GAA games broadcast in Irish

It's not really a question of appeasing Parkinson. The problem is that for massive chunks of the population TG4 does not even register as a television station.

Broadcasting GAA games on TG4 is perfectly fine in terms of playing to the choir, but in terms of trying to broadening the appeal/growing in achieves very little. When you look at the money that is being spent to develop/grow GAA in Dublin, you have to think that not broadcasting stuff like the league on RTE2 in English is very much an own goal, when you compare the two channels respective reaches.

TG4's market share in Ireland is about 1.5% to 2% of the viewing audience (and the GAA broadcasts are pretty much always the most watched programs on TG4)

TG4 does a good job in terms of broadcasting GAA games. However the fact is that without the GAA programs, their market share would be even more miniscule. As such I wouldn't be surprised if they try and fight very hard to hold on to as much as they can for as long as they can.

However down the line I would be very surprised if they manage to retain as much of the rights as they currently do.
They are already coming under pressure with EIR showing some club games this year.
Given RTE have lost the rights to so much else in the way of sports broadcasting plus the numbers of viewer that TG4 is getting with their GAA coverage , I would not be a bit surprised to see them make a serious play for the national league rights before too long. The big question is how much the average viewership would increase simply by switching from TG4 to RTE2 and having the commentary in English.

Of course it should be an option to have it in English - at least then those who want to watch it in Irish still can and they would prob get more English speaking viewers aswell.
As proud as we are of our native language- not many people speak it and I would be one of those who find it frustrating to not fully understand the commentary/analysis during games

History tells us the choice isn't between watching in Irish on tg4 or watching in English on rte. It's between watching in Irish on tg4 or not watching at all.

Firstly, it's really not that tough to pick up what's going on. If Colm Parkinson or anyone else can watch multiple games on TG4 and somehow not cop what the few repeated phrases like "Scór iontach" "cic saor" "Ar faraoil" "cic amach" mean, then it speaks more of an unwillingness to listen or learn.

Secondly, the very point of TG4s existence is to broadcast as much as it can in the Irish language. It will show some films etc. in english because it needs to fill in timeslots, but other than that it's Irish wherever possible. Why should they broadcast in english?

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Firstly, it's really not that tough to pick up what's going on. If Colm Parkinson or anyone else can watch multiple games on TG4 and somehow not cop what the few repeated phrases like "Scór iontach" "cic saor" "Ar faraoil" "cic amach" mean, then it speaks more of an unwillingness to listen or learn.

Secondly, the very point of TG4s existence is to broadcast as much as it can in the Irish language. It will show some films etc. in english because it needs to fill in timeslots, but other than that it's Irish wherever possible. Why should they broadcast in english?

Firstly Why should I have to learn Irish to watch a game of football and understand what’s going on.

I don’t have an issue with tg4 only broadcasting in Irish. I have a problem with the matches only being shown on a station that broadcasts in a language that the majority of the country can’t understand

heroics wrote:

Firstly Why should I have to learn Irish to watch a game of football and understand what’s going on.

heroics wrote:

I don’t have an issue with tg4 only broadcasting in Irish. I have a problem with the matches only being shown on a station that broadcasts in a language that the majority of the country can’t understand

If a fan of a certain sport needs commentary in their language to be able to watch it and understand what's going on and to even want to watch that sport then they already don't understand that sport are don't really and truely follow that sport. That's my opinion.
I have watched soccer with Chinese and Arabic commentary. Ideal? Nope. Would I have preferred English? You bet I would. Did it remove my interest in the game, the sport and stop me understanding what was going on in those matches? Not one bit.
In fact I was very grateful to have been able to watch those matches full stop!

TG4 is there to promote the Irish language. It is an Irish medium station. Its common sense that they will broadcast in Irish. You don't get the opportunity to watch these matches in English because no other channel is really willing to show them bar Eir. Under Ryle Nugent, RTE are more than happy to show schools rugby over big league of Ireland matches. TV3 go for world cups, European championships, champions league. Stuff they can do from the comfort of a studio and get big crowds.
To think either of these would put any effort into the national leagues is optomistic. Eir sport took on the evening league matches this year. Did a good job too. Good on them but it's not available to the audience TG4 is.

letsseehere14 wrote: »

If a fan of a certain sport needs commentary in their language to be able to watch it and understand what's going on and to even want to watch that sport then they already don't understand that sport are don't really and truely follow that sport. That's my opinion.
I have watched soccer with Chinese and Arabic commentary. Ideal? Nope. Would I have preferred English? You bet I would. Did it remove my interest in the game, the sport and stop me understanding what was going on in those matches? Not one bit.
In fact I was very grateful to have been able to watch those matches full stop!

TG4 is there to promote the Irish language. It is an Irish medium station. Its common sense that they will broadcast in Irish. You don't get the opportunity to watch these matches in English because no other channel is really willing to show them bar Eir. Under Ryle Nugent, RTE are more than happy to show schools rugby over big league of Ireland matches. TV3 go for world cups, European championships, champions league. Stuff they can do from the comfort of a studio and get big crowds.
To think either of these would put any effort into the national leagues is optomistic. Eir sport took on the evening league matches this year. Did a good job too. Good on them but it's not available to the audience TG4 is.

