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

Dick phelan · 03-03-2016 2:44am

Overall it's a great thing especially at grassroots level

Promotes a real sense of community unlike almost anything else.
Hurling in particular is fantastic to watch at the top level, honestly would prefer hurling at the highest level to any other sport.
Gives kids an important focus, keeps them fit and good to be part of a team.
Great for the Irish diaspora, you can travel all over the world and if ye need to make friends and want to feel connected to Ireland GAA clubs are the best place to start.

The Bad
In my experience GAA is very hostile toward other sports, they should not be promoting a divide and pressure kids from not playing other sports
Cronyism, particularly at the upper levels of the organization, the GAA makes a fortune but still seems to treat it's players very badly, few years back they refused to give each player 1 euro per mile in travel expenses and kept it at 50c.

GAA is too linked to politics, tons of TD's or counselors have big connections with the GAA, Also too much of jobs for the lads going on for players and administrators within the GAA

Greed Given that it's an amateur organisation the GAA certainly like's money, the Garath Brooks fiasco highlighted that, not content with the fortune they would get from 3 gigs they had to try get every penny and do 5 shows without any regard for the prior agreement they had made with residents, Ticket Prices also too high imo, considering they own the grounds and don't have to pay players prices should be kept low.

It's a great organization within the community, the skill is fantastic and if i move away going to matches would be one of the big things i'd miss about home, that said particularly at the top level of administration it represents a lot wrong with Ireland, a very bigoted closed minded viewpoint and plenty of cronyism and greed.

03-03-2016 3:00am

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Played by culchies or in the case of Dublin clubs children of culchies

Don't know any true blue Dub who really follows that sport

Hilarious. In a thread where the usual suspects with their pathological hatred of all things culturally Irish are giving out about GAA people allegedly saying they're the real Irish, we have somebody claiming, without irony, that Dubliners who play football or hurling (rather than the beloved garrison game, presumably) are not "true Dubliners".

When I played both rugby and soccer it was a big issue if you chose to play football over either of those sports on the Sunday, with the usual old threats of "you'll lose your place" if you do that. But, of course, in the twisted world of the Irish haters here, this only happens in the GAA. Bitterness, and nothing more to this one.

PTH2009 · 03-03-2016 3:01am

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

They've no life at all, work, training, sleep. No drinking for 9 months. It's a huge commitment these days to be on a senior county panel.

They get the best of women though. Imagine a lad going into first year of college after winning an all Ireland or any title he would have the pick of birds lol

Turfcutter · 03-03-2016 3:08am

People continually mention the attitude in the GAA towards other sports. In my opinion the tables have long since turned and you're likely to encounter soccer and to a lesser extent rugby people who despise gaelic games.

Even look at journalists like Declan Lynch, George Byrne, Ian O'Doherty and Diarmuid Doyle who made a good career spewing prejudice about 'bogball' and 'stickfighting'.

The GAA as an organisation has not always acted wisely but a lot of the hostility stems from post colonial inferiority complex and cultural cringe. Also, by comparison, do you ever encounter people claiming to dislike the sport of soccer because of the multi billion euro corruption machine that administers the game?

bodice ripper · 03-03-2016 3:21am

Of the various Sportsballs, hurling and camogie are very entertaining. Beats the **** out of watching a millionaire rolling around on the ground clutching their shin.

StupidLikeAFox · 03-03-2016 4:19am

It's a great organisation. Same old tired clichés being thrown out here. As with most of these threads the criticisms are generally localised to one particular club ot a couple of people, and are not good examples of the organisation as a whole.

