Why don't GAA matches sell out?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815154#Comment_121815154

I agree with you about Cork but it's one of a small few examples and you would still need PuC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815253#Comment_121815253

Fair enough. It comes up a lot which lead me to make assumptions.

Even today pitches can be a problem. Treaty fans were complaining about the state of UCD on Friday as it was still ripped up from a rugby match. Wouldn't be as much a problem in the bigger grounds with top level pitches though.

I was at Ireland Brazil in Croke Park and my seat was looking out at the massive warm up area behind he Canal goal. Still better than not being there I suppose but if I was paying the kind of money 6 Nations cost now I'de be pssed.

Speaking of rugby another downside of "top" spectator facilities is it leads to sport as a place to be seen not a match to watch. What good is 5000 more fans when it leads to a half wrecked, disinterested audience who spend half the time under the stand. Was a fair bit of it in Croke Park last night too.

dulpit

Just heard there on radio that wexford are playing Clare in the hurling league. 2 big hurling counties, apparently 4000 at the game. I get that weather plays a factor, but this is one of wexford's 6 home games this year maybe? Poor showing.

BoardsBottler

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815509#Comment_121815509

Are you joking. GAA tickets are insanely cheap.

Munster championship is cheaper than URC and this is a country where our scooter fans are paying for regular weekends away to see English clubs. A package for all 5 hurling league games is cheaper than 1 Man United jersey.

It's the biggest sport in the country both in spectators and playing numbers and you are talking about maybe winding it up. Is it you on the wind up maybe ?

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815509#Comment_121815509

Must be a record to fit so much nonsense in one post.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815910#Comment_121815910

And don't forget this was the short version 🤣

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815620#Comment_121815620

Isn't soccer the actual biggest sport in Ireland? Seen as gaa is counted as one, even though it's actually 2 (or 3 or 4 if you include handball and rounders)...

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121816082#Comment_121816082

Soccer are pretty vague about numbers. They definitely are not the biggest spectator sport and playing numbers can change depending on what you call playing (astro leagues and the likes)

Gaelic Football is regarded as the number 1 sport in Ireland.

Billy Ocean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121815434#Comment_121815434

I was at the game myself, weather definitely a factor in the crowd, my own father who is 80 later this year choose to watch it at home for this very reason and it was absolutely freezing, thankfully the very heavy rain in the morning eased off for the game itself.

BoardsBottler

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

BoardsBottler

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

Dickie10

i seen in the program for meath v kildare they had an article looking back at 1997 leinster semi final replay, meath v kildare stand alone fixture, 56,200 in attendance. when meath and kildare population were a lot smaller than what they are today.

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817552#Comment_121817552

Was that Micko days?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817567#Comment_121817567

That's what I was thinking.

Nothing like a bandwagon.

piplip87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817552#Comment_121817552

The populations of Meath and Kildare have changed but if you look at who has moved to Meath and Kildare on the last 20 or so years, Dubs half of them see GAA as "bog ball" a quarter only starting supporting Dublin GAA in the last ten or twelve years, the others are a mix of die hard dublin fans amd die hard dublin fans who have added loads to local clu s but are still Dublin fans.

Leinster is a poor comparison to use as bit Meath and Kildare have fallen of a cliff in the last few decades. So when. The team is bit doing well people don't go but will still be at club games.

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817577#Comment_121817577

The man had the x factor.

Dickie10

yeah micko and meath were reigning all ireland champions

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817590#Comment_121817590

Is it really Dubs who have moved to the commuter belt or people who are not from Dublin but work there ?

That's a genuine question and not arguing against your post as I don't have a clue about the demographics of the areas outside a few Limerick friends.

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817635#Comment_121817635

That was a great Meath team. Superb to watch.

piplip87

I can only speak from my own town, in Cavan an hour from Dublin. The vast majority of those who moved here during the Celtic Tiger era are dubs. Some have got involved with the local GAA club but they would be in Croke park quicker than Brefini come intercounty games

atilladehun

Winning teams get good attendance.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817681#Comment_121817681

True of every team in every sport.

About half of Limerick lives outside the city.

About half of Waterford lives outside the city.

About two-thirds of Galway lives outside the city.

About three-quarters of Kilkenny lives outside the city.

About threes-quarters of Cork lives outside the city.

About one-millionth of Tipperary actually lives in Thurles.

Etc, etc...

Getting to a game is just too much hassle and too expensive when you add in cost of transport, bite to eat, etc.

Realt Dearg Sec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817510#Comment_121817510

You should delete posts more often.

Just get rid of hurling and football, Jesus wept.

BoardsBottler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817995#Comment_121817995

i did'nt say football, i said to re-invest the funds from gaa and hurling into football.

people cant make posts complaining about low turn outs then when the funds are scattered across all these other games going on. wouldnt it just make sense to put all the funds that are going to waste into one big thing instead of a number of small things, no?

if there is low turn outs like was being asked about, then this is only more reason to go for this

keeponhurling

It doesn't inspire people to go to league matches when even the players and managers always say "yerra sure look it's only the league"

The rural point is relevant, relatively more trouble for people to travel. It's much easier to get out to a stadium if you live in a large urban area with metro, trams etc.

kippy

There's a lot of factors that effect attendance at intercounty matches. You cannot compare with premier League or similar for any number of reasons.

The indirect costs are one factor. I had looked at going to Killarney for the Mayo Kerry game but the price of the accomodation wasn't a doable figure, even if it were the fuel, food, drinks etc up and down aren't small money. And while some people can afford and have the time to go every weekend sometimes there's not a big support base unless the team are doing well.

The absolute dominance of Dublin GAA over the past decade and more at this stage has killed a lot of Leinster counties and these are generally the more populated counties and the dominance of Kerry in Munster has done the same there. You could say hurling has been adversely effected by Limerick also but there are a few teams close to them in Munster.

Ultimately you can't do much to change the formats of intercounty as the players aren't paid full time professionals.

At the end of the day we have a limited population, and not all are into GAA or intercounty GAA or at least aren't till the county are doing well, which is fine too.

So long as the participation rates remain high, I personally am happy. Anything that helps foster community is a good thing and many aspects of the GAA are brilliant for that.

MacDanger

Had a quick look at the league figures for recent years and the gate receipts in € were as follows:

2018:

Hurling 2m

Football 3m

2019:

Hurling 2m

Football 3.5m

2023:

Hurling 2.25m

Football 4.8m (average attendance of 4k across the 4 divisions and that doesn't include kids)

Decent enough numbers I'd have thought

BoardsBottler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121818999#Comment_121818999

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

elefant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121819155#Comment_121819155

I don't think this thread is for you. A better place to start with this level of questions would be:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_games