Football at GAA grounds

**EatYerGreens** · 22/01/2017, 8:17 PM

I thought the rule of no 'foreign games' in GAA facilities was still being readily enforced, but apparently an FAI Junior Cup game was held at Parnell Park in Dublin last month (Kilmore Celtic v Donnycarney).

Anyone know what the story is with that ?

**Jofspring** · 22/01/2017, 8:44 PM

In Limerick a good few junior soccer teams play their games on GAA pitches or share facilities like dressing rooms with GAA teams.

**gufcfan** · 23/01/2017, 12:04 AM

Parnell's have a few pitches. One of them is an astroturf soccer pitch. It's possible that they don't actually own the land, that it's leased for a nominal amount or that the land is held in trust, giving the GAA room for some gymnastics regarding their own rules.

**The Donie Forde** · 23/01/2017, 9:56 AM

Some GAA pitches are actually community-owned pitches in reality, and are not "vested" in the Association.
I think the Galway-Groningen UEFA Cup tie years back fell into this area? The pitch was perceived as a GAA pitch, but in fact it belonged to the local community, which meant the GAA couldn't actually prohibit the game.
The GAA are very two-faced about stadium usage, IMO, regardless of "vesting" or the Association's rules vis-a-vis "foreign games". The global GAA family by and large uses pitches belonging to other sports, yet this is never mentioned. Rather, the story is how great it is for GAA clubs to be thriving in Oslo or Moscow or Shanghai or wherever. Where they play is always neatly overlooked.

**gufct** · 23/01/2017, 11:09 AM

Galway United played 2 games on Gaa pitches Gronigen in Carraroe and OB Odense in Ballindereen.

**gspain01** · 23/01/2017, 11:18 AM

Yes in both Galway cases the grounds were community owned. However I understand Ballindereen didn't get a home championship game for something like 8 years afterwards. Carraroe were not punished afaik.

There have been a number of cases across the country where football clubs and GAA clubs share an artificial pitch. It makes it easier to get government grants I understand. Makes sense.

Any grounds vested in the GAA (apart from Croke Park) remain closed to football.

**eitoof** · 23/01/2017, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

I thought the rule of no 'foreign games' in GAA facilities was still being readily enforced, but apparently an FAI Junior Cup game was held at Parnell Park in Dublin last month (Kilmore Celtic v Donnycarney).

Anyone know what the story is with that ?

I doubt if it was in Parnell Park itself - maybe an adjoining facility?

**Longfordian** · 23/01/2017, 1:54 PM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

In Limerick a good few junior soccer teams play their games on GAA pitches or share facilities like dressing rooms with GAA teams.

I recall a while back that our lads were training on a local football pitch and using the nearby GAA facilities for changing and showering. The county board intervened and put a stop to it.

**gufcfan** · 24/01/2017, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by gufct

Galway United played 2 games on Gaa pitches Gronigen in Carraroe and OB Odense in Ballindereen.

Was it true that despite the GAA not having any interest in the land, Ballinderreen punished for it by the GAA indirectly? I suppose as an example...

There was damn all they could do to the GAA club in Carraroe, as they could hardly have ignored them much more than they were already and it wasn't the GAA club itself that made the match happen there anyway.

**gspain01** · 24/01/2017, 3:06 PM

I travelled up from Limerick with my Dad for the Groningen game so I don't recall too much of the build up etc. I lived in Galway at the time of the OB game and I recall the locals in Ballindereen (including the local GAA club) being very helpful to Galway United etc. This mustn't have gone down well in certain quarters. We all got totally soaked at the OB game so no doubt they will claim they had God on their side.

Hard to believe Galway have been in Europe three times since I last saw Limerick there.

**Martinho II** · 24/01/2017, 5:58 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

I recall a while back that our lads were training on a local football pitch and using the nearby GAA facilities for changing and showering. The county board intervened and put a stop to it.

when was that Longfordian as I dont recall it at all?

**Longfordian** · 24/01/2017, 8:14 PM

When Aaron Callaghan was in charge. As far as I remember they did some training in Ballymahon briefly.

**nigel-harps1954** · 24/01/2017, 8:37 PM

So, Longford actually trained in Longford at one point?

**Longfordian** · 24/01/2017, 8:55 PM

A rarity indeed. Did it briefly when Aaron took over, then we lost 11 games in a row, sacked him and went back to training close to Dublin. That was a bizarre season all kinds of randomers played for us.

**Martinho II** · 25/01/2017, 7:06 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

When Aaron Callaghan was in charge. As far as I remember they did some training in Ballymahon briefly.

yep I remember being at one of his training sessions in 08 in the Mall. But that didnt last too long due to bills not being paid. I am not sure where Ballymahon fell into the equation.

**Martinho II** · 25/01/2017, 7:08 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

A rarity indeed. Did it briefly when Aaron took over, then we lost 11 games in a row, sacked him and went back to training close to Dublin. That was a bizarre season all kinds of randomers played for us.

yep in the stats section of our website we used a hell of a lot of players- top of my head tells me over 30 players as too lazy to check..

**Longfordian** · 25/01/2017, 9:26 PM

Originally Posted by Martinho II

yep I remember being at one of his training sessions in 08 in the Mall. But that didnt last too long due to bills not being paid. I am not sure where Ballymahon fell into the equation.

Think that's where they went for a few weeks after the bills weren't paid. There was a connection in the club somehow, I forget who it was. It didn't last long anyway.