I also personally know of 3 lads who went for trials in England with soccer clubs when they were in school, never made it but the local GAA club were behind them all the way and they weren't ostracised for playing other sports. Know of a local club who have some of their under 16s playing rugby too, the seasons overlap but there is no issue with that either, they join up with the football team when the rugby is over and there is no pressure to pick one over the other. There are plenty of examples of this at club and county level - clubs are generally happy to have the few extra players and couldn't care less what else you do in your spare time

sabat · 03-03-2016 4:28am

Someone mentioned camógie there; the name itself annoys me- it's as if the women are playing a completely different sport and not just hurling in a skirt.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-03-2016 4:33am

sabat wrote: »

Someone mentioned camógie there; the name itself annoys me- it's as if the women are playing a completely different sport and not just hurling in a skirt.

There's a few minor differences in the rules. Also the game is run by the Camoige Association who are independent to the GAA.

Hammar · 03-03-2016 4:48am

We have 38 players on our senior club GAA panel(that played last year)

The Soccer team in the parish is new and about 6-8 of their squad are GAA players.We have only one player whom plays Rugby.The Soccer team trained on part of the GAA grounds for years until they recently opened their own pitch.

When we are training/playing at weekends or midweek,the only topic of conversation is the Premier League or Champions League or in an odd case the Inter-county GAA championship or International Rugby.

Virtually every member of the squad is a soccer fan and from what i know of other neighbouring teams,the exact same seems to be true elsewhere.

I'd love to know where this present-day "GAA being anti-Soccer and Rugby is coming from". I've never seen any instances of it,in my 22/23 years as a GAA member.

I don't think any of us could deny past GAA wrongdoings such as the disgraceful implementation of rule 27,but thankfully, that is in the distant past.

sabat · 03-03-2016 5:46am

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

There's a few minor differences in the rules. Also the game is run by the Camoige Association who are independent to the GAA.

Yes or no, is it the same sport?

sabat · 03-03-2016 5:55am

Hammar wrote: »

I'd love to know where this present-day "GAA being anti-Soccer and Rugby is coming from". I've never seen any instances of it,in my 22/23 years as a GAA member.

The Tallaght Stadium affair?

KingMonkey · 03-03-2016 6:12am

Grab All Association...definitely a bad thing,definitely....ten minutes to wapner!!! :pac:

03-03-2016 7:53am

I think football is underrated (every game now dismissed as a display of dragging and punching), hurling overrated (every game now hyped up as an example of "the words fastest field game")...but as a cultural or sporting organisation nothing gives one the sense of identity like belonging to a GAA club. I played GAA and soccer, I just preferred the latter and it was good craic...but looking back now it was hard to beat looking around a club dressing room and realising that I had known some of my teammates from when I was 2 and 3. And 40 years later, we still meet at games...the few I go to. I'm not saying it's a great thing, but no other sport is that rooted in community and parish.

armaghlad · 03-03-2016 9:20am

This "anti other sports" is a myth. There's a massive cross over between GAA and other sports. Neil Lennon played for my club. A few guys I played underage with left after u 16 to play in Scotland and England. There was no animosity when they didnt make it and they were welcomed back with open arms.

armaghlad · 03-03-2016 9:22am

RadiationKing wrote: »

Okay, whatever you think yourself there. :pac:

Yeah because only insular, backward thinking people would choose to live, work and integrate in another country...

iDave · 03-03-2016 10:18am

In my experience the vitriol towards GAA is much worse than anything I've seen from the GAA in the other direction.
The GAA like any organisation with its reach to every corner in Ireland will have bad eggs, from cocky players to ignorant administrators. Cant be fully eliminated no matter how much you try.
And its massively flawed in terms of competition structures, scheduling, burnout, standard of punditry and bringing about change is slow and painful.

But it remains for me the greatest sporting organisation of them all. It gives every county and parish a chance to be proud of itself where it otherwise not have any other reason.
The codes themselves are the greatest sports conceived by man. And I'm standing up for football here, it is a brilliant sport bettered only by hurling.
The 'Grab All' reputation is very much unjustified.The Euro sign definitely influences some decision making but I find it highly ironic anyone can complain about this while watching a sporting event sanctioned by FIFA, UEFA, Prem Lge, EPCR, NFL etc.
FIFA literally has blood on its hands due to its greed and corruption. I'll take the GAA over that lot any day thank you very much.

