The G.A.A. - A Good or Bad thing?

Just...Me

Long time lurker, first time protagonist here!

After reading the thread on things you would love to outlaw or ban I found the G.A.A. came up a lot.

I left the country 2 years ago and I have always found that when people ask me "What is really Irish?" I generally answer with Gaelic sports.

I was surprised to find that there are so many people that don't like it.

I have always found it to promote Irish Identity and community.

I could ask this question in the G.A.A. forum but I am looking for a more general view so I am posting it here.

So I suppose my question is have you found Gaelic Games to have a positive or negative impact on Irish society?

smash

Good thing? Bad thing?

Culchie thing!

Harry Palmr

County thing! :mad:

The Backwards Man

Beer and spirits go over the bar, everything else should go underneath.

Rattser

It brings a great sense of togetherness. I'm a Dub that can barely kick snow off a rope before that starts.

But when Cluxton walked up to take that kick.....

corner of hells

All Ireland Day has done wonders for the hang sammich business , so banning it would probably ruin Brennan bread and Dennys ham.

valoren

A game of hurling can be spectacular.

I'd rather scrape my eyeballs out with a rusty fork than watch a game of the Football.

Trent Houseboat

It's a sports association. I would worry about anyone who felt strongly either way about it. And I say this as someone who goes to most Dublin Football matches.

Just...Me

Harry Palmr wrote: »

County thing! :mad:

Don't think its a county thing, more of an Irish thing

armaghlad

The GAA is an institution of Irish society. It brings together a sense of community that is seldom found anywhere else. It has backboned rural Ireland and continues to do so. It can be slow to change with the times but thankfully it usually does (eventually). It provides young people with focus, exercise, friendship, discipline and character. Some people have died for simply being a GAA member. I tend to find that the people who despise the GAA the most are the people who were never a part of it.

RayM

It's fine. Unlike rugby, which is terrible and should be banned.

Just...Me

armaghlad wrote: »

The GAA is an institution of Irish society. It brings together a sense of community that is seldom found anywhere else. It has backboned rural Ireland and continues to do so. It can be slow to change with the times but thankfully it usually does (eventually). It provides young people with focus, exercise, friendship, discipline and character. Some people have died for simply being a GAA member. I tend to find that the people who despise the GAA the most are the people who were never a part of it.

That would have been mine impression

BattleCorp

armaghlad wrote: »

The GAA is an institution of Irish society. It brings together a sense of community that is seldom found anywhere else. It has backboned rural Ireland and continues to do so. It can be slow to change with the times but thankfully it usually does (eventually). It provides young people with focus, exercise, friendship, discipline and character. Some people have died for simply being a GAA member. I tend to find that the people who despise the GAA the most are the people who were never a part of it.

Where else other than a hurling match can you go out and knock seven shades of sh1te out of someone with a stick and face no repercussions? I think there is a ball involved too but I think that is only incidental to the knocking the sh1te out of each other.

Great stuff altogether.

Maximus Alexander

It's not a good thing or a bad thing, just a thing.

BattleCorp

RayM wrote: »

It's fine. Unlike rugby, which is terrible and should be banned.

Rugby is played by men with funny shaped balls.

smash

Rattser wrote: »

But when Claxton walked up to take that kick.....

It's Cluxton...

Rattser

When you go live foreign and are expected to be a hurler. Lads, I'm ****. Nonsense, you're Irish so you're in. Hmmmmm. I'll do my best. I never played before.

Just...Me

RayM wrote: »

It's fine. Unlike rugby, which is terrible and should be banned.

i like all sports but just feel that G.A.A. has a specific identity with Irishness

Bulbous Salutation

Gets kids playing team sports, promotes a sense of community in a world where that is no longer promoted, economic benefits to the economy, hurling is a class sport to watch.

All good in my opinion.

armaghlad

BattleCorp wrote: »

Where else other than a hurling match can you go out and knock seven shades of sh1te out of someone with a stick and face no repercussions? I think there is a ball involved too but I think that is only incidental to the knocking the sh1te out of each other.

Great stuff altogether.

We aren't great at the hurling in Armagh and it isn't really promoted as well as it should... part of me thinks it's because we are bad enough without giving us weapons

Sonderkommando

Love the gaa, hurling championship is one of the best events of the year.

As for people hating it, self hatred is strong among certain Irish people i woudn't take much notice of them. I'd nearly bet if hurling was not Irish the same people would fawn over it.

iDave

The GAA is absolutely ****ing brilliant.

Rattser

A big hurling game is magic.

Kilkenny versus Tipp, for example, when it's knockout.

The skill involved is unreal.

