Cocaine in the GAA

TopTube

Before anyone condemns my headline as contrived sensationalism, I'm acutely aware of the drug epidemic that permeates through all sectors of Irish society.

Now that you've calmed down, filled your lungs with air and allowed the oxygen to fuel your brain in anticipation of its pending engagement for what I am about to write....

ARE PARENTS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS (15-17 YEARS) AWARE THAT THEIR SONS ARE BEING EXPOSED TO A CULTURE OF ILLICIT DRUG TAKING WHEN THEY ARE CALLED TO REPRESENT THEIR CLUB AT ADULT GRADE?

I guess some of you are laughing, that's ok. We'll call you naïve, just to be polite. The majority of you, however inconvenient it is to admit to, know all too well that cocaine is consumed among our GAA players at a rate not dissimilar to Lucozade sport. The difference being, you won't see the GPA wave a bag of Charlie Carter in your face for a quick buck.

From junior footballers right through to all-star winning intercounty hurlers, cocaine has become the escape mechanism to circumnavigate the drink-ban culture which now permeates every club and county across the island.

Young men with whom I shared classrooms with in secondary school, now befallen to the illicit drug. Characters I believed would never trodden down such a frivolous path. The common connection between these characters is the GAA club. A convenient coincidence it isn't however, having spoken to numerous confidents recently it appears this is a convenient coincidence which is the norm as opposed to the extraordinary.

I worry about the next young man, now preparing for his leaving cert, to set foot in the dressing room among the army of cocaine-taking adult GAA players who are pulling the wool over the eyes of their community.

You might not agree, but just allow your brain to engage one more time;

If I am correct, is this what we want?

heroics

How much did you take before writing that Paul?

mcfitness20

i believe it
i used to take ecstasy when i was playing hurling

pjohnson

Yep. None of the young non GAA players ever take it.

theoneeyedman

TopTube wrote: »

Before anyone condemns my headline as contrived sensationalism, I'm acutely aware of the drug epidemic that permeates through all sectors of Irish society.

Now that you've calmed down, filled your lungs with air and allowed the oxygen to fuel your brain in anticipation of its pending engagement for what I am about to write....

ARE PARENTS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS (15-17 YEARS) AWARE THAT THEIR SONS ARE BEING EXPOSED TO A CULTURE OF ILLICIT DRUG TAKING WHEN THEY ARE CALLED TO REPRESENT THEIR CLUB AT ADULT GRADE?

I guess some of you are laughing, that's ok. We'll call you naïve, just to be polite. The majority of you, however inconvenient it is to admit to, know all too well that cocaine is consumed among our GAA players at a rate not dissimilar to Lucozade sport. The difference being, you won't see the GPA wave a bag of Charlie Carter in your face for a quick buck.

From junior footballers right through to all-star winning intercounty hurlers, cocaine has become the escape mechanism to circumnavigate the drink-ban culture which now permeates every club and county across the island.

Young men with whom I shared classrooms with in secondary school, now befallen to the illicit drug. Characters I believed would never trodden down such a frivolous path. The common connection between these characters is the GAA club. A convenient coincidence it isn't however, having spoken to numerous confidents recently it appears this is a convenient coincidence which is the norm as opposed to the extraordinary.

I worry about the next young man, now preparing for his leaving cert, to set foot in the dressing room among the army of cocaine-taking adult GAA players who are pulling the wool over the eyes of their community.

You might not agree, but just allow your brain to engage one more time;

If I am correct, is this what we want?

TLDR....

Daily Mail that-a-way lad.

Lads of 17 or younger are not allowed play adult GAA, so once I got that far, I'm out.

eurokev

Completely agree, I've seen plenty of it the last year or two from younger lads though. I'm over 30 now and haven't noticed it too much with lads of my age

Thom Guilfoyle

I've been totally unaware of this madness that has gone on for the past few years in the GAA. I'm from a prominent Clare club and heard/seen first hand of two Clare senior hurlers who took a drug after there club exit this year and ended up in the dressing rooms of Cusack Park in the early hours, setting off fire extinguishers and the like. Only for seeing a video of it at the weekend, I wouldn't have believed the fool acting of these young lads! It's a disgrace what the GAA has let go on. Look at that pedophile Tom Humphries, another lawless act let happen under the GAA's watch. We have to wise up.

I logged on here for the first time tonight to find out more only to see this exact topic is widely known of. The usual arm chair generals then dismissing the topic because it doesn't suit their way of thinking. Also the point made about 15-17 year olds is a key one. They don't play with the adult grades but when they do, this is the culture that exists among the minor and older teams. That's the problem, it's what lies ahead for our youth.

Everybody needs to get real and admit the GAA is on brink of an epidemic.

pjohnson

Thom Guilfoyle wrote: »

I've been totally unaware of this madness that has gone on for the past few years in the GAA. I'm from a prominent Clare club and heard/seen first hand of two Clare senior hurlers who took a drug after there club exit this year and ended up in the dressing rooms of Cusack Park in the early hours, setting off fire extinguishers and the like. Only for seeing a video of it at the weekend, I wouldn't have believed the fool acting of these young lads! It's a disgrace what the GAA has let go on. Look at that pedophile Tom Humphries, another lawless act let happen under the GAA's watch. We have to wise up.

I logged on here for the first time tonight to find out more only to see this exact topic is widely known of. The usual arm chair generals then dismissing the topic because it doesn't suit their way of thinking. Also the point made about 15-17 year olds is a key one. They don't play with the adult grades but when they do, this is the culture that exists among the minor and older teams. That's the problem, it's what lies ahead for our youth.

