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Is the GAA a force for good in modern Ireland?

13»

Comments

  • #62
    RightHalfBack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 49 ✭RightHalfBack


    What organization (sporting or otherwise) has done more for Ireland than the GAA? Its a remarkable organization..


  • #63
    lawhec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    Pauleta wrote: »
    Im on my phone so i cant provide links.Recently a few newspapers reported of a man at a donegal match told to remove an Ireland football jacket by a steward or be ejected.
    Steward in power trip alert! Most certainly not restricted to just GAA events.
    A few years ago a young girl from Monaghan was told she wont play in a local gaelic football final if she continued to play football
    Shock horror - coach asks players to not partake in certain activities in the lead up to very important game to help prevent injury or other matter which may inhibit performance (e.g. the legendary "drinks ban"). This happens within Gaelic games itself and often leads to frustrations between managers of different teams with the same player(s). Also something like this is most certainly not limited to Gaelic games where a high profile coach in a sport tells their player(s) to concentrate on their sport only and to give up the others.
    and most of the counties against rugby and football being played at croke park were from ulster.Thats all from the top of my head
    While I disagreed with their stance on the matter, does this mean that such counties should not be allowed to voice their own opinion in a democratic forum?


  • #64
    sligopark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭sligopark


    RightHalfBack wrote: »
    What organization (sporting or otherwise) has done more for Ireland than the GAA? Its a remarkable organization..


    Fianna Fail?


  • #65
    Elessar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,260 ✭✭✭Elessar


    Culchie sport. That is all.


  • #66
    aDeener
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭aDeener


    Ebbs wrote: »
    Really? No foreign sports playing on pitches was only lifted on croke park, IIRC. It doesnt extend to any other pitch.

    12 year olds are not a market to win over competitively, they should be allowed to choose what they want to play not given ultimatums. Clearly "No Foreign Games" is not gone.



    Yes, I did, well done.

    Everything was factual till the last paragraph, it wasnt even opinionated. The last paragraph which you somehow thought was ironic was opinionated. Just because you believe someone/thing is small minded does not mean you are. Its merely an opinion.

    you're damn right it wasn't factual, it was pure tripe


    you were going on about how people involved in the gaa would just end up in the pub? it was narrow mindedness in the extreme.


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  • #67
    aDeener
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭aDeener


    KeithAFC wrote: »
    Yep.

    jaysus, how do you manage to live your life getting wound up over what sports are called


  • #68
    RightHalfBack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 49 ✭RightHalfBack


    sligopark wrote: »
    Fianna Fail?

    I meant what organization had done more good obviously :D


  • #69
    Cummybaby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 103 ✭✭Cummybaby


    I played Gaelic football for 10 years and hated every minute of it. I decided to quit after attending an Ulster club game in Belfast contested by our minor team. I had to listen to middle-aged pricks shout stuff like "pick up the ball, ya stupid bollox", "the c**t threw the ball", that b*****d is awful lazy" etc. at players as young as 16, 17. The players were doing their best out on the field yet there wasn't one word of encouragement just typical shameless insults from their own supporters.

    My point being is that most of the guys involved with football at grassroots level are disgruntled narrowminded d**ks who take their frustrations out on young people come 7.30 on Tuesday night.

    I remember when we won a game (which was often enough back then) it was a case of "job done". However when we lost - even by the narrowest of margins - word would filter around town that we were useless bunch of idiots. Not great for the self esteem when you're 13, 14, 15. Any sense of enjoyment young people derive from playing GAA is usually hi-jacked by delusional Mickey Harte wannabe managers. And even if you are brilliant what can you hope for in the end: 10 years on the county team and a cushy bank job? No wonder the best footballers decide to play Aussie Rules.

    Also my brother played soccer in the town at the same time. I asked him one day how a particular game went. He replied, 'we got hammered 7-0, but it was a good old laugh". That, to me, sums up the difference. But hey who am I kidding: you're never gonna enjoy playing a sport for a bunch of narrowminded conservative Fascists.


  • #70
    Orizio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    The GAA is the most culchie of all of the culchie organisations, that means it is the most xenophobic, the most racist, the most homophobic, the most ignorant, the most violent, the most backwards and the most evil organisation in the history of Ireland, right alongside the Roman Catholic Church, which the GAA is of course in league with.

