Are you being unpatriotic if you don't like GAA. Keep it clean please.

fryup · 14-06-2009 10:48PM

The GAA is the sport and leisure wing of Sinn Fein

Bonavox · 14-06-2009 10:49PM

I don't like GAA, but it doesn't make me an unpatriotic. Quite the opposite actually. We live in a country where we have the right to choose what we like and what we don't like. I hapen to be going to Croke Park next month, to see the greatest thing Ireland ever produced. No, its not GAA, its U2

chughes · 14-06-2009 10:51PM

July wrote: »

I love the GAA and I can't stand this 'east of country' referall to the G.A.A. as 'gah'. GAA is something that's in the blood or not and if you have it it's wonderful.

I actually nearly started a thread earlier in LL while I watched the hurling match just to say aren't the GAA boys great? isn't it wonderful that championship season is in full swing? don't ya just love the whole thing? It doesn't have to be an inter-county match, I love going down to the pitch and watching the lads, listening to/having the banter on the sideline and watching people playing a sport for the love of the game, the pride of the parish.

I can understand though that if someone doesn't have that sense of belonging, the sense of community, the sense that your ancestors battled it out on the very same playing field then they surely can't understand what it means to people.

I blame soccer and the English and Sky Sports for these negative attitudes. And as for bringing in foreign sports to the sacred ground....

Ok the last bit was said in jest but for God's sake, haven't you all seen the AIB ad on TV. You know the little fella talking about how many sandwiches the old lady has made or how the aul fella lines the field. PRIDE OF PLACE. SENSE OF BELONGING. COMMUNITY.

July, can I clarify something ? Are you saying that if you are not a GAA follower you don't have pride of place or a sense of belonging ? You may blame soccer and the English but I blame the Christian Brothers.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 14-06-2009 10:52PM

I'm completely indifferent to all sports. What does that make me?

Dyr · 14-06-2009 10:55PM

I'd watch hurling, skill and speed required.

Can't handle GAA anymore, Them UK based teams from up north ruined it.

It's only a bunch of angry muckers pushing each other around and scowling. Unless dublin are playing, then its angry muckers vs angry guards

Rugby is just big bulky f***kers running into each other. But If you love your country corporate sponsored all island sporting entity I'm sure its great.

mother_rucker · 14-06-2009 10:55PM

The thing is most people who claim to hate the GAA only do it to emphasise their own self-inflated notions of class. In Dublin especially sport is just another arena for the class divide to play itself out in.
If you really hate the sport then fair enough but if you're just saying stuff like this to play billy-big-willy with the northsiders then get over yourself.
As to the "politics" in GAA, everyone outside of Dublin knows the situation is 100 times worse in rugby.

July · 14-06-2009 10:56PM

chughes wrote: »

July, can I clarify something ? Are you saying that if you are not a GAA follower you don't have pride of place or a sense of belonging ? You may blame soccer and the English but I blame the Christian Brothers.

Christian Brothers aside...

I think that nothing permeates the community in Ireland in such a positive way and brings it together as much as the GAA does.

O.A.P · 14-06-2009 10:57PM

MIN2511 wrote: »

As a foreigner, i love GAA. I watched my first match nearly two months ago and i fell in love.
I also watched the Dublin vs Meath game last week and i will probably watch the Wexford game as well.
The sport is fantastic, the lads that play it are very good for playing it for 'free'.

Are you an eskimoo or what? allthough a snowball fight would be much more enteraining than the Dublin v Meath match. Wexford v Kildare was better and Kildare are my favourite for the Leinster title but it was a poor match. I love both football and hurling I never realised it was so easy to sell to foreigners. I hope you continue follow it though because we are gauranteed a few great matches every year.

dresden8 · 14-06-2009 10:59PM

super-rush wrote: »

With the All Ireland championships on again the clubs and pubs are becoming infested with people who want you to say 'Up the Deise' or 'Come on the Rebels' followed by 'will you play Galway Girl'. When i refuse to do this and tell them i hate GAA i am met with 'And you call yourself an Irishman?'

