sweet jesus

[gael353]

stuck in on this Friday night and the Late late show is on. not going up with an anti GAA rant but just look at all the GAA "plants" in RTE. Spillane, Des Cahill, Michael Lester, Eileen Dunne, Marty Morrissy, and shed loads of other soap dodgers. The latest "plant" is that leggy girl Evanne something. The church may not run RTE anymore but its clear to see whos taking their place.
licence fee back please

[MariborKev]

On the other hand, Brush Shields is a car crash.

[Dunny]

The whole brood is there, couldnt listen to Bertie, nearly fell asleep!

[Candystripe]

That is a great reason why to go to a L.O.I. game on a friday night. Avoiding things like this.

[rebelarmyexile]

All that bigot-ball is painful. Perhaps they will have a special Late Late Show in 2013 for the 150th Anniversary of Association Football.

or the 130th Anniversary of Irish football in 2010.

or the 130th Anniversary of IRFU this year 2009.

All older, and all more important (or a worldwide level) that the GAH.

Though somehow I doubt the Gah bigot plants in RTE would have it.

[irishultra]

All that bigot-ball is painful. Perhaps they will have a special Late Late Show in 2013 for the 150th Anniversary of Association Football.

or the 130th Anniversary of Irish football in 2010.

or the 130th Anniversary of IRFU this year 2009.

All older, and all more important (or a worldwide level) that the GAH.

Though somehow I doubt the Gah bigot plants in RTE would have it.


:rolleyes:

they are not 'older' than football or hurling at all so get your facts right.

[SligoBrewer]

:rolleyes:

they are not 'older' than football or hurling at all so get your facts right.

Older than gaelic football, but not older than hurling I believe.

[rebus2008]

All that bigot-ball is painful. Perhaps they will have a special Late Late Show in 2013 for the 150th Anniversary of Association Football.

or the 130th Anniversary of Irish football in 2010.

or the 130th Anniversary of IRFU this year 2009.

All older, and all more important (or a worldwide level) that the GAH.

Though somehow I doubt the Gah bigot plants in RTE would have it.

I often wonder is the prereqisite to supporting you local LOI club either:
- going to the games as a fan
or
- hating the "gah"

In fairness, it was tv programme. Big deal.
If you are nice to them, they might give you a few business lessons so that you won't have your hand out same time, same place next year for a few bob to bail you out. Form an orderly queue now - Shels/Drogs/Harps/Pats/Bohs......


PS I can't believe that they RTE/GAA still give that crook Ahern a platform.

[John83]

:rolleyes:

they are not 'older' than football or hurling at all so get your facts right.
Facts? Rugby (1845) and association (1863) football were both codified earlier than gaelic games (1884). Getting into a debate about which is older beyond that involves a definition of when each of the four (three given rugby and association football came from the same vague class of ball game) became a sport as opposed to half a village chasing an inflated pig bladder or pile of rags while beating the **** out of the next village over (with or without sticks). I'm inclined to not do that. Then there's the debate over just how much gaelic football is a genuinely Irish sport as opposed to Cusack's answer to rugby. I'm inclined not to go there either.

[DonO'Bate]

PS I can't believe that they RTE/GAA still give that crook Ahern a platform.

Wasn't Bertie the main reason why the GAA got €25million of tax payers money to complete Croke Park? Any way the GAA were a bit more interesting than Boyzone.

[rebus2008]

Facts? Rugby (1845) and association (1863) football were both codified earlier than gaelic games (1884). Getting into a debate about which is older beyond that involves a definition of when each of the four (three given rugby and association football came from the same vague class of ball game) became a sport as opposed to half a village chasing an inflated pig bladder or pile of rags while beating the **** out of the next village over (with or without sticks). I'm inclined to not do that. Then there's the debate over just how much gaelic football is a genuinely Irish sport as opposed to Cusack's answer to rugby. I'm inclined not to go there either.