    Unlike real sports like Hockey, Rugby and Cricket, there is no skill or athleticism necessary in Gaelic Games - in reality these sports are little more then excuses for culchies to get drunk and beat each other with sticks or fists, while their familes watch on in simple, brainless delight.

    The organisation itself however is even worse - for, at its heart, the GAA is really a front for violent republican indoctrination, and children that attend GAA 'training' are taught, for hours upon end, how to create home-made bombs, how to murder and forced to revile every type of human being that is not a white catholic culchie.


  • #71
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Orizio wrote: »
    The GAA is the most culchie of all of the culchie organisations, that means it is the most xenophobic, the most racist, the most homophobic, the most ignorant, the most violent, the most backwards and the most evil organisation in the history of Ireland, right alongside the Roman Catholic Church, which the GAA is of course in league with.

    Unlike real sports like Hockey, Rugby and Cricket, there is no skill or athleticism necessary in Gaelic Games - in reality these sports are little more then excuses for culchies to get drunk and beat each other with sticks or fists, while their familes watch on in simple, brainless delight.

    The organisation itself however is even worse - for, at its heart, the GAA is really a front for violent republican indoctrination, and children that attend GAA 'training' are taught, for hours upon end, how to create home-made bombs, how to murder and forced to revile every type of human being that is not a white catholic culchie.

    Only Cork GAA, in fairness to the rest of the country.


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  • #72
    Hammer Archer
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 11,938 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hammer Archer


    Cummybaby wrote: »
    I played Gaelic football for 10 years and hated every minute of it.
    10 years? :eek:
    If you don't mind me asking, why the fcuk would you stick with something for 10 years if you hated every minute of it?
    Methinks you're exaggerating for effect there.


  • #73
    lawhec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    KeithAFC wrote: »
    Why do people call it football? The gaelic. They pick it up and throw the ball and also try to get points by using their hands.
    You clearly don't know the rules of Gaelic football then. ;)


  • #74
    schween
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 444 ✭✭schween


    I don't hate or love the GAA.

    I remember someone locally set up a soccer team. Seeing as GAA was the only show in town, almost everyone played hurling. The players were told that if they joined the new soccer team they wouldn't be allowed play hurling as their performance would be affected. Really they just didn't want anything else around. The same happened when an athletics clubs was set up. Both of them went ahead in the end and still exist.:)


  • #75
    fonecrusher1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,984 ✭✭✭fonecrusher1


    Orizio wrote: »
    The GAA is the most culchie of all of the culchie organisations, that means it is the most xenophobic, the most racist, the most homophobic, the most ignorant, the most violent, the most backwards and the most evil organisation in the history of Ireland, right alongside the Roman Catholic Church, which the GAA is of course in league with.

    Unlike real sports like Hockey, Rugby and Cricket, there is no skill or athleticism necessary in Gaelic Games - in reality these sports are little more then excuses for culchies to get drunk and beat each other with sticks or fists, while their familes watch on in simple, brainless delight.

    The organisation itself however is even worse - for, at its heart, the GAA is really a front for violent republican indoctrination, and children that attend GAA 'training' are taught, for hours upon end, how to create home-made bombs, how to murder and forced to revile every type of human being that is not a white catholic culchie.

    Two of the biggest sissy games in the world.


  • #76
    Orizio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    stovelid wrote: »
    Only Cork GAA, in fairness to the rest of the country.

    Being born and raised in Dublin, I wouldn't know anything about Cork GAA nor do I want to know anything about it. I have never been to Cork, and have only left the safe confines of Dublin city sporadically to observe, with my binoculars in a hedge under the protection of night, the deranged ways and traditions of culchies.


  • #77
    Orizio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    Hammer Archer wrote: »
    10 years? :eek:
    If you don't mind me asking, why the fcuk would you stick with something for 10 years if you hated every minute of it?
    Methinks you're exaggerating for effect there.

    Culchie parents. They are by and large sadists and sociopaths, after all.


  • #78
    ascanbe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,089 ✭✭✭ascanbe


    Ebbs wrote: »
    Really? No foreign sports playing on pitches was only lifted on croke park, IIRC. It doesnt extend to any other pitch.

    12 year olds are not a market to win over competitively, they should be allowed to choose what they want to play not given ultimatums. Clearly "No Foreign Games" is not gone.