PTH2009

love the gaa. if there was no hurling and football on in the summer than it would just be boring.

i like watching the republic play soccer but have a little interest in the club soccer (although im forced at reading about it every 2 mins on facebook etc)

big rugby fan too.

i think irish people abroad who dont like gaa are trying to distant themselves from Irishness but would support Connor Mcgregor and the likes as he is the it thing at the moment

Iang87

enjoyable sports. Repulsive organisation

iDave

Iang87 wrote: »

enjoyable sports. Repulsive organisation

A flawed organisation. Just look at the mess it makes of reform. Repulsive? No that adjective is more suited to FIFA

ClovenHoof

It has been a very powerful pathological manipulation tool for politics in that it destroys a sense of national identity and replaces it with a county colours mindset. This is one of the reasons we are doomed as a nation as we are a collection of 32 little ****hole rivalries and not a nation of Irish people. Every culchie puts his parish ahead of his nation. Jackeens tend to be the only group in Ireland who are actually aware of what nation they are citizens of.

But that is really more about politicians using the GAA rather than the sport itself.

ClovenHoof

Let's also not forget the Tallaght GAA saga trying to destroy Shamrock Rovers in order to keep their sporting apartheid going in the region. That was a shocking spectacle of bigotry and cronyism.

K-9

Love it, hard to beat an Ulster Championship match in the 6 counties. All Ireland day isn't bad either.

Congress and the CCC and all that is terrible, but very Irish.

Wichita Lineman

Like any organisation it has a lot of positives but there are also a lot of negatives.

I loved playing hurling.

The big negative for me at the moment is they brainwash small kids 6yrs and up that the GAA is the only sport(s) they should play. There is a shocking attitude shown towards soccer, rugby, golf etc (and many other activities).

God forbid that little Johnny would turn into a star golfer instead of being a shoo in for taking his fathers spot at corner back in the local village Junior B team when he turns 17.

Kids should be encouraged to take part in as many sports / activities as possible.

Iang87

Iang87 wrote: »

enjoyable sports. Repulsive organisation

Repulsive is about right.

Countless anecdotal stories of young kids being told not to play some sports or they wont get picked for the local GAA side. Repulsive way to act with kids.

I'm not really going to try justify it but in my view this country would be better off without that scummy organisation. We whinge all day about cronyism ruining the country then queue up in our thousands to give the most crony filled organisation our money.




Obviously didnt mean to quote myself

CrabRevolution

Wichita Lineman wrote: »

Like any organisation it has a lot of positives but there are also a lot of negatives.

I loved playing hurling.

The big negative for me at the moment is they brainwash small kids 6yrs and up that the GAA is the only sport(s) they should play. There is a shocking attitude shown towards soccer, rugby, golf etc (and many other activities).

God forbid that little Johnny would turn into a star golfer instead of being a shoo in for taking his fathers spot at corner back in the local village Junior B team when he turns 17.

Kids should be encouraged to take part in as many sports / activities as possible.

That's hardly unique. Every sport tries to protect it's own popularity. You make it sound like soccer clubs encourage their players to play Rugby in their free weekends and hurling in the summer.

BalcombeSt4

It's helped to forge an inward looking national identity.

maudgonner

It's got many the flaw, but overall, a very good thing.

It helps give my county an identity. Sadly, that identity is one where people immediately shake their heads and pity you when they hear where you're from

Zebra3

Full of bigots. A good place for those who think they are more Irish than the rest of us yet they've always been closely tied in with a well known Middle Eastern religious cult from getting a weirdo in a dress who'll lecture you on your sex life to throw the ball in on cup final day to having blokes from the same organisation batter kids to play the chosen sport.

Liam Brady and Douglas Hyde are just two that have dared cross the bigots who are the essence of small time Ireland.

Wichita Lineman

CrabRevolution wrote: »

That's hardly unique. Every sport tries to protect it's own popularity. You make it sound like soccer clubs encourage their players to play Rugby in their free weekends and hurling in the summer.

I've never heard of a soccer team tell - a child - that they will not be picked for the team if they continue with their other activities but I know for a fact that this happens on a daily basis in GAA circles.

My view is that kids should be encouraged by all sports to play all sports - plenty of time to 'specialise' or choose themselves later. It's a view not shared by the GAA.

RobertKK

The GAA is great, earliest memories are Kilkenny winning the hurling back in the 1980s and my local club from a small parish winning the All-Ireland club hurling final.
Hurling is a great sport and and you see the reaction it gets when shown to new international audiences, they seem to mostly love it.
The GAA has done a lot of good with the promotion and building up facilities and stadium around the country. Yes they had some silly rules in the past but are reforming over time.
Croke Park was developed by money from the GAA and the state and it is a landmark in Ireland, the fourth biggest stadium in Europe, and even if you don't like GAA, they have helped to give us a venue for stadium concerts.
The GAA would be the most professional amateur sporting body in the world, I don't think any other amateur organisation comes close.

RobertKK

maudgonner wrote: »

It's got many the flaw, but overall, a very good thing.

It helps give my county an identity. Sadly, that identity is one where people immediately shake their heads and pity you when they hear where you're from

You sound like you are from Mayo.

maudgonner

RobertKK wrote: »

You sound like you are from Mayo.

I can feel you shaking your head and pitying me from here

uch

They have a fierce sense of Entitlement

DEFTLEFTHAND

Hurling and Football are one of the few sports that I get seriously worked up watching. Because you're actually from the place that you're supporting it means so much more.

