested in advertising and getting more € then the games.

b. I think soccer players are completely overpaid, i think the rules need a complete makeover, i think the diving makes the game at the top level the biggest joke in sport, i think the antics and playacting by players are pathetic and i think the fact that its success is based on "Who you like" and "how much money you have" is the absolute worst thing in any sport. (This isn't unique to soccer)

c. I think Rugby needs stricter rules on certain incidents. The video ref should be given more power to call incidents and report them to the referee on the field. Rugby also suffers from a bit of the "its who you like and how much money you have" situation but a good bit less then soccer. (especially in Ireland)

I have problems with all 3 sports that i follow and like. My preferred game is Hurling (GAA) followed by Rugby and then soccer. I have the least amount of problems with Rugby because they have got a LOT right which the other codes have gotten very wrong.

I'm not insulting the supporters or soccer as a sport. I'm insulting the "support who you like best" and "success to the richest" mentality. I'm insulting the fact that the vast majority of players in soccer clubs at the top couldn't give a rats ass about "loyalty" or otherwise to their "club", only to their pay check.

I've played inter county football and I've played soccer and rugby at inter varsity level, so I've a fair insight into the 3 codes. They all have their problems, they all have their merits, there's no point in a GAA player/fan coming out and slagging off soccer fans, or soccer, just as there is no point in a rugby fan coming out and slagging off the GAA etc.

Thats good because thats not what i did and its not what i am.

I don't know why people seem to think that you have to plant your flag firmly in one camp on this matter. It seems to me that people are suspicious of you if you say you like all three, or two of the sports, as if you have to proclaim your bias towards one.

That was my point.

Amz

So why did you bring the topic away from the original question, which was "What's the most popular sport in Ireland?"