Everybody needs to get real and admit the GAA is on brink of an epidemic.

You've changed TopTube!

Thom Guilfoyle

pjohnson wrote: »

You've changed TopTube!

Excuse me?

TopTube

theoneeyedman wrote: »

TLDR....

Daily Mail that-a-way lad.

Lads of 17 or younger are not allowed play adult GAA, so once I got that far, I'm out.

The fact that you’re willing to ignore a serious issue and cower behind the rule book says all I need to know about you. You seriously believe that 17 year old boys don’t train alongside or are not exposed to the adult team in their respective clubs? I suggest you take your head from the sand.

TopTube

pjohnson wrote: »

Yep. None of the young non GAA players ever take it.

Can you reread my opening sentences please. If you’re able to comprehend them then surely you must realise how stupid your input makes you appear.

TopTube

eurokev wrote: »

Completely agree, I've seen plenty of it the last year or two from younger lads though. I'm over 30 now and haven't noticed it too much with lads of my age

What do you blame Kev? Society, GAA culture, something else?

Do you agree with me that this is something that is deserving of an exposure?

eurokev

TopTube wrote:

What do you blame Kev? Society, GAA culture, something else?

TopTube wrote:

Do you agree with me that this is something that is deserving of an exposure?

I don't agree that it is something deserving of exposure. I know of high profile lads who are known to partake in the stuff. They don't deserve for their personal lives to be attacked and scrutinized in my opinion. They're amateurs at the end of the day.
Enough people know anyway, why put it in the media.

Personally, I don't know how the lads at the high level can enjoy it anymore. They're going about ten months of the year. Burnout is coming earlier and earlier. The sports hospitals are full of lads 25-30 getting jobs done on their hips, knees and ankles, who are under pressure to be fit and ready to go again in a few weeks.

The enjoyment for the players has to be going. The pressure is absolutely unreal, and lads are built like brick houses. The game is unreal physical these days. The devotion and pain is something else

Lads are just completely blowing out when they have the chance to unwind. I can't blame them.
Personally I've tried a few drugs in my time, I don't really have a big issue with them, I just keep away from them because I don't like the feeling. But from what I'm told a lot of people love the buzz of it. It's probably just as I say, that when some lads get the chance to unwind, they don't hold back.

As a side note, I also know of far more players who wouldn't touch the stuff, but yeah, there is a massive percentage that do

eurokev

TopTube wrote:

ARE PARENTS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS (15-17 YEARS) AWARE THAT THEIR SONS ARE BEING EXPOSED TO A CULTURE OF ILLICIT DRUG TAKING WHEN THEY ARE CALLED TO REPRESENT THEIR CLUB AT ADULT GRADE?

Also go to any college in the country and drugs are everywhere. Most secondary have them too. Kids aren't being introduced to them by the GAA. They're exposed to them everywhere. I know and agree that they are taken by lads in the GAA but I would say that the GAA probably does more to keep lads away from drugs than bring them to them.
It's basically just youngsters are choosing to spend more on drugs as a substitute for alcohol nowadays from what I can see. For whatever reason, I don't know?? Im not particularly fond of either tbh

Hunchback

TopTube wrote: »

Before anyone condemns my headline as contrived sensationalism, I'm acutely aware of the drug epidemic that permeates through all sectors of Irish society.

Now that you've calmed down, filled your lungs with air and allowed the oxygen to fuel your brain in anticipation of its pending engagement for what I am about to write....

ARE PARENTS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS (15-17 YEARS) AWARE THAT THEIR SONS ARE BEING EXPOSED TO A CULTURE OF ILLICIT DRUG TAKING WHEN THEY ARE CALLED TO REPRESENT THEIR CLUB AT ADULT GRADE?

I guess some of you are laughing, that's ok. We'll call you naïve, just to be polite. The majority of you, however inconvenient it is to admit to, know all too well that cocaine is consumed among our GAA players at a rate not dissimilar to Lucozade sport. The difference being, you won't see the GPA wave a bag of Charlie Carter in your face for a quick buck.

From junior footballers right through to all-star winning intercounty hurlers, cocaine has become the escape mechanism to circumnavigate the drink-ban culture which now permeates every club and county across the island.

Young men with whom I shared classrooms with in secondary school, now befallen to the illicit drug. Characters I believed would never trodden down such a frivolous path. The common connection between these characters is the GAA club. A convenient coincidence it isn't however, having spoken to numerous confidents recently it appears this is a convenient coincidence which is the norm as opposed to the extraordinary.

I worry about the next young man, now preparing for his leaving cert, to set foot in the dressing room among the army of cocaine-taking adult GAA players who are pulling the wool over the eyes of their community.

You might not agree, but just allow your brain to engage one more time;

If I am correct, is this what we want?

I am not a GAA fan, but I came here to read this thread because I thought it might be interesting. I was immediately taken aback at the condescending tone of your post.

TopTube

Hunchback wrote: »

I am not a GAA fan, but I came here to read this thread because I thought it might be interesting. I was immediately taken aback at the condescending tone of your post.

Have you read some of the dribble that has been written in retort? Condescension is the least that some of these ill-informed contributors deserve.

A current reknowned intercounty hurler carries the nickname of "The Hoover". He doesn't have a fetish for house keeping.

"Interesting" enough?

Hammer Archer

OP, if you have evidence of illegal drug taking, then by all means bring it to the Gardaí.