Also laughing at the 'true blue' comment. Dublin is associated with blue because of the GAA

GLaDOS · 03-03-2016 10:28am

Regarding sharing facilities this story was in the news recently, though maybe it was case of not seeking appropriate permission?

K-9 · 03-03-2016 11:19am

Deleted User wrote: »

I think football is underrated (every game now dismissed as a display of dragging and punching), hurling overrated (every game now hyped up as an example of "the words fastest field game")...but as a cultural or sporting organisation nothing gives one the sense of identity like belonging to a GAA club. I played GAA and soccer, I just preferred the latter and it was good craic...but looking back now it was hard to beat looking around a club dressing room and realising that I had known some of my teammates from when I was 2 and 3. And 40 years later, we still meet at games...the few I go to. I'm not saying it's a great thing, but no other sport is that rooted in community and parish.

The hurling season got criticised last season for not being great. Gaelic has suffered ironically enough for adapting tactics from soccer and rugby. A McGuinness Donegal is basically a Mourinho Chelsea or Inter team.

Muahahaha · 03-03-2016 11:20am

I think its a great organisation but does have its flaws such as the evangelist way they try to get children to only play GAA. There is still a bigoted 'foreign games' mindset in the GAA as seen by them fining a Longford GAA club for allowing soccer to be played on their pitch- it was an under 13s training camp with Jamie Carragers Football School, AFAIK Carragher himself is now going to pay the fine on behalf of the GAA club.

I think their handling of Rule 42 though was quite progressive against a backdrop of very vocal opposition (those bigots again). But they got it through and it was the right thing to do.

Overall I think we're much better with it than without. The few vocal bigots in it will all die out soon anyway. In the meantime we can all enjoy top level local sports played every summer, wouldn't be the same without it.

robbiezero · 03-03-2016 11:23am

K-9 wrote: »

The hurling season got criticised last season for not being great. Gaelic has suffered ironically enough for adapting tactics from soccer and rugby. A McGuinness Donegal is basically a Mourinho Chelsea or Inter team.

Hurling is starting to struggle a little bit.
Waterford and Kilkenny now are bringing the football tactics of bringing back forwards as defenders and playing sweepers and it is taking from the game as a spectacle. Last years All-Ireland was very poor, and the replayed game from the year before was also a poor game.
When played properly like in the 2014 drawn All-Ireland it is superb.

Muahahaha · 03-03-2016 11:25am

donegaLroad wrote: »

the new style of 'blanket defence' has made football unwatchable..

and I know Donegal were pioneers of this style of playing.

I must admit to being a fan of Jim McGuinness, I think he was a visionary in GAA terms. His innovation of the game has been used by many teams which shows how far ahead of other managers he was.

But agree that it makes scoring more difficult. Though that said the players adjust to new styles and the game innovates further. Its no bad thing imo, new tactics makes it more exciting than having 32 teams play the exact same way.

fryup · 03-03-2016 11:26am

The GAA - the sport & leisure wing of Sinn Fein

Rackard · 03-03-2016 11:28am

sabat wrote: »

Yes or no, is it the same sport?

Quite obviously no!
Not even part of the GAA - they want to be their own organisation, which is fair enough. Have their own playing rules, administrators etc.
Same goes with Ladies Football.

Hammer Archer · 03-03-2016 11:31am

It's funny that the general public slates the GAA for its "cronyism". Yet the GAA president can only be in charge for a maximum of three years. Compare that to the embarrassment that is John Delaney in the FAI who's been in his role for over a decade and shows no sign of being voted out as he's surrounded by his cronies.

And as for greed, the Garth Brooks fiasco was an embarrassment but it's nowhere near the greed exhibited by the FAI and FIFA. Again, John Delaney earns €400k a year yet at the same time completely ignores Ireland's national league, calling it a "problem child".
Personally, as an avid soccer fan, I would love it if Irish soccer was run as well as the GAA is. We would probably have a thriving LOI with much better facilities and a better national team to boot. It won't happen mainly due to the FAI's greed.

