Does the GAA matter to you?

andekwarhola · 29-08-2016 12:23PM

GLaDOS wrote: »

Tallaght stadium has hosted Rugby and American football so it's not exclusively soccer.

The SDCC will host anything that pays rent, fits the pitch dimensions and doesn't clash with Rovers (who pay a large annual rent to be) as anchor tenants (8 months a year).

Trying to explain this to GAA heads who think Soccer/Rovers 'got a free ground' from the tax purse is like banging your head off a wall at times.

ClovenHoof · 29-08-2016 12:39PM

Good sport, prefer it to others, but it's only a game

Robs aspiring sports people - particularly - in rural regions and small towns and effectively ghettoizes them so they will never shine for Ireland on the world stage in other sports.

We would have a higher quality domestic soccer league, a far better international rugby side and win more medals in the Olympics than we do now.

Hurling is a good sport and should be the premier game of the GAA, Gaelic football is simply a catholic sectarian machine to prevent a mixing of traditions. If you look at all the main Irish soccer clubs, Rovers, Shelbourne and Bohemians they were made us of Catholics and Protestants from day one and brought both communities together. Bogball was set up to destroy this. No other way of looking at it. Rotten and sectarian from the start.

WesternZulu · 29-08-2016 12:50PM

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Robs aspiring sports people - particularly - in rural regions and small towns and effectively ghettoizes them so they will never shine for Ireland on the world stage in other sports.

We would have a higher quality domestic soccer league, a far better international rugby side and win more medals in the Olympics than we do now.

Hurling is a good sport and should be the premier game of the GAA, Gaelic football is simply a catholic sectarian machine to prevent a mixing of traditions. If you look at all the main Irish soccer clubs, Rovers, Shelbourne and Bohemians they were made us of Catholics and Protestants from day one and brought both communities together. Bogball was set up to destroy this. No other way of looking at it. Rotten and sectarian from the start.

Ah yes, soccer brings Catholics and Protestants together in Ireland. I especially like how the Rangers and Celtic divide brings people together in the North. I also like the way Derry were forced to play in LOI because of their Catholic tendencies and how Winsor Park regularly hosts Linfield and N.Ireland fans to sing songs about spilling Fenian blood. Shamrock Rovers weren't too welcoming to Linfield fans either in the Setanta Cup a few years ago either. Ireland fans booing players they mistakenly perceived as ex rangers players is also very inclusive.

You forgot to mention that the GAA has had former presidents who were Protestant. Not to mention that the most coveted prize in the 'bogball' sport you describe that only exists to serve as a 'catholic sectarian machine' is named after Sam Maguire; a protestant.

I really like soccer, so this is not a dig at the sport but your post was so hate filled and wrong that it needed to be addressed.

AudreyHepburn · 29-08-2016 12:57PM

The level of vitrol in this thread surprises me. If you don't like the sport fine, but the hatred been shown here is just uncalled for.

And where exactly did the idea that the GAA is corrupt come from? I have never seen evidence of any such corruption myself.

I personally love the GAA and I really think Irish society would be missing a vital part of itself if it were ever to fold.

There really is nothing like being in the stand in Croke Park on match roaring your team on. The excitement, the tension, the delight, the devastation - it's incredible the range of emotions you go through. And nothing beats the high of watching your team's captain lifting the silverware.

I really don't understand how anyone could find it boring.

TheNap · 29-08-2016 01:06PM

My word people have issues

OldRio · 29-08-2016 01:26PM

Ambivalent

ClovenHoof wrote: »

Robs aspiring sports people - particularly - in rural regions and small towns and effectively ghettoizes them so they will never shine for Ireland on the world stage in other sports.

We would have a higher quality domestic soccer league, a far better international rugby side and win more medals in the Olympics than we do now.

Hurling is a good sport and should be the premier game of the GAA, Gaelic football is simply a catholic sectarian machine to prevent a mixing of traditions. If you look at all the main Irish soccer clubs, Rovers, Shelbourne and Bohemians they were made us of Catholics and Protestants from day one and brought both communities together. Bogball was set up to destroy this. No other way of looking at it. Rotten and sectarian from the start.

