The Dominance of Dublin GAA *Mod warning post#1*

😂🤣

Thought it was mostly Peugeots….?

Good one! Yourself and blanch152 should do a double act!

I'm willing to accept that Dublin alone are unfairly advantaged vs everyone else by the unique combination, nature, scale and duration of their advantages in population, funding, playing at home etc. You clearly think funding discrepancies are an advantage, you'd said this several times. I actually agree on this. But if we focus on funding, we see clearly that Dublin are far, far more advantaged here than anyone else, which then also compounds their population advantage. So as I've shown before, your proposal to rotate provinces is just a desperate, failed attempt to try and pretend that the main issue facing Gaelic Games, which is Dublin competing off a platform of unfair advantages, is not important. That's simply not true so the argument fails, immediately. Rotating provinces does nothing to address the population and funding advantages Dublin has- splitting Dublin does address these issues, helping all counties in the process.

This period of Dublin dominance will end just like all the others. Louth beat them in u20 the other evening and they haven't been great at underage in a while. So less of the hype about domination please.

Wait, you were initially saying that the funding made no difference and now you're saying a reduction in funding results in a decline in performance, which one is it?

Again, you're just looking at Games Development Funding which is only a part of the picture. Look at sponsorship money, money from the GAA as well. And also take on board the fact that per capita funding simply compounds Dublin's unique population advantage which is itself grounds for a split! So it's important to split Dublin first, and then take a look at funding.

I don't mind if Dublin win or lose. I just want them to compete on a level playing field, rather than them alone being uniquely unfairly advantaged, as at present. But I suppose it is true that Dublin in its current form can never compete on a level playing field; only a split can rectify things for the GAA.

Again, it's not such much Dublin winning or losing- it's the fact they are competing from a uniquely unfairly advantaged position. Dublin winning or losing vs Louth does not change the fact they are uniquely unfairly advantaged in population, funding, playing at home etc. Only splitting them can right that wrong. That's why I and other neutrals want them to be split- not out of any spite or animosity towards Dublin, just out of a desire to remedy this unfairness, improve the prestige, integrity and fairness of the All-Ireland and help the GAA in all counties.

They may be advantaged over some but that is the nature of the beast. Cork have huge advantage over clare, for example, let alone the likes of carlow or laois, so what do you do about that.

Well, the first thing I would do about that is split Dublin. That would help all counties. But the fact is that there are discrepancies in population, funding between non-Dublin counties. But the unique combination, scale, nature and duration of advantages that Dublin enjoys in population, funding, playing at home etc. only exists in their case. So as Dublin alone are uniquely unfairly advantaged, Dublin alone should be split.

I wouldn't be splitting Dublin based on Dublin winning trophies. Some teams win trophies regularly, some don't win at all, that's just the nature of sport. The idea of splitting Dublin because of their success is just plain old begrudgery, and makes no sense whatsoever. It's a very poor argument, and one that tends to die off fairly rapidly when Dublin don't win, which shows how weak the argument tends to be.

Splitting Dublin down the line due to population change, that I can understand. County Dublin has what, 1.4m living in it as it is? That number is only going to increase over time. It'll probably get to the point where 1/5 or more of the island will be living in Co Dublin within the next 20 years.

It's that point that should be considered when talking about splitting Dublin in two. There'll likely be enough quality players and number of clubs to facilitate such a scenario, and it would likely benefit said clubs and players to have two separate county championships, and the GAA overall in Leinster, if Dublin population continues to expand like that.

We're already seeing the effect of migration with regard to rural clubs in every county, as town clubs get bigger and rural clubs get smaller, have to amalgamate, or die off. The GAA are in some ways going to have to get ahead of the problem of migration in the country, whether that is amalgamations or splitting counties/parish's where necessary. Or introduce something like a grandparent rule at club and county level to alleviate the problem somewhat.

But that's probably down the line still, even if it probably is approaching quicker these days.

For what it's worth, when it comes to football at least, Dublin North v Dublin South would likely be the Leinster Final match-up given the current state and set-up of Meath, Kildare and others. Splitting Dublin two might not have the desired effect they think if they're going remain in a heap development-wise.

But only Dublin are uniquely unfairly advantaged: This has been proved countless times. And I'm 100% interested in Meath and Kildare. I'm interested in helping all counties, including Dublin.

Kerry are not uniquely advantaged, they are just successful. Any advantage they had from the provincial setup is now gone in the age of groups, quarter finals and all the rest.

but Kerry are also uniquely advantaged. This has been proved countless times.

While your love for your county is admirable it has also been proved countless times that you’re incapable of objectively considering evidence that relates to Kerry’s unfortunately tainted history

still, now that you’re at least behind the Leinster/ Munster rotation we can begin to push to fix that and genuinely help he Meaths and Kildare (and the Clare’s and Waterfords). Win-win since even Kerry benefit with some meaning attached to the Munster Championship that was killed so many decades ago, and they get a fair shot at the all Ireland with genuinely challenging games

Yeah fair enough, good counter - I suppose we are both contradicting ourselves 😂

One other point I suppose worth making is - the thread title is 'The Dominance of Dublin GAA'.

The issue I have - and this could be an issue I have generally with discourse around GAA - is that it equates 'GAA' with the Senior Mens Football championship, when in my view the Senior Mens Championship is really a small part of the overall GAA - and its the only part of it really where Dublin can be said to be dominant.

Absolutely, its arguably the primary showcase for it. And it is clearly the elite level of the sport, and a significant revenue driver.

But in terms of GAA activity overall, its quite a small part - if you include all the underage, the other adult levels, the colleges and so on.

And if you include the entirety of LGFA and Camogie.

If you include the entirety of the Hurling Championship, where Dublin are not contenders.

If you include Handball, where there are no Dublin players at elite level in mens or womens.

I'm involved in GAA most days of the week, most weeks of the year. None of that has anything to do with the Senior mens football championship.

Just a personal view - others might see it differently.

An excellent post. You make a very good argument that Dublin are underperforming relative to their population and playing numbers. This is not a good outcome for the GAA. Perhaps we should have some funding diverted Dublin's way to address this underperformance.

There's a lot angry about your posts. Just look at some of the angry words used in one of your more recent ones- "pathetic", "compliant little cheerleaders" etc. You're trying to claim you aren't angry now as it reflects badly both on you and your argument to be getting so riled about someone having a different opinion on an online forum. But it's clear you are angry.

Only Dublin have a shameful leg up in the form of the unique nature, combination, duration and scale of their advantages in population, funding, playing at home etc. Look at the terrible attendances in the once-great and well-attended Leinster competition- case in point being yesterday. The All-Ireland competition will go the same way if Dublin are not split- showing yet another way that splitting Dublin helps Dublin as much as other teams.

Unfortunately Dublin supporters can't truly enjoy the success as we all know it has not come fairly. There are multiple neutrals from other counties on this thread and in other channels who have explained why this is the case- namely, Dublin competing off of their platform of unfair advantages. The fact you and others are coming on here making post after angry post disputing this reality shows it does grate with you that people don't respect Dublin's success as being a fair achievement. I can see why this is the case but it shouldn't- it is not your fault, or the fault of anyone affiliated with the GAA in Dublin, so there is no need to feel ashamed, even if you cannot take any pride in the victories. But we do need to deal with the issue. For the sake of the GAA in Dublin, Leitrim and every other county. Otherwise, Gaelic Games will continue their decline. Low attendances, less interest, less participation. Less prestige, integrity and fairness associated with the competitions. Just like what has happened in Leinster. It's simply to dangerous to the GAA to not split Dublin at this stage.