As for anti other sports, the Ban has been gone for nearly half a century yet is still used as a stick to beat the GAA with. There certainly are a minority who are anti soccer/rugby but I'd say 99% of GAA members follow other sports. Indeed my local club hosts an All Ireland tournament each year and last year the presentation was delayed while everyone vociferously cheered on the Japanese rugby team to beat South Africa in the clubhouse.
As someone said, there are far more people who are vehemently anti Gaelic Games these days (as evidenced in this thread) than GAA people who are anti other sports. It's quite pathetic really.

03-03-2016 11:32am

armaghlad wrote: »

This "anti other sports" is a myth.

2 local clubs. The one I was a member of was great, had soccer teams training on their pitch back in the 80s, would be very understanding where players made choices, always enquired as to how the club was going etc.

Local town team were complete opposite, rumour was that they tipped off the GAA about the soccer team using the other GAA teams facilities, had a real "us or them" attitude, constantly sneered at the local soccer team as being small, irrelevant, players effectively had to make a choice, know of inter county players who were all but axed because they played soccer. Not just not into soccer (they'd all watch ManU or Liverpool), but saw it as the enemy, a threat.

wingbacknr5 · 03-03-2016 11:34am

fryup wrote: »

The GAA - the sport & leisure wing of Sinn Fein

I think large swathes of the Sinn Fein vote would identify closer with Celtic F.C than the GAA for their "sport & leisure" fix.

RadiationKing · 03-03-2016 11:37am

armaghlad wrote: »

Yeah because only insular, backward thinking people would choose to live, work and integrate in another country...

Hey, now you're getting it! :pac:

armaghlad · 03-03-2016 11:43am

fryup wrote: »

The GAA - the sport & leisure wing of Sinn Fein

Congratulations. Wally post of the day.

tigerboon · 03-03-2016 12:02pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

I think its a great organisation but does have its flaws such as the evangelist way they try to get children to only play GAA. There is still a bigoted 'foreign games' mindset in the GAA

Speaking for our own small town club, this is not the case. Nearly every child on the juvenile teams plays other sports including the coaches kids. The only comments are positive (as in so and so is a great little soccer/rugby player, great at athletics etc.). My son's rugby team is the same. Nearly all the team play GAA with various clubs. Again no issues.

SAMTALK · 03-03-2016 12:02pm

ClovenHoof wrote: »

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.

:D

Arkady · 03-03-2016 12:08pm

It's like the Irish version of the freemasons, if you're in and well connected it opens lots of doors for you and you'll love it. This raises the heckles of any Irish people who are not well "connected." Life, work and politics in Ireland has always been about being well connected, the GAA just provide one of the vehicles for that.

TheNap · 03-03-2016 12:09pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Played by culchies or in the case of Dublin clubs children of culchies

Don't know any true blue Dub who really follows that sport

Where do people get this nonsense from haha

robbiezero · 03-03-2016 12:10pm

Arkady wrote: »

It's like the Irish version of the freemasons, if you're in and well connected it opens lots of doors for you and you'll love it. This raises the heckles of any Irish people who are not well "connected." Life, work and politics in Ireland has always been about being well connected, the GAA just provide one of the vehicles for that.

It is nowhere near rugby for that.

Arkady · 03-03-2016 12:11pm

robbiezero wrote: »

It is nowhere near rugby for that.

We're talking about Ireland, not Dublin.

Irishcrx · 03-03-2016 12:12pm

Not a good thing when they decide to have a go at soccer, kick you in the ankles , put you in a headlock, pull you down to the ground, give you the peoples elbow and then claim it was a fair shoulder...=)

PáircLife · 03-03-2016 12:12pm

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.