Just wow. I honestly do not where to start. So much drivel and hatred.

As someone who lives in the rural part of Ireland within a 15 minute drive they are the following. Basketball Clubs. Athletic Clubs. Gyms. Indoor Swimming Facilities. A Rugby Club. A Rowing Club. 2 Equestrian Centres. A Pony Club. Therefore do not give me this bull about 'Ghettoizing' children. Utter tripe. (An English friend of mine recently commented, whilst visiting the area, on the amount of sports children could play here.)

As for your rant about 'football is simply a catholic sectarian machine to prevent a mixing of traditions.' One of the main officials in our local club attends chapel and not church.

Soccer bringing people together. Is this some sort of joke? Celtic/Rangers comes to mind among many others.

'Bogball' Deary me. How mature of you.

skywanderer · 29-08-2016 01:45PM

Good sport, prefer it to others, but it's only a game

I have lost all respect for the GAA until it roots out the corruption going on in Dublin then I will never again support them.

Maximus Alexander · 29-08-2016 01:55PM

Weird poll options. There's none I can select.

VisibleGorilla · 29-08-2016 01:59PM

Good sport, prefer it to others, but it's only a game

Absolutely zero interest it in, never have.

Any time I've been dragged to a game it's just people getting pissed up and arguing about their parishes or their county... horrible.

Donald Trump · 29-08-2016 02:03PM

#GAAlivesmatter

wandatowell · 29-08-2016 02:03PM

Good sport, but prefer other sports...

I don't have much of an interest in GAA but I'd watch the odd game (probably from the semi finals on) and the father in law loves it so I keep an eye on the GAA goings on.

elefant · 29-08-2016 02:04PM

Ambivalent

VisibleGorilla wrote: »

Absolutely zero interest it in, never have.

Any time I've been dragged to a game it's just people getting pissed up and arguing about their parishes or their county... horrible.

Outside of Croke Park I don't think I've ever seen people (noticeably) pissed at a GAA club or county game.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 29-08-2016 02:08PM

It means absolutely nothing to me in fact I hate everything about it. The organisation itself, the games (have no interest in any form of football) the people that jump on the bandwagon as soon as their club/county get through play offs and look like they might get sonewhere, the stupid jerseys worn as a uniform by irish abroad, the corporate end of the bigger games, the fact that players get nothing from ticket sales. I hate everything about it.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 29-08-2016 02:08PM

This thread proves that, contrary to the common stereotype, soccer fans have more of a hatred of GAA than the other way around.

diomed · 29-08-2016 02:16PM

Good sport, prefer it to others, but it's only a game

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

The level of vitrol in this thread surprises me. If you don't like the sport fine, but the hatred been shown here is just uncalled for.

No. It is called for. I'll have no hand, act, or part in the GAA ya know.

HamsterFace · 29-08-2016 02:17PM

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It means absolutely nothing to me in fact I hate everything about it. The organisation itself, the games (have no interest in any form of football) the people that jump on the bandwagon as soon as their club/county get through play offs and look like they might get sonewhere, the stupid jerseys worn as a uniform by irish abroad, the corporate end of the bigger games, the fact that players get nothing from ticket sales. I hate everything about it.

Hate is a strong emotion, you're wasting valuable energy there

FunLover18 · 29-08-2016 02:21PM

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote:

This thread proves that, contrary to the common stereotype, soccer fans have more of a hatred of GAA than the other way around.

In fairness I haven't seen that many who say they hate GAA, reference their love/preference for soccer. Unless you recognise them from the soccer forum.