Does it matter which is older sport? Good god, the ford fiesta is older than the BMW 5 series but it sure as hell doesn't make it better car. If you are rating soccer better than gaa as it is the older of the two, then you're decidely lacking in conviction of your chosen sport. Some perfect to support their local team and choose gaa, some prefer to support a transient bunch of footballers paid to play for team and "love it" ala Andy Gray until a better offer comes along and thus choose football. Each to his own.

[irishultra]

Facts? Rugby (1845) and association (1863) football were both codified earlier than gaelic games (1884). Getting into a debate about which is older beyond that involves a definition of when each of the four (three given rugby and association football came from the same vague class of ball game) became a sport as opposed to half a village chasing an inflated pig bladder or pile of rags while beating the **** out of the next village over (with or without sticks). I'm inclined to not do that. Then there's the debate over just how much gaelic football is a genuinely Irish sport as opposed to Cusack's answer to rugby. I'm inclined not to go there either.

No different to american football then or australian football. and yeah what the rebus guy said.

[L37Ultra]

I thought it was a great show. GAA plays a huge part in many Irish peoples lifes and its sad to see some bitter jealous comments on here to be honest.

[rebus2008]

PS I can't believe that they RTE/GAA still give that crook Ahern a platform.

Wasn't Bertie the main reason why the GAA got €25million of tax payers money to complete Croke Park? Any way the GAA were a bit more interesting than Boyzone.[/quote]

Any historian will confirm that Bertie paid the GAA off to resist the change to rule on foreign games at tha time. It would have past until his last minute intervetion to retain his hope for a monument to his greatness in Abbotstown.
More is the pity that sense didn't prevail with government allowing one signle stadium in DUblin for rugby,football and gaelic games.
Now we have the situation whereby we'll have two stadia. One under used and one undersized with the money wasted on Berties extravagance better spent on helath and other areas.

[rebus2008]

I thought it was a great show. GAA plays a huge part in many Irish peoples lifes and its sad to see some bitter jealous comments on here to be honest.

It may be apparent to some but i'd be an advocate of gaa sports. I thought it was a typical lazy RTE production. U could have played bingo with the predictive nature of the guests. Tick them off as they appear...dunphy/heffo/sean boylan/the presidents/dubs vs kerry 70's/spillane/des cahill/etc etc Nothing insightful. Nothing new. Just rehashed stories. The likes of celebirty baineistoir gives far better insight in day to day workings of GAA and its benefits.....similar to what happens in many junior/underage soccer clubs as well I might add.

[John83]

Does it matter which is older sport? Good god, the ford fiesta is older than the BMW 5 series but it sure as hell doesn't make it better car. If you are rating soccer better than gaa as it is the older of the two, then you're decidely lacking in conviction of your chosen sport. Some perfect to support their local team and choose gaa, some prefer to support a transient bunch of footballers paid to play for team and "love it" ala Andy Gray until a better offer comes along and thus choose football. Each to his own.
I don't give a damn worth Drogheda United which is older. I just think that when someone uses the phrase "get your facts straight" as a prop under a total lack of supporting facts, he should be sat on by Keith Foy.

[Lionel Ritchie]

If you are nice to them, they might give you a few business lessons so that you won't have your hand out same time, same place next year for a few bob to bail you out. Form an orderly queue now - Shels/Drogs/Harps/Pats/Bohs....... Huh? ...like what? Don't pay the geese laying the golden eggs?


Does it matter which is older sport? .Yes it bloody well does. I would say that when one of an organisations stated raison d'etre is to preserve an ancient Irish game when, in fact, their game is plucked out of thin air and is younger than the "new" "foreign" games it's supposed to be protected from ... then yes it matters which is older. Gaelic Football claims an antiquity and, in its very name, a franchise for which it can produce sweet f all provenance.

In a very real way it's a reactionary offshoot born of the worst instincts of an isolationist nationalism that happened to be trendy at the time.



