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

Not meath football tho,obviously.

in terms of ‘natural’ advantages, the only one Dublin have is population. It’s been done to death on this thread both that (I) population doesn’t translate to playing pool in Dublin to a far greater extent than other counties (something that certain posters readily accept and argue for other counties strangely enough) and (Ii) that larger population suffers a significant disadvantage in terms of access to pitches and open space, both from an availability and cost perspective,that few other counties have to deal with.

the other “advantages” are in many cases either something that Dublin would happily get rid of or advantages that other counties have had for far longer and deeper. Croke Park: Dublin repeatedly tried to develop their home stadium, Parnell Park, or a larger stadium at the Spawell. They were frustrated. The Leinster counties have repeatedly looked for the payday that comes with CP games. And at a wider level Leinster stadia don’t have the capacity as a rule to provide an alternative. At this stage Dublin can’t be blamed for the CP situation and indeed the counties of Leinster have it entirely in their gift to play elsewhere.

Funding: Dublin are neither the first or only team to have a solid sponsorship deal. Some counties have been doing this on a very lucrative fashion for decades and being successful of the back of it yet certain posters here don’t want to discuss that. That’s before we get into some of the nonsense that vested interests such as John Connellan have made about finances in Dublin- I’d encourage anyone who is genuinely interested to look up John Costelloes rebuttal of Connellans claims. Meanwhile Connellan with a straight face looks for development funding to grow the game amongst 37 year olds.

Firstly Brolly called out RTE for way a unionist was given a free rant on Primetime TV that should have been called out by the presenter who hadn't the balls to do it.

I disagree with your analysis of Dublin. Over the years, from 2011 fielders like Paul Flynn, Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Ciaran Kilkenny are as good as anything we have seen in the GAA. The basic skill level of players was top class and their execution of the skills was better than any other team ever to play the game. The athleticism of the players was great to watch. Like every team they had "shooters" a term I dont like. Yet we had corner backs outscoring their direct opponents!! McMahon, Fenton, Flynn, Mannion, Kilkenny could all kick points comfortably from 40 meters. Dublin done what they had to do to win and if it meant keeping the ball in tight game the great confidence in the ability under pressure to continue to execute the basics.

The negative tactics you talk about Im lay firmly at door of Donegal and McGuinness. That Donegal team were untouchable when they attacked but as I remember in game against Dublin, Michael Murphy passing to McFadden inside Donegal 20m line. The 2 best forwards in Ireland over 100 meters from where they should be scoring. Dublin beat them that day because Dublin kept driving at them and eventually fatigue told on Donegal. Dublin also showed serious class beating Tyrone by as one pundit said "Out Tyroning them" with an action packed aggressive performance that Tyrone couldnt cope with. So to lay blame on Dublin is ridiculous. Look at various games Mayo and Kerry full of action and attacking and great scores.

Dublin done what they had to do to win and their record proves that. Jim Gavin is one of the biggest advocates for change and will be interesting to see what he comes with and then the crying about changes.

On other points something needs to be done and quickly to save football. Agree with suggestion of Senior Inter and Junior.

On splitting Dublin in 2 I dont think it will happen. There are a few large areas of Dublin where there is hardly any GAA played. Soccer and Rugby are the dominant sport in South Dublin and soccer in west Dublin. Huge population means little when there are no facilities. In Dublin 1, 2, 3 and 4 you have 2 GAA clubs Clann na Gael and St Josephs OCBs. A huge percentage of population in Dublin city area are immigrants. Its all very well quoting the numbers playing but outside the top 5/6 divisions its often more social

your last point is exactly what the development funding was targeted to address, and does to a degree, but nowhere near the depth of the population. Essentially it was a drive to up participation from kids in marginalised areas or non traditional GAA areas. And in typical small minded fashion for the GAA Connellan decides he’ll push for the development funding to go to 37 year olds who are already registered as players.