_Kaiser_ · 29-08-2016 02:29PM

Poll isn't great. I'd watch a bigger game if it was on and there was nothing else I wanted to see and I'd enjoy it for the time it was on and then instantly forget it afterwards

What I have an issue with more so is the influence it has on others areas of local (and indeed national) life. It's more of the "who you know" shyte that infests this country. Couldn't give a toss about the current Olympics scandal - just the latest in a country typified by what the Organisation represents

Cee-Jay-Cee · 29-08-2016 02:30PM

HamsterFace wrote: »

Hate is a strong emotion, you're wasting valuable energy there

Ok hate probably is the wrong word, dislike might be more appropriate.

CrabRevolution · 29-08-2016 03:04PM

Ambivalent

I'm not sure where the whole "corrupt to the bone" idea comes from. The GAA is possibly the most accountable, democratic sporting body in Ireland. They release detailed accounts every year for anyone to pore over to their hearts content. There's a degree of shifty manouvering and politics involved alright, but no more than any sport.

There's also pretty strict term limits for executives and county boards, which prevents an FAI/FIFA style golden circle of yes men. The president serves one term of 3 years and is only paid the salary of his previous job. I think only the treasurer can serve more than 5 years in a position in a county board before moving on. At county level, every position is up for reelection every year, and all clubs get a vote. If someone manages to get enough clubs on board you can oust the whole county board in one go.

To be honest I'd say it's nearly too democratic. I could introduce a motion tomorrow in my club asking that the sliotar be made into a cube from now on. If 51% of delegates support that motion at county level and congress, it will become law. Central council would nullify it for obvious reasons, but the very fact it could get that far is kinda ridiculous and results in some strange motions being beaten by 99% to 1% at congress.

purplepanda · 29-08-2016 07:12PM

Ambivalent

Seems to me that Gaelic Football has become a rough version of Basketball, defensive teams handpassing all game FFS! I seem to remember up until the mid '90's much more skill & entertaining games until the blanket defences took over. If you receive the ball via a handpass you should have to pass it at least using your foot, that would cut the constant handling down. :mad:

I was a mad Arsenal fan for decades & travelled all over, even Europe but Arsene Wenger has destroyed my love for the club. IMO most Football games are far more enteraining than Gaelic, although I used to believe that Gaelic was actually better than Rugby codes (including ****e American "Football":mad:) nowadays it is just as bad or worse. :pac:

Hurling is one of the greatest sports in the world, up there with football & Ice Hockey. I've followed Wexford for too many years & have suffered more than enough but I still love watching Hurling any chance I get, usually down the pub:D

The GAA is however an important assent in rural communities, I have had many great days out watching Hurling over the years.

bnt · 29-08-2016 07:19PM

I don't think there's anything wrong with GAA for what it is, but you can't escape the fact that it has a negligible international footprint. (No, a couple of clubs run by immigrant families in Boston don't make GAA "international".)

TerrorFirmer · 29-08-2016 07:19PM

That is a god awful poll.

Our options are it's a good sport and my/not my favourite, its a pillar of Irish society, I have mixed feelings and 'I hate all that it stands for'.

Why do people make these unnecessarily specific poll options? Surely having Love it, like it, don't mind it, indifferent to it, dislike it, hate it options would be far easier?

29-08-2016 07:30PM

Good sport, prefer it to others, but it's only a game

WesternZulu wrote: »

Ah yes, soccer brings Catholics and Protestants together in Ireland. I especially like how the Rangers and Celtic divide brings people together in the North.

Was this imposed on them by the Scottish FA or Irish FA, like the way the GAA introduced Rule 27, which allowed them to suspend anyone found to be playing "foreign (British) games"?

I also like the way Derry were forced to play in LOI because of their Catholic tendencies and how Winsor Park regularly hosts Linfield and N.Ireland fans to sing songs about spilling Fenian blood. Shamrock Rovers weren't too welcoming to Linfield fans either in the Setanta Cup a few years ago either. Ireland fans booing players they mistakenly perceived as ex rangers players is also very inclusive.

None of which was imposed by the FAI or the IFA. Speaking of stadiums, there wasn't diversity in the GAA stadia because the GAA banned non-Gaelic sports played in them when they introduced Rule 42.

