Does the GAA matter to you?

Can't watch it. It's all a bit frenetic for my taste.

But I am told by those who would know better than me that the skill level has gone steadily downhill since the 80's. Football, in particular being a shell of its old self, apparently?

AllGunsBlazing wrote: »

Can't watch it. It's all a bit frenetic for my taste.

But I am told by those who would know better than me that the skill level has gone steadily downhill since the 80's. Football, in particular being a shell of its old self, apparently?

As above, the skill levels in Gaelic Football are definitely miles, miles above what they were in the past.

The brutal physicality has been toned down a lot, and the importance of tactics has increased a huge amount. It has made the game more methodical, and means that lesser skilled teams can try and grind out a win against better opposition by employing tactics that are very negative.

I suppose that's not dissimilar to soccer at all!

BabyE wrote: »

Nope, going to a school where the players were fawned over made me hate it. I just associate it with depressing sundays and the sunday game, I lived in America for the first years of my life, reckon if I stayed there, I'd love it.

It can unbelievably parochial in small towns and communities alright. A bit exclusionary, cliquey etc. Like an Irish Friday Night Lights in some places.

In my experience, GAA clubs outside of Ireland tend to be much more inclusive, and have a much healthier type of camaraderie. The games can be very serious, but players of all skill levels seem to mix much more in training, and even players who didn't play in Ireland can get involved much more easily.

There's good people (including my extended family) involved in the sport (as with any other sport in the country) but would have serious issues with the GAA as an organisation. We live in a quite GAA area in Dublin and I never tried to influence my kids about what sports they play but I was secretly glad they opted not to join a GAA club.

As for the sports: I can't stand Gaelic football and hardly ever watch it but I enjoy watching Hurling and think it's a fine sport.

osarusan wrote: »

I don't watch it when its on.

If the account of a friend of mine living in Skerries is anything to go by, they are still up to their old tricks - arranging training times to match training times for other sports so kids have to choose one over the other.

Her kid is 9 years old ffs.

The main schoolboy leagues in Dublin (like DDSL and SDFL) are following the League of Ireland to summer football from next year. Good move although might cause issues. Other sports have to get away from this pussyfooting around the GAA and let kids choose what they want to play. Some kids will be lost from GAA to junior (association) football and vice versa. Time to get over it.

justshane wrote: »

No, plenty of respect for the lads that train like full time athletes for amateur rewards but the organisation as a whole stinks. Corrupt to the core.

I really don't get how the GAA is 'corrupt to the core'?
The financial accounts of the GAA are freely available on-line so you can see exactly where the money goes.
The president of the GAA can only get paid the same salary as the job he previously had before becoming president. Therefore, you don't have guys like John Delaney in there earning 400k annually.

If you said backward I could understand as 30-40 years ago they could hardly have been described as the most progressive organisation in the world. However, that has changed and they have opened Croke Park for rugby and soccer. The GAA has also said they would open up other grounds if the rugby world cup is hosted in Ireland; without such an agreement there is no way Ireland could even contemplate holding such an event. They have also lifted bans on members playing other sports and not allowing british forces to play their games. They even had the Queen over for a visit!!
The organisation has changed beyond comprehension over the last 30 years in particular.

I love soccer as well but gaelic games are fantastic. People often say they don't mind the games but hate the GAA. Do you ever hear anyone say they like soccer and love FIFA or the FAI? In terms of a sporting organisation there are far more corrupt and frustrating organisations out there than the GAA.

Like pretty much all sports organisations, I have no time for them.

I love hurling as a sport to watch and play. Played it a lot at school but never with a club, preferred playing football at the weekends as football was frowned upon in my school.

Not particularly bothered about Gaelic football but will look at the scores every now and then.

I'm from Wicklow so it's not as if we have anything to get excited about with either team.

Say Your Number wrote: »

You haven't been following the antics of FIFA or the IOC in recent times, the GAA are choirboys in comparison to those showers.

Perhaps not:
With commerce and elitism taking over, the GAA's sense of a shared journey is now an illusion
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/joe-brolly-winatallcosts-philosophy-has-destroyed-the-olympics-and-the-gaa-is-next-35000919.html

HS3 wrote: »

Poll selections are poor so haven't voted. GAA is important, as a sport I love watching it. It's also so easy to get the kids involved, Macra on a Sat morning is a fantastic step in. I just find it very cliquey and a bit egotistical.

My son does soccer and GAA. At the soccer, it's all organised and focused and very welcoming. My kid knew no one and started with people who were there years. But he was thrown in and cheered on as well as the others.

The GAA we've been going to for 3 years and still they don't know his name. I always volunteer to help at one of the stations and I get a mumbled thanks at the end of each session. The kids of parents already in the club get most of the focus and everyone else is background noise. The club seem to love the sound of their own voices and patting themselves on the back.

This is the year they all get picked for teams. My kid is so excited but I keep trying to manage his expectations. I reckon all the known kids will get picked and although he his very good, I think team selection will be a matter of who you know. Whereas with the soccer they're dying to get hold of him!

So yes GAA is important to me, but I think a bit of grounding would do them no harm!

No option in the poll for me. The GAA represents exclusion to me: that's what it stood for in the village my family moved to in the 80s. The GAA 'was for' people who'd grown up there and whose fathers had played for the club years ago. At the time, I didn't really care as the whole organisation was really naff - but since the GAA suddenly got sexy a few years ago...