From the government funding side of things people can go jump with the complaints. Funding disadvantaged communities that have been left behind by successive governments and getting their kids out and active is exactly what the government funding should be used for. If it happens to be channelled through the community network of the gaa then so be it, it gets kids started in sport and many will, and indeed have, made their own choices into other activities on the back of it.

This is totally wrong, and you know it. You're deliberately understating the benefits of Dublin's unique combination of unfair advantages to make it seem like they are no uniquely advantaged. Unfortunately for you, the unfair advantages are so obvious and blatant that it doesn't fool anyone.

Dublin's population is enormous, and it absolutely translates into a larger playing pool. In a sport where transfers are very rare, this is an enormous advantage. Access to facilities in Dublin is far, far better than around the country too, both in terms of GAA provided ones and others. Croke Park is Dublin's home stadium and not only are they advantaged from playing there in Leinster but also all finals and semi-finals too! Given how close some of the finals have been it's indisputable that this home pitch advantage enabled Dublin to win games they otherwise wouldn't. Dublin's funding, from all sources, is also far, far more than any other county- even on a per capita basis, which compounds Dublin's other unfair advantages.

So Dublin are absolutely unfairly advantaged vs every other county. Minor differences can be tolerated but not the combination, scale, nature and duration of advantages that Dublin alone enjoy. That's why they should be split.

We have already established that Kerry have unique and unfair advantages for over 100 years .

Kerry are absolutely unfairly advantaged vs every other County, going back over 100 years , playing out of a hurling County , winning a ridiculous 85 Munster titles and going on to win handy All Irelands , that's why they should be split

and once again you just parrot out the same ridiculous discredited nonsense without actually engaging in any of the points raised

for the simple reason that you can’t, and never could address them - we eagerly await your hand waiving soundbyte about how you have already throughly addressed them at some nebulous, uncertain point in the past, which will of course be a lie, as any regular contributors to this thread will know

mods surely the purpose of this thread can’t be to give a customised soapbox to one poster from Kerry. Surely it’s time to close this thread ?

What exactly are you trying to dispute here? That Dublin don't have far more registered players than any other county? That Dublin haven't received more in funding from all sources vs everyone else, no matter which way you measure it? That Dublin don't play finals and semi-finals in their home stadium? I know the truth about Dublin's unfair advantages can be uncomfortable but I don't think even the most partisan of Dublin supporters can dispute that last one!

You made a series of false claims. I challenged and debunked then. You're now angry because you've been found out, and rather than trying to deal with this, you're calling for the thread to close? Why not drop the partisan lens and try to have a reasoned debate?

you’ve debunked nothing. You’ve simply stood there repeating the same old nonsense while sticking your fingers in you ears about anything you don’t like the sound of

youve Utterly failed to engage on any of the challenges raised about your own counties long and inglorious list of unfair advantages

You’ve absolutely failed to engage on any proposals for addressing the wider issues in the game, consistently committing only to the same ludicrous split Dublin mantra. Apparently we’ll have world peace and end world hunger when this happens and any other very minor tweaks can be discussed in the aftermath of David Clifford’s 9 in a row speech in this promised land.

you’ve consistently engaged in partisan debate, first hiding your own affiliation, then, once it came out, dodging fair challenge to you own counties historical position and the legitimacy of your argument in the light of the wider history of inequity in the GAA.

frankly the mods leaving your personal soapbox running this long is a farce. What would the mods like to indulge a year after year after year discussion on next? Maybe the problem of the travelling community in the GAA? Or we could discuss the issues with multiculturalism in the GAA? Except neither will rightly happen without significant vetting of content, because they’re unreasonable soapboxes for extremists and wind up merchants to insult and abuse segments of the community and to rehash the same frequently debunked nonsense. Kind of like this thread, which long ago lost any relevance or legitimacy and basically became a rancid tribal mess where reasoned analysis is rejected in favour of recycling the same poisonous digs at one county ad nauseum.

it’s actually an embarrassment to the site at this stage