WTF

I used to love GAA and had a short but successful playing stint back in the day but the politics made me quit.

So apparently because i dont like GAA it means I'm now not a true Irishman?

So what if i don't like running around on a wet Sunday morning getting the sh1te hammered out of me then go home and kick the crap out of my brother because i'll never be as good as my father/uncles.

Get back in your tractor and fcuk off away from me.

The world is full of assholes.

You should inform them of their status.

achtungbarry · 14-06-2009 11:01PM

Killaqueen!!! wrote: »

But take a rugbyhead and take a GAA man and who do you thinks going to be more patriotic?

http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/sport2009/rugby/ireland_nations_celeb_2.jpg

chughes · 14-06-2009 11:02PM

July wrote: »

Christian Brothers aside...

I think that nothing permeates the community in Ireland in such a positive way and brings it together as much as the GAA does.

July, that doesn't really answer my question. I'm not a GAA follower so does this mean that I don't have a pride of place and a sense of belonging ? A simple "Yes" or "No" will do.

fryup · 14-06-2009 11:02PM

July wrote: »

I think that nothing permeates the community in Ireland in such a positive way and brings it together as much as the GAA does.

not at all .......its drink!! that brings the irish together:pac:

14-06-2009 11:06PM

It's all up to people's tastes I don't have an interest in GAA but it is just a sport at the end of the day. It'd be different if I didn't have an interest in the country as a whole.

Dyr · 14-06-2009 11:06PM

achtungbarry wrote: »

http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/sport2009/rugby/ireland_nations_celeb_2.jpg

Have they not found a non sectarian flag that the whole rogby community on the island of ireland could get behind?? like some sort of visual Irelands call?

Maybe something like this:

http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/includes/news/guardianadd/flag.jpg

July · 14-06-2009 11:06PM

chughes wrote: »

July, that doesn't really answer my question. I'm not a GAA follower so does this mean that I don't have a pride of place and a sense of belonging ? A simple "Yes" or "No" will do.

Maybe you do, maybe you don't, how am I supposed to know how you feel?

I'm talking generalisations. You are a specific person. In general, in most parishes in this country, GAA is 'the' central thing that binds the community, the corner stone of the activites of the place. Your community may be different but I don't know where you're from.

July · 14-06-2009 11:07PM

fryup wrote: »

not at all .......its drink!! that brings the irish together:pac:

Ah ya! I knew there was something I couldn't think of!

K-9 · 14-06-2009 11:08PM

Hurling at its best is the game of the Gods, but Gaelic is getting more and more like Rugby, unfortunately.

Unpatriotic? Well the only people who could in anyway claim that, would be people from the 6 counties who went through hell to just get to play the game for years. Even then it doesn't make you less Irish or something like that.

Ah well, some twats follow GAA, Rugby, Soccer, Cricket etc.

Dyr · 14-06-2009 11:13PM

July wrote: »

I'm talking generalisations. You are a specific person. In general, in most parishes in this country, GAA is 'the' central thing that binds the community, the corner stone of the activites of the place. Your community may be different but I don't know where you're from.

Ye see here's the thing, it's really only the arse end of beyond places in this country that call themselves parishes. It's not really surprising that GAA is the biggest thing going in a parish, it's not like theres much else to do except go to mass/shoot the neighbours dog/scowl out your window

stovelid · 14-06-2009 11:14PM

July wrote: »

I love the GAA and I can't stand this 'east of country' referall to the G.A.A. as 'gah'. GAA is something that's in the blood or not and if you have it it's wonderful.

I actually nearly started a thread earlier in LL while I watched the hurling match just to say aren't the GAA boys great? isn't it wonderful that championship season is in full swing? don't ya just love the whole thing? It doesn't have to be an inter-county match, I love going down to the pitch and watching the lads, listening to/having the banter on the sideline and watching people playing a sport for the love of the game, the pride of the parish.

I can understand though that if someone doesn't have that sense of belonging, the sense of community, the sense that your ancestors battled it out on the very same playing field then they surely can't understand what it means to people.