And drink 10 pints with the same person that night!!

munchkin_utd · 03-03-2016 12:15pm

robbiezero wrote: »

It is nowhere near rugby for that.

my sister works in a creche in "the nice part" of Dublin and already at that stage the parents have it worked out which primary school their kid needs to go to in order to get into the right secondary school to play school rugby, which is essentially a foot into the old boys club down the line when working in the IFSC or wherever.

I was shocked, but school rugby in Dublin is more of a cult than the GAA will ever be.

andekwarhola · 03-03-2016 12:20pm

The anti-(other) sport thing definitely exists. I know this personally. To say otherwise is ridiculous but there are many clubs that don't do it, to be fair.

Should be pointed out as well that, season-wise, an awful lot of amateur/underage football here doesn't clash with GAA (although there are notable exceptions AFAIK, like Mayo).

One thing that could be a source of tension is that there is a growing call in Dublin (buoyed now by the disaster wreaked on DDSL/SDFL etc fixtures/training by this winter's rainfall) to move underage football here to a summer season. Not least to align it with the League of Ireland which is a summer league (March-November) and the likes of Ruud Doktor (FAI) who wanted underage football, the new elite teenage leagues and the LOI to be aligned so I can foresee clashes along the line.

Iang87 · 03-03-2016 12:21pm

Hammer Archer wrote: »

It's funny that the general public slates the GAA for its "cronyism". Yet the GAA president can only be in charge for a maximum of three years. Compare that to the embarrassment that is John Delaney in the FAI who's been in his role for over a decade and shows no sign of being voted out as he's surrounded by his cronies.

And as for greed, the Garth Brooks fiasco was an embarrassment but it's nowhere near the greed exhibited by the FAI and FIFA. Again, John Delaney earns €400k a year yet at the same time completely ignores Ireland's national league, calling it a "problem child".
Personally, as an avid soccer fan, I would love it if Irish soccer was run as well as the GAA is. We would probably have a thriving LOI with much better facilities and a better national team to boot. It won't happen mainly due to the FAI's greed.

As for anti other sports, the Ban has been gone for nearly half a century yet is still used as a stick to beat the GAA with. There certainly are a minority who are anti soccer/rugby but I'd say 99% of GAA members follow other sports. Indeed my local club hosts an All Ireland tournament each year and last year the presentation was delayed while everyone vociferously cheered on the Japanese rugby team to beat South Africa in the clubhouse.
As someone said, there are far more people who are vehemently anti Gaelic Games these days (as evidenced in this thread) than GAA people who are anti other sports. It's quite pathetic really.

Anti Gaelic games??????? I'm anti GAA I already said the sports are great. The organisation is the problem

munchkin_utd · 03-03-2016 12:23pm

Iang87 wrote: »

Anti Gaelic games??????? I'm anti GAA I already said the sports are great. The organisation is the problem

grand, which big sporting organisation is better, why, and in which ways ?

Maybe the GAA can learn from these other organisations .

robbiezero · 03-03-2016 12:25pm

Arkady wrote: »

We're talking about Ireland, not Dublin.

Point still stands

Iang87 · 03-03-2016 12:27pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

grand, which big sporting organisation is better, why, and in which ways ?

Maybe the GAA can learn from these other organisations .

Big sporting organisation. Christ get a grip. Its a regional sporting organisation that attracts thousands of people in attendances and millions of euro in revenue for countless months and doesn't have to pay the attraction everyone comes to see. Its how they **** that up that I find fascinating

robbiezero · 03-03-2016 12:32pm

Iang87 wrote: »

Big sporting organisation. Christ get a grip. Its a regional sporting organisation that attracts thousands of people in attendances and millions of euro in revenue for countless months and doesn't have to pay the attraction everyone comes to see. Its how they **** that up that I find fascinating

And how do they **** that up?

Ice Maiden · 03-03-2016 12:37pm

Ummmm... good thing!

/Flutters eyelashes

Dyr · 03-03-2016 12:41pm

ClovenHoof wrote: »

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.

