The G.A.A. - A Good or Bad thing?

Just...Me · 02-03-2016 4:21pm #1

Long time lurker, first time protagonist here!

After reading the thread on things you would love to outlaw or ban I found the G.A.A. came up a lot.

I left the country 2 years ago and I have always found that when people ask me "What is really Irish?" I generally answer with Gaelic sports.

I was surprised to find that there are so many people that don't like it.

I have always found it to promote Irish Identity and community.

I could ask this question in the G.A.A. forum but I am looking for a more general view so I am posting it here.

So I suppose my question is have you found Gaelic Games to have a positive or negative impact on Irish society?

smash · 02-03-2016 4:21pm

Good thing? Bad thing?

Culchie thing!

Harry Palmr · 02-03-2016 4:23pm

County thing! :mad:

The Backwards Man · 02-03-2016 4:24pm

Beer and spirits go over the bar, everything else should go underneath.

Rattser · 02-03-2016 4:25pm

It brings a great sense of togetherness. I'm a Dub that can barely kick snow off a rope before that starts.

But when Cluxton walked up to take that kick.....

corner of hells · 02-03-2016 4:25pm

All Ireland Day has done wonders for the hang sammich business , so banning it would probably ruin Brennan bread and Dennys ham.

valoren · 02-03-2016 4:27pm

A game of hurling can be spectacular.

I'd rather scrape my eyeballs out with a rusty fork than watch a game of the Football.

Trent Houseboat · 02-03-2016 4:29pm

It's a sports association. I would worry about anyone who felt strongly either way about it. And I say this as someone who goes to most Dublin Football matches.

Just...Me · 02-03-2016 4:29pm

Harry Palmr wrote: »

County thing! :mad:

Don't think its a county thing, more of an Irish thing

armaghlad · 02-03-2016 4:30pm

The GAA is an institution of Irish society. It brings together a sense of community that is seldom found anywhere else. It has backboned rural Ireland and continues to do so. It can be slow to change with the times but thankfully it usually does (eventually). It provides young people with focus, exercise, friendship, discipline and character. Some people have died for simply being a GAA member. I tend to find that the people who despise the GAA the most are the people who were never a part of it.

RayM · 02-03-2016 4:30pm

It's fine. Unlike rugby, which is terrible and should be banned.

Just...Me · 02-03-2016 4:32pm

armaghlad wrote: »

The GAA is an institution of Irish society. It brings together a sense of community that is seldom found anywhere else. It has backboned rural Ireland and continues to do so. It can be slow to change with the times but thankfully it usually does (eventually). It provides young people with focus, exercise, friendship, discipline and character. Some people have died for simply being a GAA member. I tend to find that the people who despise the GAA the most are the people who were never a part of it.

That would have been mine impression

BattleCorp · 02-03-2016 4:33pm

armaghlad wrote: »

The GAA is an institution of Irish society. It brings together a sense of community that is seldom found anywhere else. It has backboned rural Ireland and continues to do so. It can be slow to change with the times but thankfully it usually does (eventually). It provides young people with focus, exercise, friendship, discipline and character. Some people have died for simply being a GAA member. I tend to find that the people who despise the GAA the most are the people who were never a part of it.

Where else other than a hurling match can you go out and knock seven shades of sh1te out of someone with a stick and face no repercussions? I think there is a ball involved too but I think that is only incidental to the knocking the sh1te out of each other.

Great stuff altogether.

Maximus Alexander · 02-03-2016 4:33pm

It's not a good thing or a bad thing, just a thing.

BattleCorp · 02-03-2016 4:33pm

RayM wrote: »

It's fine. Unlike rugby, which is terrible and should be banned.

Rugby is played by men with funny shaped balls.

smash · 02-03-2016 4:33pm

Rattser wrote: »

But when Claxton walked up to take that kick.....

It's Cluxton...

Rattser · 02-03-2016 4:34pm

When you go live foreign and are expected to be a hurler. Lads, I'm ****. Nonsense, you're Irish so you're in. Hmmmmm. I'll do my best. I never played before.