I blame soccer and the English and Sky Sports for these negative attitudes. And as for bringing in foreign sports to the sacred ground....

Ok the last bit was said in jest but for God's sake, haven't you all seen the AIB ad on TV. You know the little fella talking about how many sandwiches the old lady has made or how the aul fella lines the field. PRIDE OF PLACE. SENSE OF BELONGING. COMMUNITY.

Edit: To answer the OP's question. No, you're not unpatriotic if you don't like the GAA. But I think there's something intrinsicly Irish missing in the genetic make-up of someone who doesn't love it.* Maybe it's just the culchie gene that's missing. Now that's another thread entirely 'isn't it wonderful to be a culchie? can you imagine life if you weren't a culchie?' Maybe tomorrow.. :-)

* has no scientific basis, purely personal opinion

What makes you think this is specific to the GAA? It could be any sport - even the dirty, foreign tan ones.

July · 14-06-2009 11:16PM

Bambi wrote: »

Ye see here's the thing, it's really only the arse end of beyond places in this country that call themselves parishes. It's not really surprising that GAA is the biggest thing going in a parish, it's not like theres much else to do except go to mass/shoot the neighbours dog/scowl out your window

I fail to see your point..

GAA catchment areas are determined by parish boundaries so you can't talk about GAA without mentioning parishes. The grass-roots of GAA is at parish level.

July · 14-06-2009 11:17PM

stovelid wrote: »

What makes you think this is specific to the GAA? It could be any sport - even the dirty, foreign tan ones.

Agreed. It could be.

stovelid · 14-06-2009 11:17PM

July wrote: »

I fail to see your point..

GAA catchment areas are determined by parish boundaries so you can't talk about GAA without mentioning parishes. .

I thought that was just so the priests could get the pick of the young lads in the under-age teams?

14-06-2009 11:17PM

I couldn't read this thread without thinking one thing in particular.

LOL at the idea that patriotism is a good thing.

stovelid · 14-06-2009 11:20PM

fryup wrote: »

The GAA is the sport and leisure wing of Sinn Fein

*cough*

http://www.celticfc.net

gaeilgegrinds · 14-06-2009 11:21PM

I think it's awful to say anyone in being unpatriotic? Who gives any of us the authority to say that? I love rugby and gaa...is that ok?! Of course!

chughes · 14-06-2009 11:24PM

July wrote: »

Maybe you do, maybe you don't, how am I supposed to know how you feel?

I'm talking generalisations. You are a specific person. In general, in most parishes in this country, GAA is 'the' central thing that binds the community, the corner stone of the activites of the place. Your community may be different but I don't know where you're from.

I seem to be having a problem getting a straight answer here. As per my original post, I consider myself to be as Irish as anyone can claim to be. I am a soccer supporter myself but I applaud anyone who represents Ireland in any sport, eg rugby, cricket, athletics etc. I do have a pride of place and a sense of belonging. I'm just not a GAA supporter. I live in County Dublin and I don't think that the GAA would be considered the central thing that binds the community in Dublin. This may well be true in other counties.

well horse · 14-06-2009 11:36PM

I really hate GAA players. You know the type:

He works as an accountant, primary teacher or as some sort of tradesman.

Just dosen't find films like "Borat" or comedians like Frankie Boyle funny because he is so sour. Is far more likely to engage in jokey banter with his other GAA friends. For example, picture this scene: some GAA player, a 6th year/ college student in my imagination kicks a bottle on the ground and it dosen't go where he says it would....at this point the other GAA player says something like "aww wouldn't ya know he was a joe's man, hahah". That wasn't a funny joke at all

Acheived about 400 points in the leaving cert after beginning to study from about the middle of April before the exams.

Is seen in a niteclub, standing slightly awkwardly in the midst of a small group of people, wearing one of his only three striped shirts, one hand in a pocket, the other holding a bottle/ pint glass of bulmers.

Like sterophonics, the killers and snow patrol.