I thought it was a great show. GAA plays a huge part in many Irish peoples lifes and its sad to see some bitter jealous comments on here to be honest. I acknowledge the huge part it plays in peoples lives. What I think gets peoples hump up is the presumption that everyone loves the GAA. There was one character for example who claimed, with a straight face, that through the worst of the troubles -GAA got the people through. :-o





More is the pity that sense didn't prevail with government allowing one signle stadium in DUblin for rugby,football and gaelic games.
. If only some would see sense, shrink their pitches, trim their uprights, stop using terms like "shkelp" and "timber" and replace them with terms like "aplomb" and "ever so well"....

:D

[BohDiddley]

The church may not run RTE anymore but its clear to see whos taking their place.
licence fee back please
Plus ca change -- http://vodpod.com/watch/1261325-apres-match-the-gaa-assimilation-committee-ii?pod=ifpress

[eamo1]

Im a big GAA supporter but wait,shock horror,im also a huge Galway Utd fan:eek::eek:.According to some people here thats just not on,tut tut:rolleyes:.The attitude of some people here is laughable.The GAA is the life blood of hundreds of parishes and areas around the country and not just rural either.
I didnt see the program last night but maybe RTE could have done the program differently from the sounds of it.Setanta sports did a great program on it around xmas time where they showed all the volenteers doing their bit behind the scenes.Their program got to the real grassroots of it.RTE CANT NOT do a program on the grassroots of anything(sport,politics etc) as they are so obbsessed with so called big names.
So maybe Gael353 your rant should be more at RTE then the GAA.

[sligoman]

This should be in the 'Other Sports' or even better, 'Rubbish' section surely?;)

I'm a LOI fan, I don't want to be seeing stuff about bogball in the league section.

[Sheridan]

List of things that are only popular in Ireland:

Charlie Landsborough
Fianna Fáil
Cabbage
Red lemonade
Killinascully
Sexual abuse by the clergy
Gaelic football/hurling


QED and checkmate, boggers.

[BohDiddley]

Hurling is quite good, actually.

[irishultra]

what are you talking about? i lived in barcelona when i was 8 and football(gaelic) is played there.

[jebus]

Don't think anyone has a problem with the actual games, but the GAA as an organisation leave a lot to be desired when it comes to keeping egos in check

[BulmersKid]

keeping egos in check

AS if LOI footballers egos are small ;)

Fueled by the high wages clubs were will to pay mediocre players

[gael353]

AS if LOI footballers egos are small ;)

Fueled by the high wages clubs were will to pay mediocre players

not at my club boy! paudie o'shea in his final year in charge of Kerry, expences.....€98,000.

by no way am i anti GAA and i cant wait for the first round of the championship but to see that start to the programme last night with the computer generated artain boys band.....Leni Riefenstahl would have blushed!

[Flea]

Its a regional sport, and if people enjoy it, let them. If the people involved want to tell themselves that the rest of the world cares, and that they own the best stadium in the world, let them. Generally a person who has to constantly compliment themselves are threatened by something external. I feel for RTE. Instead of being content with the sport and spending energy promoting the actual sport, they have to try to brow beat viewers into nearly choosing the sport over other sports. Next time you hear " You wouldn't get action like this in the premiership', just laugh. Platini is currently drawing up a plan to deal with the competition.

[Penfold]

I emailed Des Cahill on drive-time sports on numerous occasions (especially on friday nights) about his GAA bias (bit of a one man email campaign really). The best one was when drogs were playing Dynamo (I think it was the home game) and he failed to mention anything about it. At the end of the programme he said something along the lines of "we have had a few emails suggesting that we give time to tonights other sporting events but I'm sure the listeners will appreciate our busy schedule of topics" - the topic for that night was him and some other goon goinig on about the developement of hurling in Connaught.

Penfold

[bennocelt]

not at my club boy! paudie o'shea in his final year in charge of Kerry, expences.....€98,000.


and we wont mention the helicopter trips when in charge of Westmeath!!!!!!
(the county will never clear them debts)

[Magicme]

Thanks to the Late Late Show I have discovered that my sister-in-law was right, I am a West Brit. I prefer ballet to irish dancing, wine to guinness, wildlife to farms, rock to trad, choosing to have only 2 children and according to someone (blanked out the name for my sanity) last night the 3 tenants of being Irish are: Fianna Fail, The Catholic Church and GAA.