Just trying to keep the neighborhood semi respectable

I wouldn't want madsham rovers within a square mile of my house.

armaghlad · 03-03-2016 12:41pm

The GAA being the biggest participation sport in NI is no mean feat considering the demographics. So they must be doing something right.

Iang87 · 03-03-2016 12:44pm

robbiezero wrote: »

And how do they **** that up?

By expecting outrageous levels of commitment from unpaid players in terms of games needed to play. These lads have jobs and lives but their intercounty players first apparently. The way its run is funny to watch on and see. Some of the limerick players may have had to play up to 10 games in february when you tack on club and college commitments but come the summer they'll have 4 and 5 weeks between games for what must only be for monetary gain if i'm honest because they prove in jan - march they dont give a **** about game count with stupid competitions.

How things like this can happen and people can justify

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/dublin-claiming-the-bulk-of-gaa-s-development-funds-1.2091641

Lets not forget the days when the mighty dubs play and croke park is given to them with seemingly their fans only given access to hill 16/cheapest tickets.

In isolation these things may seem fine but this kind of behaviour consistently will breed contempt going forward and an air of whats the point will develop in other counties. Player numbers will inevitably dwindle over time and they'll wonder why the club game is lacking then they'll wonder why college is lacking finally it'll dawn its too late we should have realised the country extends beyond dublins borders.

This isn't an anti dublin rant and sorry if it appears so if these things were happening in Limericks favour I'd still be disgusted. Don't pride yourself as an all inclusive/every parish/all in organisation and in your actions spit in the face of all that.

Dyr · 03-03-2016 12:45pm

munchkin_utd wrote: »

my sister works in a creche in "the nice part" of Dublin and already at that stage the parents have it worked out which primary school their kid needs to go to in order to get into the right secondary school to play school rugby, which is essentially a foot into the old boys club down the line when working in the IFSC or wherever.

I was shocked, but school rugby in Dublin is more of a cult than the GAA will ever be.

I remember overhearing two yummy mummies in work going on, apparently one of them had a sprogg who'd recently started playing throw-the-egg at school. The other one says the social side is great for kids and yer wan goes "oh I know, the networking opportunities for him will be amazing"

This is one reason why rugby should be banned. There are many others

TheNap · 03-03-2016 12:48pm

I'm from a GAA family ( Dublin parents and grandparents )

I played hurling gaelic soccer golf and boxing until i was 16.

Then i just concentrated on gaa from then on because I preferred it and was better at it than the other sports.

I always felt a lot people outside the gaa had a serious issue with it . Maybe because of the facilities gaa clubs have compared to others . The GAA is making profits every year and the money filters down to grassroots allowing clubs to flourish. Its run pretty good from that aspect.

Re an chip on their shoulders re other sports . It still exists in the older generation but that would be it really . I think it was at a time when people were worried that gaa would not be sustainable. If anything it has now gone the other way around and other sports have the chip on the shoulder .

The euros are on this summer and my gaa club has a number of nights aranged for all the Ireland matches . All ticket affairs due to demand .

Neber really understood why people dont just love the sports they play instead of trying to belittle the sports they dont.

Turfcutter · 03-03-2016 12:55pm

andekwarhola wrote: »

The anti-(other) sport thing definitely exists. I know this personally. To say otherwise is ridiculous but there are many clubs that don't do it, to be fair.

I don't think many people are saying it doesn't exist. However it most certainly isn't all one way which seems to be the lazy consensus.

The people citing 'the Ban' (lifted 45 years ago) as their pet dislike about the GAA are like the Japanese soldiers who were holed up the jungle thinking they were still fighting WW2 a few decades after it ended.

For a more contemporary ban, look at how certain rugby schools have a ban on gaelic games. I know teachers in some of these schools who sought to start up football in hurling in the schools are were quickly shot down.
Yet, the stereotype is of the open-minded progressives who follow international sports like soccer and rugby being the antithesis to the narrow minded 'gah' bigot.

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

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