    Yes, I did, well done.

    Everything was factual till the last paragraph, it wasnt even opinionated. The last paragraph which you somehow thought was ironic was opinionated. Just because you believe someone/thing is small minded does not mean you are. Its merely an opinion.

    The ban on members playing foreign sports is long gone.
    The vote you refer to was about renting Croke Park out to other sporting organisations; it was voted on at congress and it passed.
    Letting other sporting organisations use other facilities around the country is, i presume, a question for the county boards in question in consultation with central council; are you suggesting they shouldn't be allowed control the facilities they own?
    As for competition to attract players and 'ultimatums'; every sporting organisation is looking to attract players.
    The 'ultimatums' you are referring to are not a policy enshrined in the constitution of the GAA and i, having played a number of sports, can assure you that it is not only GAA coaches that engage in this.
    People are free to choose what sport or combination of sports they wish to play; if a coach of any sport gives you an 'ultimatum' you don't like, you can tell them to go fcuk themselves and leave.


  • #79
    johnmcdnl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,740 ✭✭✭johnmcdnl


    KeithAFC wrote: »
    Why do people call it football? The gaelic. They pick it up and throw the ball and also try to get points by using their hands.

    :rolleyes: did ya forget about the part where they kick it as well :rolleyes:


  • #80
    RightHalfBack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 49 ✭RightHalfBack


    In fairness whats the point of that Criket Pitch in Rathmines? You could have two nice hurling pitches in there


  • #81
    aDeener
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,487 ✭✭✭aDeener


    j1smithy wrote: »
    From a lot of threads on this forum I've been noticing subtle and sometimes outright hostility from some towards the GAA. It appears that a few people here have a major problem with the organisation however I pose this question to the sometimes silent majority in AH, is the GAA a force for good in modern Ireland?

    I can see both sides of this argument. Some will say that the organisation is a shining light of amateurism in a cynical world of professional sport. One of the few games to still be honest at the highest level. As a group of people it has achieved great things, becoming the largest sporting organisation in the country with excellent facilities in all counties. It draws communities together and creates a spirit of unity like no other that is uniquely Irish.

    The other side of the coin is of course that its members can be narrowminded. The size and power of the organisation vacuums up all the limited funding for sport from central government which has a detrimental effect on other games. Others will object to its ubiquitousness especially during the summer. While not a political organisation - it appears to be feverently nationalistic, which alienates some.

    On the whole, I think the modern (not historical!) GAA is a negative influence in Ireland. Many of its members closemindedness reflects poorly on our society in my opinion. Between the GAA and the church, they are two organisations the country needs to break free from.

    What do you think?

    true to form i see mike


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  • #82
    Hammer Archer
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 11,938 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hammer Archer


    Orizio wrote: »
    Being born and raised in Dublin, I wouldn't know anything about Cork GAA nor do I want to know anything about it. I have never been to Cork, and have only left the safe confines of Dublin city sporadically to observe, with my binoculars in a hedge under the protection of night, the deranged ways and traditions of culchies.
    Sure that's where they live don't ya know :eek:


  • #83
    Orizio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    j1smithy wrote: »

    The other side of the coin is of course that its members can be narrowminded. The size and power of the organisation vacuums up all the limited funding for sport from central government which has a detrimental effect on other games. Others will object to its ubiquitousness especially during the summer. While not a political organisation - it appears to be feverently nationalistic, which alienates some.

    Many of its members closemindedness reflects poorly on our society in my opinion. Between the GAA and the church, they are two organisations the country needs to break free from.

    Must...resist...responding...must...ignore...complete...lack...of...logic...must...stick...to...persona...


  • #84
    lawhec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    Ebbs wrote: »
    Really? No foreign sports playing on pitches was only lifted on croke park, IIRC. It doesnt extend to any other pitch.
    Is the GAA now not allowed to determine whom it can facilitate or have on its own property?
    12 year olds are not a market to win over competitively, they should be allowed to choose what they want to play not given ultimatums. Clearly "No Foreign Games" is not gone.
    While I would agree that giving such an ultimatum to a 12 year old is harsh (I haven't heard of any such case myself), as I've already said in my experience if a Gaelic games coach tells a player not to play in a "foreign sport" then most of the time as well they do not want them playing for other teams in football or hurling as well. I find up here that school team coaches are notorious for demanding this, particulary in colleges football, and this often causes friction with clubs.