I will hand myself over to the authorities and request that I am immediately deported to France.

[rebus2008]

List of things that are only popular in Ireland:

Charlie Landsborough
Fianna Fáil
Cabbage
Red lemonade
Killinascully
Sexual abuse by the clergy
Gaelic football/hurling


QED and checkmate, boggers.


Dear God, That has got to be the most pitiful and uneducated email I've read to date on the internet. (and thats some claim I know). Aside from the general theme (covered below) , the flippant references to the disgraceful abuse of children reflects poorly on you.

Back to your theme:
Your general ideaology is that just because we have something indigenous and unqiue to Ireland, then it must be naff and little worth. What do you base your Irishness on if it is not on the things that differentiate us from other countries? Do you view our natonal language similarily? Do you veiw your National anthem with the same contempt? Do you long for day when you can stroll down any Irish town and be restricted to only products/images available on UK or US highstreets.

Despite being primarily a GAA follower with no day to day affliation to LOI team, being Irish meant that I took pride also in the achievements of the performaces of LOI clubs when in Europe. Shels vs Hajduk & Deportivo. Drogheda vs Dynamo etc. My view would be that well run LOI clubs are something to be greatly proud of instead of the over hyped money driven premiership. A well run LOI with successful teams would be something that could live in tandem with GAA and also would be something "Irish" to be proud of.

I don't really expect a considered response and this mail is going against my general rule of
"Don't argue with a fool. He will only bring you down to his level and then beat you with experience"
but couldn't let your sad, uneducated little rant pass without some reply.

Finally, its no wonder that Dublin City FC went belly up pennyless in 2006 if the likes of your good self were involved and, while holding/expressing your views, you were expecing people to come out and support them?

PS
Your use of QED is laughable and ironic. Based on your email, it is likely that you only know that if you put it at the end of an argument, it might strengthen your point. (run off,check and then tell me how you knew all along)

It's Latin - a long since deceased day to day language. Its mandatory use in Irish schools decades ago was almost unique to Ireland. It too probably would have made your list back then as well. The phrase "QED and checkmate, boggers" was mind blowing and and suitable summary of your mindset.

[el punter]

good man rebus

[Rocky77]

List of things that are only popular in Ireland:

Charlie Landsborough
Fianna Fáil
Cabbage
Red lemonade
Killinascully
Sexual abuse by the clergy
Gaelic football/hurling


QED and checkmate, boggers.

I'm interested in your interpretation of 'popular' here. If you meant 'widespread' then you are wrong, there have been many documented cases in a lot of countries, notably the US. However, if you meant - as I think you did in your other examples - 'widely-enjoyed', then your post is absolutely disgusting.

[Lionel Ritchie]

...AND he forgot Chris Rea and David ****ing Gray!

[BohDiddley]

indigenous
Arguable, at least, in the case of GAA football. This sport is more about being anti-'foreign' than native.

I think you can highly value a lot of things Irish -- hurling, trad music, the language, the literature -- and still take a critical stance on GAA football, its culture and some of its more ignoble practices. Things just get weird when Irishness is equated with GAAness of the footballing variety.

[Straightstory]

Gaelic football is just a horrible mongrel mess of a game. What can it best be comared to?: perhaps soccer without rules - or fifteen goalkeepers against fifteen goalkeepers. As a ball sport it lacks any semblance of guile, asethetic merit or intelligence. It's brutish and nasty in every way.

Hurling often resembles a bunch of farmers in fancy dress hacking a rat to death... And you can't see the ball. As a spectator sport it's pointless.

It's just tribal county loyalty that attracts people to GAA matches.

[rebus2008]

Arguable, at least, in the case of GAA football. This sport is more about being anti-'foreign' than native.

I think you can highly value a lot of things Irish -- hurling, trad music, the language, the literature -- and still take a critical stance on GAA football, its culture and some of its more ignoble practices. Things just get weird when Irishness is equated with GAAness of the footballing variety.