You can't decide who you support, you're born into it.

check_six

CrabRevolution wrote: »

That's hardly unique. Every sport tries to protect it's own popularity. You make it sound like soccer clubs encourage their players to play Rugby in their free weekends and hurling in the summer.

This is true. I think there is still a slight hangover from the days when you were actually banned from playing 'foreign sports' if you wanted to keep playing GAA. Those rules are gone 40 years, but I do think some people look at any other sports with a hint of suspicion.

A good hurling match is amazing to watch. Gaelic football needs to have a rules/laws overhaul. As far as I can tell, almost every interaction between two players could be legitimately given as a free in either direction according to the current rulebook. This makes the game impossible to referee without upsetting everyone all the time. The jumble of rules seems to stem from having too many people voting at various congresses. They need to just have some brains trust type group that comes up with some experimental rules to tidy up the game and no crazy political hullabaloo each time a rule change is suggested.

DavidLyons_

I have some ties to gymnastics in this country. I know for a fact that some members of rural GAA clubs have actively tried to crush gym clubs by way of forbidding members from participating in gymnastics.

Played Gaelic football for my local team well into my teens. Experienced a lot of prejudice as I come from a "soccer family". My 11 year old son is now suffering from the same treatment from bigoted individuals within the club.

Not everyone involved I rural GAA clubs is a small minded, bigoted p**ck but there are enough of them involved to make it a very bad thing sometimes.

Riddle101

I don't really watch sports but I do believe that GAA and other Irish sports have had a good impact on this country. It's part of our culture, and it's also been a part of Irish history since it's founding. Plus I believe sports are important in society too.

PTH2009

its amazing to think lads playing in front of 80000 in croke park on a weekend will be getting up the next morning or 2 days after etc and going to work. some players train before and after work too

while messi, rooney and terry etc are about 180000 a week and have the whole day to do what they want when there training is done

DEFTLEFTHAND

PTH2009 wrote: »

its amazing to think lads playing in front of 80000 in croke park on a weekend will be getting up the next morning or 2 days after etc and going to work. some players train before and after work too

while messi, rooney and terry etc are about 180000 a week and have the whole day to do what they want when there training is done

They've no life at all, work, training, sleep. No drinking for 9 months. It's a huge commitment these days to be on a senior county panel.

andekwarhola

It's great the country has a traditional sport in hurling, and a pretty excellent one at that. Gaelic football doesn't really qualify on either front IMHO.

Like all traditional institutions in Ireland, it can embody the very best aspects of Irish life: community, sport, kids activity and events, but on occasion, some of the worst: bigotry, insularity, and parochial clientilism, especially in the area of establishment patronage and public funding, ironically, considering the facilities explicitly exclude use by 'foreign' sports.

Also the whole community aspect of it is certainly hammed up for commercial and cultural reasons. You'd swear it was the only sport in the country that provides exercise and community involvement for thousands of adults and kids, and is largely operated by a large phalanx of volunteers.

Red_Wake

Horrible, small minded organisation that tries to proclaim itself as integral to the concept of Irishness.

Not to mention its foul links to republicanism and "the cause".

Kerrydude1981

GAA is always something that brings everyone together,especially at club level when the club is going well ,its that pride in the parish thing,noting else comes near it,

Of course every club has the few old lads that are still stuck in the dark ages and they are blinkered,the play Football and Hurling or play noting lads,

No one should listen to these fellas,play as many sports as you can.

Yamanoto

I'm ambivalent to the GAA tbh.

The fact that they get huge amounts of folks out playing sport & that coaches and local administrators give of their time for free is to be greatly admired - though that's not unique to the organisation by any means. But in terms of pure numbers, their contribution is hugely significant & that should be recognised.

Unfortunately, I also think they actively allied themselves to a cabal which retarded the Country both socially and economically for decades & in doing so, they became part of the problem. The organisation let itself be a conduit, through which political & religious blaggards exerted an unhealthy influence and control over many aspects of Irish life from top to bottom - a sort of soft totalitarianism, involving an unholy trinity of the sliothar, the rosary & a dawdle down to the parish pump to support 'our man'.

tl;dr - Up for the Match puts me right off 'em.

Sunny Disposition

I would have played hurling and soccer for many years.

Honestly, and this mightn't always have been the case, I think there is a little more sporting 'prejudice' among people into other sports than the GAA. There's a lot of people with a real chip on the shoulder about GAA.

Loads of GAA people have an interest in other sports, they wouldn't have seen anything odd about me playing soccer and hurling, but people only involved in soccer had much more of an issue.

It may have been the case years ago that the GAA tried too hard to compete with other sports, but that's gone now. Nowadays I don't think the GAA has any more bigots than anyone else, sadly there are gob****es in every kind of club, hurling, rugby soccer etc.

I do really question the honesty of people talking about the GAA trying to bully kids, crush other sports. Hatred, and I don't think that's too strong a word, can warp people's perspective.