Just...Me · 02-03-2016 4:34pm

RayM wrote: »

It's fine. Unlike rugby, which is terrible and should be banned.

i like all sports but just feel that G.A.A. has a specific identity with Irishness

Bulbous Salutation · 02-03-2016 4:35pm

Gets kids playing team sports, promotes a sense of community in a world where that is no longer promoted, economic benefits to the economy, hurling is a class sport to watch.

All good in my opinion.

armaghlad · 02-03-2016 4:35pm

BattleCorp wrote: »

Where else other than a hurling match can you go out and knock seven shades of sh1te out of someone with a stick and face no repercussions? I think there is a ball involved too but I think that is only incidental to the knocking the sh1te out of each other.

Great stuff altogether.

We aren't great at the hurling in Armagh and it isn't really promoted as well as it should... part of me thinks it's because we are bad enough without giving us weapons

Sonderkommando · 02-03-2016 4:36pm

Love the gaa, hurling championship is one of the best events of the year.

As for people hating it, self hatred is strong among certain Irish people i woudn't take much notice of them. I'd nearly bet if hurling was not Irish the same people would fawn over it.

iDave · 02-03-2016 4:38pm

The GAA is absolutely ****ing brilliant.

Rattser · 02-03-2016 4:39pm

A big hurling game is magic.

Kilkenny versus Tipp, for example, when it's knockout.

The skill involved is unreal.

PTH2009 · 02-03-2016 4:39pm

love the gaa. if there was no hurling and football on in the summer than it would just be boring.

i like watching the republic play soccer but have a little interest in the club soccer (although im forced at reading about it every 2 mins on facebook etc)

big rugby fan too.

i think irish people abroad who dont like gaa are trying to distant themselves from Irishness but would support Connor Mcgregor and the likes as he is the it thing at the moment

Iang87 · 02-03-2016 4:39pm

enjoyable sports. Repulsive organisation

iDave · 02-03-2016 4:41pm

Iang87 wrote: »

enjoyable sports. Repulsive organisation

A flawed organisation. Just look at the mess it makes of reform. Repulsive? No that adjective is more suited to FIFA

ClovenHoof · 02-03-2016 4:42pm

It has been a very powerful pathological manipulation tool for politics in that it destroys a sense of national identity and replaces it with a county colours mindset. This is one of the reasons we are doomed as a nation as we are a collection of 32 little ****hole rivalries and not a nation of Irish people. Every culchie puts his parish ahead of his nation. Jackeens tend to be the only group in Ireland who are actually aware of what nation they are citizens of.

But that is really more about politicians using the GAA rather than the sport itself.

ClovenHoof · 02-03-2016 4:47pm

Let's also not forget the Tallaght GAA saga trying to destroy Shamrock Rovers in order to keep their sporting apartheid going in the region. That was a shocking spectacle of bigotry and cronyism.

K-9 · 02-03-2016 4:47pm

Love it, hard to beat an Ulster Championship match in the 6 counties. All Ireland day isn't bad either.

Congress and the CCC and all that is terrible, but very Irish.

Wichita Lineman · 02-03-2016 5:09pm

Like any organisation it has a lot of positives but there are also a lot of negatives.

I loved playing hurling.

The big negative for me at the moment is they brainwash small kids 6yrs and up that the GAA is the only sport(s) they should play. There is a shocking attitude shown towards soccer, rugby, golf etc (and many other activities).

God forbid that little Johnny would turn into a star golfer instead of being a shoo in for taking his fathers spot at corner back in the local village Junior B team when he turns 17.

Kids should be encouraged to take part in as many sports / activities as possible.

Iang87 · 02-03-2016 5:13pm

Iang87 wrote: »

enjoyable sports. Repulsive organisation

Repulsive is about right.

Countless anecdotal stories of young kids being told not to play some sports or they wont get picked for the local GAA side. Repulsive way to act with kids.

I'm not really going to try justify it but in my view this country would be better off without that scummy organisation. We whinge all day about cronyism ruining the country then queue up in our thousands to give the most crony filled organisation our money.

Obviously didnt mean to quote myself

The G.A.A. - A Good or Bad thing?

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