What leads alot of LOI fans to believe that the vast majority of GAA people are anti foreign? I'm heavily involved and it isn't a character trait that I've noticed with the hundreds/thousands of people I've come across. - GAA people would be hugely proud of the sporting successes of Kevin Moran/Tadhg Kennelly/Gordon Darcy/Shane Horgan/Mick Galway (People who had the good sense to choose a career in "foreign sports over Gaa)For example, the vast majority has no issue with opening Croke Park. Unfortunately I can only surmise that its a view based on historical anecdotes, widely read tabloid rags and generalisations.
I certainly won't tarnish the majority of LOI fans are being boorish louts based solely on the rare bit oif crowd trouble.
Alot of LOI fans seem preoccupied with the Gah and its faults while the reverse has never been seen.

As for hurling not being a skillful or spectator friendly sport - based loosely of farming led hit squads assisinating rats, unfortunately that view says more aboutyour good self that the sport itself. I guess some people take the time to acquire a taste for wine during their lives while stick with the firm belief that scrumpy jack is the best tipple on the market and never experiment.

[BohDiddley]

What leads alot of LOI fans to believe that the vast majority of GAA people are anti foreign?
I didn't say that. You said it was indigenous, but if you look at the lot of the rhetoric at the time of its founding, the main point seemed to be have been that it wasn't foreign.


As for hurling not being a skillful or spectator friendly sport - based loosely of farming led hit squads assisinating rats, unfortunately that view says more aboutyour good self that the sport itself.
You seem to be attributing that to me, and I didn't say it (see my previous post on hurling). I'd appreciate it if you clarified that.

[Sheridan]

Rebus2008, not to blow my own trumpet or anything, but neither you nor any of your kind are going to get very far arguing semantics or linguistics or pretty much anything else with me, particularly if you don't know the difference between an email and a post.

As for the other endearingly brave little have-a-go-heroes - quod scripsi, scripsi. And, if I may borrow a phrase from a prominent family on a neighbouring island, honi soit qui mal y pense.

[rebus2008]

I didn't say that. You said it was indigenous, but if you look at the lot of the rhetoric at the time of its founding, the main point seemed to be have been that it wasn't foreign.

You seem to be attributing that to me, and I didn't say it (see my previous post on hurling). I'd appreciate it if you clarified that.

Happy to clarify that. Apologies, if it linked you incorrectly. Included the ref to the original post (hurling assisantion squads) as indication that it wasn't yourself who made the reference.

On the former point re:foreign points, it was founded 125years ago so present day members/association can hardly be held up on that. It was founded at a time very different from todays ireland. Certainly wouldn't argue the point that it was founded from a hard line nationalist view but aims/views chnage alot over a century.

[rebus2008]

Rebus2008, not to blow my own trumpet or anything, but neither you nor any of your kind are going to get very far arguing semantics or linguistics or pretty much anything else with me, particularly if you don't know the difference between an email and a post.

As for the other endearingly brave little have-a-go-heroes - quod scripsi, scripsi. And, if I may borrow a phrase from a prominent family on a neighbouring island, honi soit qui mal y pense.

"My kind" :o- it just gets worse/better - I really can't tell. Am I to be herded into a holding pen in the near future? What exact kind am I? (As Homer S once said, stop digging or at least dig upwards)

Apologies for confusing "emails" and "postings". In this techology driven world of ours, a crime I admit. Guilty as charged, your honour.
Its the new world we live in where emails and postings should never be mixed (they are different "kinds" you know) but the abuse of children is something to be taken lightlyand bandied as trivial matter.

As for the Latin and french, thanks for the multilingual feedback. I can only assume that seeing as you are can't make your point tactfully or factually in English, you headed for foreign shores.

[Rory H]

Gaelic football is just a horrible mongrel mess of a game. What can it best be comared to?: perhaps soccer without rules - or fifteen goalkeepers against fifteen goalkeepers. As a ball sport it lacks any semblance of guile, asethetic merit or intelligence. It's brutish and nasty in every way.

Hurling often resembles a bunch of farmers in fancy dress hacking a rat to death... And you can't see the ball. As a spectator sport it's pointless.

