Do you think Fingal is a 'real' county?

rigumagoo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingal

Fingal as a distinct region goes back to the middle ages, where it existed as an area of Norwegian viking settlement. For much of modern history, Fingal has been merged into Dublin, however, in 1993 it was resurrected as an administrative region carved out of the expanding Dublin.

Since then, Fingal has grown from being a mere legal administrative division to becoming a distinct entity in it's own right. As well as its own county council and local government apparatus, It has many of the trappings we associate with counties, such as its own GAA team, county crest and colours, and county town and hall.

So what do you say, readers; has Fingal earned its place as the thirty-third county on this island?

Cavehill Red

It's as real as "Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown", no more and no less.

Duff

Fingal Coco.

baalthor

They just won the Division 3 hurling - winning any kind of hurling title is something most "real" counties haven't managed ...

On the other hand, there have been rumours of a secession movement in the D15 portion of the county.

OU812

If it's not on the map, it doesn't exist.

mikemac1

Tipp North & Tipp South were split over a century before the Dubs did it.
Well almost a century, 1898 I believe

And both could win DivIsion 3 hurling no bother :cool:

dan1895

Ha ha, no! Remember that horrible football team they had that played its games in Santry and Drumcondra!

Sunnyisland

26 wont do we want 32 33 doesn't sound right :P

Archeron

I'd rather have a bowl of Fingalcocopops.

Mr. CooL ICE

I can't think of one fingal reason to consider it a real county

iDave

From a Meath perspective doesnt matter if your Fingal, city centre, D4 or tallaght your all bleedin dubs

joe stodge

Yes it should, it means more stinking culchies to hate.

In a legal sense it does exist and perhaps people of the area might recognise themselves as Fingallians but to greater Ireland, Fingallians are just considered to be more Dubliners.

However if the county became more distinct and branded itself independently then overtime with the power of persuasive advertising could possibly put Fingal out on its own.

Despite rising populations though, we are in a time where unifications are taking place and not divisions.

From a GAA point of view, Fingal exists as a development hurling panel in order to promote hurling in an area that wouldnt be considered a hurling stronghold. A clever idea by the Dublin Co board imo. Granted they have the means to fund this team unlike alot of other counties who are struggling but if you have the funds then the idea is spot on.

Cool_CM

Shouldn't this be in the Dublin County North forum?:D

Or is my geography off?

Nailz

I'm actually shocked to how close the poll is at the moment, 1 in 5?? Of course it's not a real county.

Cavehill Red

Cavehill Red wrote: »

It's as real as "Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown", no more and no less.

True. Also you never hear of a man from North Yorkshire being referred to as a North Yorkshireman despite the traditional counties being assigned to various new administrative areas in a 1974 act in the UK. A Yorkshireman is a Yorkshireman no matter what part of the county they are from,

Legs.Eleven

It bloody well is not! I'm a Dub and proud! Fingal me arse! ME ARSE!! :mad:

Slutmonkey57b

I'm struggling to decide which I care less about, county divisions or gaa results.

Cody Pomeray

Running County check:
█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

Administrative Local Government ✓
Negative regional attributes we can make fun of ✓
Meets minimum population threshold ✓
Inter country hurling team ✓
Inter county football team ✘

COUNTY STATUS DENIED.

Steve O

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Fingal me arse! ME ARSE!! :mad:

Ok ffs let me get oiled up first. Jesus.




:pac:

hatrickpatrick

Meh. Dublin is Dublin. I live in Sandycove and I consider myself County Dublin.
Splitting Dublin makes sense administratively because it's so populated but I don't think many people actually consider themselves to be from a separate county do they? How many people here live in one of the other county council areas and don't regard themselves as Dubliners?

ToddyDoody

I said no. I also don't recognise Dublin as a real county, but I do count Derry

tatabubbly

wheres fingal? us people up north have no idea.

Zaph

I'm originally from a part of south Dublin in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, and now live in D15, which is part of Fingal. Neither are separate counties, it's all Dublin.

Legs.Eleven

tatabubbly wrote: »

wheres fingal? us people up north have no idea.

North County Dublin. Dublin being the operative word.

mike65

Fingal will be a real country when it declares war on Freedonia or the Grand Duchy of Fenwick! Not before!

Chucken

tatabubbly wrote: »

wheres fingal? us people up north have no idea.

Us in the West dont either but that doesnt stop the Dubs trying to educate us

Solair

It really needs to move the capital to Finglas to make sense though!

Fingal really needs to re-claim Finglas !

On a more serious note:

WTF did we create even more counties for?

We could have done with merging them to save costs and duplication of services.

I'd say we'd get away with about 8 big regional administration areas and just let the counties be historical things like the provinces. It wouldn't impact upon the GAA.

I'd say something like:

Dublin City and County Dublin. (just over 1/2 million each)
Cork (just over 1/2 million)

Then work the rest out on the basis of creating viable blocks of 300,000 to 1/2 million or so by merging counties (or maybe even redrawing new borders entirely rather than using the old counties as units.)

For example: if you take an area like North Leitrim, it's completely cut off from its county town (Carrick-on-Shannon) anyway and logically fits into Sligo/South Donegal.

Give each one a proper, accountable setup with a directly elected regional mayor too.
You'd have slim-lined, efficient, accountable local government.

I don't really see any particular reason why we're using a local authority setup that basically goes back to feudal times and was largely dreamt up Norman invaders carving up the land and really have no relevance to modern administrative systems nor make any logical sense anymore.

Keep them for the historical context, GAA etc etc.. but for public admin, WTF are we up to!?

Solair

Solair wrote: »

WTF did we create even more counties for?

To keep power in the Dail. If a functioning council or local government regime was set up for all of Dublin or a Great Dublin Area it would have a fair bit of power given the proportion of the national population within its borders.

Fromthetrees

I'm totally against this idea as it'll be fierce hard to change the EIRE 32 tattoo on my knuckles to EIRE 33.

Me and the small blue dinosaur that follows me around will take up arms and take the fight to the streets if needs be.

biko

tatabubbly wrote: »

wheres fingal? us people up north have no idea.

Sure it's all pale to me.