Lt Dan wrote: » Irish Rugby has been successful for a good chunk of 20 years. Some would even suggest that our National team has under performed at World Cups. They do not seem too troubled by the GAA in getting lads to play AND, in getting big money people to sponsor teams.
Bracken81 wrote: » Ah the GAA......a place for people, who were no use at Football, Rugby, Boxing, etc..........before finding their home on the GAA field!
PARlance wrote: » You obviously don't remember the 1983 County Minor B final, 1-6 from play. It was only afterwards that he developed a taste for fast pints and loose women. Paddy had it all at one stage!
beach_walker wrote: » Totally agree OP. Just look at the US and American football, or Oz and AFL. Imagine how successful those countries could be internationally if they abandoned their own games.
Lt Dan wrote: » Yeah, Kevin Moran would agree with you there Shane Long, Matthew Macklin ,Nial Quinn would agree with you surely
joey100 wrote: » A lot of the team sports take away from other sports. Funding in Ireland, especially at youth levels is about numbers. The more people signed up for your club the more you will get. There might be a lad who plays for the local soccer team, no control or able to read the game but the fastest by a long shot over 40/50m. Rather than send him onto an Athletics club where he might really excel the soccer team hold onto him and never really play him. Young people then turn away from sport in their teens if they don't feel like it's going anywhere when a lot of time they may have been better suited for another sport. I've seen this happen across a lot of sports, lads playing GAA better suited for rugby, lads playing rugby better suited for long distance running. Unfortunately most youth sport isn't about helping the young person develop into the best athlete they can be even if it means them leaving the club, rather it's about getting in the numbers to boost the clubs funding.
Strumms wrote: » Having I been involved in both soccer and Gaelic football from a young age.. There is far more politics involved in GAA than in soccer. I will always love hurling and football but I never liked the parochial inward looking view of the GAA and 'GAA people'. I found the atmosphere of soccer clubs more inclusive and open and fun. With the GAA you have to follow the script and it's almost like the Catholic Church in terms of brainwashing you to follow their ideals and dedicate all your time to them.
homerjay2005 wrote: » population is a key factor also, we have the 127th biggest nation in the world. but when you add in the GAA, Rugby, our proximity and obsession with the premier league plus being relatively ok at alot of other sports (boxing, golf, horse racing, athletics etc etc) then the pool or talent for soccer is being diminished. we just dont have enough resources for top class soccer players in a sport that is global.
lawlolawl wrote: » To be fair, the amount of nations playing rugby is fairly small as well.
OldRio wrote: » Don't forget Tommy Bowe, Tomas OLeary, Mick Galway and Shane Horgan
Lt Dan wrote: » How many lads under 6 foot make it in NFL or to a lesser extent AFL?
ClovenHoof wrote: » Watching Portugal win last night, as well as the exploits of Wales, Norn Iron and Iceland should finally put to bed this myth of Ireland (this part) punching above our weight in international sports. From the olympics, to rugby to soccer we are not anything special. Does the GAA creating a mindset that the local inter parish final being the pinnacle of human sporting achievement rob us of athletes who could represent Ireland on the international stage by effectively ghettoising them at a very young age? There are still numerous secondary schools around the country where the.principle is a "real GAA mam" and kids are basically unofficially banned from other codes. All the money, attention and favours go to the gaa kids. More importantly it creates a pathological "big fish, tiny pond" mentality.
biko wrote: » To answer the OP - no, GAA doesn't rob anyone of cricket talents.
Permabear wrote: » This post had been deleted.
lawlolawl wrote: » Indeed. Look at Conor Mc Gregor. Arguably one of the most internationally recognizable and successful Irish athletes alive and he got there by himself with no state funding or support.
Samaris wrote: » Ireland has a small population base (as already noted), other sports generally more important to them and just probably won't have the range of opponents in training that people living in bigger countries will to hone their skills. .
Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: » There are only 10 rugby playig nations in the world so if you happen to be probably the only one of the ten where it is your number 1 sport then they have a fairly good chance of being the bets at it.
pgj2015 wrote: » There are 102 rugby playing nations in the world.http://www.worldrugby.org/rankings/mru