Is not the type of person you could have a conversation with in the pub etc unless you were a big GAA supporter/player yourself ie. is a one trick pony when it comes to interests

Drink "lucozade sport" and "powerade" and thinks it is healthy :rolleyes:

Oh yeah. Did anybody see the new inititive set up to help supply redundant intercounty GAA players with work? Eh...sorry, but if they want a job I firmly believe they should be assessed in terms of their suitability for the job and by that criteria alone. Why should those sour, expectant son's of teachers/ tradesmen be protected from having to emigrate while everybody else is forced to? Really pissed me off when I saw that :mad:

Hazys · 14-06-2009 11:36PM

K-9 wrote: »

Hurling at its best is the game of the Gods, but Gaelic is getting more and more like Rugby, unfortunately.

Unpatriotic? Well the only people who could in anyway claim that, would be people from the 6 counties who went through hell to just get to play the game for years. Even then it doesn't make you less Irish or something like that.

Ah well, some twats follow GAA, Rugby, Soccer, Cricket etc.

Lol, 'gaelic'. I presume ur talking about football. Why is it called 'gaelic'? it makes abosulute no sense to refer to it as gaelic on its own, its either football or gaelic football.

'Gaelic' is rugby without rules and talent.

Funniest thing about GAA in either sport is when a sub runs onto the field he (by the laws in the GAA rule book i presume) has to shoulder the guy marking him...its retarded.

I remember a few years ago watching a junior game of 'gaelic' and my brother's buddie who was 16 at the time came on. He ran up to mark the guy in his opposite position. The guy was at least mid 30's, first thing your man did was punch the 16 year old in the stomach as he ran onto the pitch, and he went down into the fetial position...its so ridiculous and funny.

Where in the world of sport would you have a guy in his mid 30's punching a 16yr old in the stomach the second he stepped onto the pitch?

Dudess · 14-06-2009 11:40PM

mother_rucker wrote: »

The thing is most people who claim to hate the GAA only do it to emphasise their own self-inflated notions of class.

Where did you get that idea from?

In Dublin especially sport is just another arena for the class divide to play itself out in.

Ah... you're referring specifically to Dublin.

If you really hate the sport then fair enough but if you're just saying stuff like this to play billy-big-willy with the northsiders then get over yourself.

I'd imagine most people, despite your earlier claim, would be of the former persuasion rather than the latter.

I think hurling looks amazing (but I am not a Cork supporter - if I ever, for some strange reason, utter "up the rebels" I'd hope the nearest person would shoot me), can't see what's particularly great about football. The organisation itself strikes me as extremely parochial and provincial.

ejmaztec · 14-06-2009 11:41PM

PrivateEye wrote: »

To me, 'the gah' is lumped in there with parish priests, Fianna Fail, gombeenism and crap local 'arts festivals' Seeing that idiot in Munster become an M.E.P purely on the back of 'the gah' just summed it up perfectly for me*, its been made a cornerstone of the typical rural community and maybe its the great rural-urban divide but god I really h ate Jacky Healy Rae Ireland and everything about it.

I'm a League of Ireland man anyway.

I speak the Irish language, am studying mainly Irish History and am a keen lover of Irish traditional music, I'm not some "West Brit gah hater" as some might say, but I can't stand them. They'd play the national anthem before taking a sh/te.

Also, what has it got to do with peoples attitude to the North of Ireland? Nothing.One of my best mates is a republican socialist and he agrees its a pile of sh/te that falls beteen Killinascully and Father Ted.

I normally just respond by asking them where they were in 1916

Remember these are the kind of people (see Roscommon if I remember right) that returned as many/if not more Fianna Fail cllrs.recently. Sure Granddad didn't fight for Enda Kenny.

*In relation to 'that idiot', the cancer has spread to FG. The 'gah' is not your entry to politics!

+1000 %, and the same idiot is Mrs Enda Kenny's cousin.......:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

The GAA has the largest flock of sheep in the country.

Are you being unpatriotic if you don't like GAA. Keep it clean please.

Comments