It's just tribal county loyalty that attracts people to GAA matches.

will you be with me?

[BohDiddley]

it was founded 125years ago so present day members/association can hardly be held up on that. It was founded at a time very different from todays ireland. Certainly wouldn't argue the point that it was founded from a hard line nationalist view but aims/views chnage alot over a century.
We can discuss whether there's an anti-foreign rump still, but that's been done to death elsewhere, and is beside the point. You said the game was indigenous (and, presumably, entitled as a consequence to some special status) but you haven't supported that claim.

[shantykelly]

sure hurling is just a modern variation on shinty. which they still play in scotland.

[Macy]

I can only imagine how puke inducing the programme was - the GAA is the only sport that has volunteers you know.

GAA Football just grew out of the same kind of games that football and rugby grew out of, there was nothing unique until they put different rules in place just for the sake of being different.

As for amateur for the love of the game mentality - that definitely doesn't extend to managers. I'd love a year on the "expenses" that some of the big names are on, and even at club level some of the managers are creaming it. The GAA are lucky they're the last great untouchable, as a similar revenue investigation into expenses that the LoI had to endue a few years ago would bankrupt some counties in tax owed and penalties.

[rebus2008]

We can discuss whether there's an anti-foreign rump still, but that's been done to death elsewhere, and is beside the point. You said the game was indigenous (and, presumably, entitled as a consequence to some special status) but you haven't supported that claim.

Look I won't try to convert younguys from your trenchant vies but my guess is that the discussion on the "aniti rump" consists of several agreeing with each other with the occasional anecdote or urban myth thrown in for good measure. I've been involved for 30+ years and for the vast majority of gaa followers the anti foreign vibe is a myth. Lifes short/most people are mutli sports followers from dubs/munster to jacks army etc.

The oxford definition of indigenous is "originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native". As gaa games are primarily played in Ireland, it sfair to say that they are indigenous. Along the same lines as Aussie rules/bull fighting/boules.

Finally, I don't recall asking for special status for gaa.

[rebus2008]

I can only imagine how puke inducing the programme was - the GAA is the only sport that has volunteers you know.

GAA Football just grew out of the same kind of games that football and rugby grew out of, there was nothing unique until they put different rules in place just for the sake of being different.

As for amateur for the love of the game mentality - that definitely doesn't extend to managers. I'd love a year on the "expenses" that some of the big names are on, and even at club level some of the managers are creaming it. The GAA are lucky they're the last great untouchable, as a similar revenue investigation into expenses that the LoI had to endue a few years ago would bankrupt some counties in tax owed and penalties.


I would agree with your views on the program as being v poor. (We probably have differing reasons, in that I feel a v good programme was possible while you might feel that no good programme could even be based on gaa. :)) It would it equate to the FAI doing similar and then focusing solely on Jacks army and the same old faces (Giles/Brady) with no reference to the huge school boy set up, womens football or the historical establishing of football in Ireland and its struggles (incl those against the gaa).

I'd not argue with you either about managers expenses. Alot of hyping of the "amateur" gaa status while alot of managers get big expenses. I would point outr that there would be major exceptions (Tyrone/Dublin/Kerry/Kilkenny) but alot of middle ranked counties do engage in it, and clubs as well. It does a major disservice to the game but with recessionary times, I think this will come more into focus. (1) The revenue will be chasing all tax possibilities (2) People aka local builders won't have the funds to hand out.

[bigmac]

I've been involved for 30+ years and for the vast majority of gaa followers the anti foreign vibe is a myth.

I agree, but one of my issues with the GAA (and with the FAI I might add), is that the upper echelons seem to be unrepresentative of the majority of the grassroots. In my experience, (mainly athletics), it tends to be a certain type of person, (and this goes for every sport) who will put themselves forward for committee positions and hence will become the public face of whatever organisation they represent. Although professing to be member controlled and democratic, this then leads to situations where issues are not discussed because they aren't proposed in the right way, or at the right time, or haven't been seconded by the right people, or someone forgot to sign some form or some other such technical problem.