Fan and players of both sports have their unsavory characters, but the GAA as an organization, have been a horrible shower of bigoted ***** ever since the Gaelic revival years.

Even in recent years, I encounter middle-aged people who sneer or make snide comments to youths whom express an interest in football (soccer) and it's because they've been institutionalized by the head-bigots in the GAA. The bigotry isn't as ban now as it was before they dropped Rules 27 (scrapped in 1971) and 42 dropped in (2010), but there was still plenty of arséholes around in the late-90s and early-noughties to turn me off of GAA permanently.

Rural Ireland is, thankfully, dying (it costs too much to subsidize them) and one thing that I won't miss is GAA culture, as its popularity is even falling behind rugby.

pauliebdub · 29-08-2016 07:33PM

Good sport, but prefer other sports...

Don't we get these kinds of threads every couple of months?

GAA isn't really my cup of tea, apart the odd great game like yesterday, Gaelic football is as dull as dishwater. Not to mention the tiresome sniping, feuding and mind games conducted by managers and player in the sports pages.

Hurling is much more exciting to watch, unfortunately dominated by Kilkenny of late. Used to play when I was younger but lost interest when I left school. The nepotism, parochialism and small mindedness that comes with it can be very off-putting and also we were forced to play and not given any other sports options back then. It's also dominated locally by a handful of well to do families, if you're not part of their clique you're pretty much frozen out.

munsterlegend · 29-08-2016 07:39PM

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

It means absolutely nothing to me in fact I hate everything about it. The organisation itself, the games (have no interest in any form of football) the people that jump on the bandwagon as soon as their club/county get through play offs and look like they might get sonewhere, the stupid jerseys worn as a uniform by irish abroad, the corporate end of the bigger games, the fact that players get nothing from ticket sales. I hate everything about it.

So people unifying behind a good story and being happy is something you somehow detest? Probably says more about your charachter. There will be plenty people in a certain town in cork tonight celebrating local people and their great success who have never been at a rowing contest in their lives. The GAA is without doubt the most important organisation in rural Ireland and a lot of urban areas as well. It is without parallel on this island which obviously leads to resentment.

munsterlegend · 29-08-2016 07:46PM

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I'm not sure where the whole "corrupt to the bone" idea comes from. The GAA is possibly the most accountable, democratic sporting body in Ireland. They release detailed accounts every year for anyone to pore over to their hearts content. There's a degree of shifty manouvering and politics involved alright, but no more than any sport.

There's also pretty strict term limits for executives and county boards, which prevents an FAI/FIFA style golden circle of yes men. The president serves one term of 3 years and is only paid the salary of his previous job. I think only the treasurer can serve more than 5 years in a position in a county board before moving on. At county level, every position is up for reelection every year, and all clubs get a vote. If someone manages to get enough clubs on board you can oust the whole county board in one go.

To be honest I'd say it's nearly too democratic. I could introduce a motion tomorrow in my club asking that the sliotar be made into a cube from now on. If 51% of delegates support that motion at county level and congress, it will become law. Central council would nullify it for obvious reasons, but the very fact it could get that far is kinda ridiculous and results in some strange motions being beaten by 99% to 1% at congress.

It's rather funny alright the likes of soccer and rugby 'professional sport' supporters slagging off the gaa and they hardly have a pot to p*** in.

diomed · 29-08-2016 07:48PM

Good sport, prefer it to others, but it's only a game

munsterlegend wrote: »

The GAA is without doubt the most self-important organisation in rural Ireland and a lot of urban areas as well. It is without parallel on this island which obviously leads to resentment.

Self praise and all that.

feargale · 29-08-2016 07:55PM

Ambivalent

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.

Could you be more specific about that, please? You might be good enough to rate its level of corruption on a scale of one to ten, comparing it with other sports bodies e.g. FIFA, the IOC, and closer to home, the FAI and the OCI.

29-08-2016 07:58PM

Ah it's grand. I enjoy the matches but can take or leave it. I think it goes with coming from a county that never really competes for honours in either code

Does the GAA matter to you?

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