  • #85
    TeddyTedson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,758 ✭✭✭✭TeddyTedson


    The Gaa is everything we need to be getting away from. The GAA, Guinness, Gaelic, Gardí, Government, all that garbage.
    Fusk Gulture we want profit!


  • #86
    Orizio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    TeddyTedson wrote: »
    The Gaa is everything we need to be getting away from. The GAA, Guinness, Gaelic, Gardí, Government, all that garbage.
    Fusk Gulture we want profit!

    Agreed - but I think we probably still could do with some government and gardai, to protect against the enraged culchies that, bereft of their simple games, will turn their anger and aggression on real human beings like you and I.


  • #87
    Orizio
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,460 ✭✭✭Orizio


    Hammer Archer wrote: »
    Sure that's where they live don't ya know :eek:

    I fear that your studies upon culchies have not been as ardous and complete as mine Hammer Archer. Your data is out of date - in the only recent past culchies did indeed inhabit hedges and bushes with their dozens of 'children', but they have since 'evolved' (snigger) and are now living in primitive 'huts' made out of mud and sticks.

    Mod Note**Orizio banned for this comment.


  • #88
    COYW
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,927 ✭✭✭COYW


    The whole pantomime that surrounded the playing of rugby and moreso the playing of GSTQ in their holy ground gives the clearest picture of the kind of petty and bigoted organisation that the GAA is.

    Also, my favourite comedy moment of 2010 was when they tried to blame the crowd trouble at one of their games on Drogheda United and Dundalk supporters.


  • #89
    K-9
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 43,305 ✭✭✭✭K-9


    aDeener wrote: »
    what errigal ciaran have done for the harte family cannot be commended enough.

    Indeed, the sense of community and help given there was amazing, a true example of what it can do, beyond sport.

    I'd say over all it is a force for good. The facilities around the country are top class, a great outlet for kids growing up. No different from any other sport in that regard, but it is very good at it.

    It's in a very competitive environment though, soccer and increasingly rugby are in competition and they have to think of the games future too. I remember many writing their epitaph in the 80's and yet it grew and grew in the 90's and 00's.

    Still think the usual bitters are annoyed by that and can't fathom why it is here, stronger than ever and can't believe instead of it being dead and buried, it is thriving even more so now.

    The recession and emigration causes bigger problems for GAA though as emigrants can readily avail of soccer and Rugby when they leave, it is harder for the GAA, though they have strong links in areas abroad.

    As for political views, it's a very archaic organisation at the higher levels, though that is modernising, slowly but surely. Soccer wouldn't be that different here, as in the FAI. The IRFU maybe not to the same extent with the advent of professionalism.

    It's very slow to reflect the views of its members, Croke Park being an example. It's very keenly aware of its links to nationalism as a 32 county organisation and foundations. That has its good points and bad ones. Good as in the sense of community and being an integral part of it as in Errigal Ciaran, bad as in with Croke Park, it let Northern county officials dictate the policy rather than set a lead.

    Mad Men's Don Draper : What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons.



  • #90
    BullSWD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭BullSWD


    I grew up playing hurling and football as well as rugby, soccer and basketball. I still play the first three as well as golf now. I love to play and watch all these sports. In my experience , however, the G.A.A. is the organisation I have least respect for. Where I grew up playing G.A.A. there was always a fierce rivalry between clubs. That is not a problem, in fact that is a positive. The problem was and still is that the rivalry was often brought off the pitch and into other sections of the greater area, ala schools, pubs and night clubs. I never saw that in any other sport I played in. Rugby was and still is the toughest game Ive played or watched. There was savagery on the field of play, Ive the scars to show. At the end of every game no matter what happened it was handshakes all round and into the clubhouse for food and a few drinks. Never have I seen angry scenes carried on after. It was left on the field. Unfortunalilly its the nature of the beast for this badness to be allowed to exist and be so prominent in the G.A.A. I guess the Parish rule has a lot to do with it. It is a pity though as they are super sports but in my opinion badly blighted by parochial rivalry which breeds hatred for your neighbours.


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  • #91
    Sharpshooter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,859 ✭✭✭✭Sharpshooter


    This thread has descended into GAA discussion, which is what this forum is for.


This discussion has been closed.
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