Hence although something needs to be discussed out in the open, it can be swept under the carpet by a minority, giving a bad impression of the organisation as a whole. The "foreign games" ban was quite embarrassing to the GAA given the various foreign sports and cultural events that had already been accommodated at GAA grounds around the country, and to my mind was a clear example of the rules being quoted merely to block something that a minority objected to, whereas the same rules were frequently ignored by the same people in other situations.

On another point, when clubs vote on a motion at a county agm (I think this is the way it works), I often wonder how many members of that club actually voted at club level. For the record, I think that the opening of Croke Park was an example of the grassroots of the GAA exercising their power and letting the delegates representing them know in no uncertain terms that they were to vote in favour of it.

[rebus2008]

I agree, but one of my issues with the GAA (and with the FAI I might add), is that the upper echelons seem to be unrepresentative of the majority of the grassroots. In my experience, (mainly athletics), it tends to be a certain type of person, (and this goes for every sport) who will put themselves forward for committee positions and hence will become the public face of whatever organisation they represent. Although professing to be member controlled and democratic, this then leads to situations where issues are not discussed because they aren't proposed in the right way, or at the right time, or haven't been seconded by the right people, or someone forgot to sign some form or some other such technical problem. Hence although something needs to be discussed out in the open, it can be swept under the carpet by a minority, giving a bad impression of the organisation as a whole. The "foreign games" ban was quite embarrassing to the GAA given the various foreign sports and cultural events that had already been accommodated at GAA grounds around the country, and to my mind was a clear example of the rules being quoted merely to block something that a minority objected to, whereas the same rules were frequently ignored by the same people in other situations.
On another point, when clubs vote on a motion at a county agm (I think this is the way it works), I often wonder how many members of that club actually voted at club level. For the record, I think that the opening of Croke Park was an example of the grassroots of the GAA exercising their power and letting the delegates representing them know in no uncertain terms that they were to vote in favour of it.

Agree 100%.
An expression I've heard is would be "County Board Officers and Chairman are usually politicians who didn't have the stomach to go into politics".

Thankfully, the grass roots spoke up when it mattered on Croke Park and rugby/soccer were allowed access. Sending Irish teams overseas to fulfill home fixtures would not have sat well with vast majority of GAA followers when Croke Park is available.
Personally, I was never in favour of Landsdowne Road development. One stadium for all would have worked well and been financailly sound. Rugby and soccer could have cashed in on land value (I know IRFU own it but FAI lease/goodwill would have been worth 25-30% of the sale value). I fear that we'll end up with 2 white elephants for last sections of the year (and grandparents still on hospital trolleys) with the 50,000 in Landsdowne not coping with the demand for large number of 6 Nations and WC qualifiers. Totally different issue I know.

[Jinxy]

I agree, but one of my issues with the GAA (and with the FAI I might add), is that the upper echelons seem to be unrepresentative of the majority of the grassroots. In my experience, (mainly athletics), it tends to be a certain type of person, (and this goes for every sport) who will put themselves forward for committee positions and hence will become the public face of whatever organisation they represent. Although professing to be member controlled and democratic, this then leads to situations where issues are not discussed because they aren't proposed in the right way, or at the right time, or haven't been seconded by the right people, or someone forgot to sign some form or some other such technical problem. Hence although something needs to be discussed out in the open, it can be swept under the carpet by a minority, giving a bad impression of the organisation as a whole. The "foreign games" ban was quite embarrassing to the GAA given the various foreign sports and cultural events that had already been accommodated at GAA grounds around the country, and to my mind was a clear example of the rules being quoted merely to block something that a minority objected to, whereas the same rules were frequently ignored by the same people in other situations.
On another point, when clubs vote on a motion at a county agm (I think this is the way it works), I often wonder how many members of that club actually voted at club level. For the record, I think that the opening of Croke Park was an example of the grassroots of the GAA exercising their power and letting the delegates representing them know in no uncertain terms that they were to vote in favour of it.

There was/is no such thing as a ban on foreign games.