Thats a load of nonsense that you dont need commentary to know whats going on in. Sometimes things will not be very clear so commentator can make the viewers aware of issues you will never get if watching at home and RTE dont show schools rugby.

zetecescort wrote: »

do you have commentary when you attend a game in person?

If I went to a match I wouldn’t have to listen to Irish either.

Tbh the commentary during the game I can ignore no matter what language it’s in. It’s the analysis. Before during and after that I want to hear so it’s not just a couple of words that you would need to learn.

ShamoBuc wrote: »

People should have a problem with RTE, not TG4.
TG4 have done an outstanding job on their coverage of hurling, football, ladies football and Camogie. Add in the u21 games aswell. Lets not even mention all their Rugby coverage.
They have built up a healthy and ever increasing viewership and I am definitely one of them. They show a seriously large quantity of games, with excellent coverage and because I speak Irish I can tell you their analysis is also top notch.
But if I couldn't speak the lingo it certainly wouldn't stop me watching the games, why would it.
To appease those like Parkinson, maybe RTE should get involved in the GAA that's not championship, till then, keep it up TG4 and f the begrudgers.

Well said,their coverage is top class with increasing viewership.They were the sole broadcaster to show league action in years gone by before it became sexy.:)

The other broadcasters had ample opportunity to secure the rights to said league games on Sundays.Tis only a pity they chose to cease producing Seo Spoirt.

As mentioned already one of the aims of the GAA is the promotion of the Irish language.

The Lost Sheep wrote:

Thats a load of nonsense that you dont need commentary to know whats going on in. Sometimes things will not be very clear so commentator can make the viewers aware of issues you will never get if watching at home and RTE dont show schools rugby.

Apologies. U20s rugby. I stand by the rest of what I said. You will miss very little, what you see live and what you see on a replay makes up pretty much everything, commentary is mostly just dressing. I do not need commentary to know what's going on. Its there in front of my eyes. I understand the sport I'm watching. I know the rules. I know the teams.
Watching these games over the years you pick up most of what they are saying even if you are not fluent like me. You also get the atmosphere, the replays, the interviews which are mostly in english and so on.
As said, I'm just glad I'm given the chance to see these games. Without TG4 none of us would. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. TG4 need to be congratulated for their coverage.

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I find myself not watching a lot of games because I have little or no interest in them.

The games covered by TG4 are niche.

I'm a football fan, but that being said I'm not going to be to bothered watching a club or u21 game in football that my county or teams from my county are not involved in, and I've no interest in watching ladies football, nor hurling.

So TG4 carry a wide variety of GAA games at a wide variety of levels.

A major network like RTE are not going to be willing to carry that diversity.

Only a niche station would carry that niche coverage, and that's why TG4 are a good fit.

The only English language station that would be a similar fit would be TV3s second station whatever it's now called, and that ain't going to happen because GAA is as far from that stations target demographic as can be.

Bonniedog wrote: »

Did you go to school?

Anyone who went to school in 26 counties would easily pick up the gist of the commentaries if they gave it a chance. It is not like they are discussing the origins of the universe.

You, like many seem to have a psychological issue with Irish, but I won't bore you with the reasons why that is a common trait in colonised people.

TG4 does very well by the way; big audiences for GAA, rugby and many of its excellent documentaries.

As for Wooly, maybe we should change Laois back to Queens county :-)

Yes I'm irish, went to school here and sat through 12 years of Irish classes. Not sure what you mean by the bolded comment seriously wtf?

Anyway this thread is not about whether people should have to learn it or not. It is fair enough that someone should suggest that they offer the commentary in both languages. If you want to listen in Irish fair play but for the rest of the population that don't speak the language why not give them the option. I have the same argument about the rugby that's on TG4.

I don't watch any sport on TG4 as I can't understand the analysis or commentary. I am sure there are many others do the same as the majority of the country can't speak Irish. (Census in 2016 showed 39% said they could speak Irish and tbh I'd wonder how many of them actually can as opposed to ticking a box on the form as over 418K of that 39% said they never spoke it)

I have no doubt that their viewership of the games is quite good compared to their other programming as people have no choice but to watch it in Irish and some like in this thread will watch the games anyway.

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Apparently so. According to Bonniedog anyway if I went to school in Ireland I should be able to understand the commentary.

salmocab wrote: »

I have barely a word of Irish but happily watch rugby on tg4, if there was an English commentary I would watch that but there isn’t and it really doesn’t bother me. Tg4 are there to promote the Irish language and they shouldn’t be made to produce a second set of commentary to appease prople like me.

I can see this argument however it doesn't mean that people can't suggest it. I suppose the issue should be with the organisations that agree to only have the match on an Irish language channel.