Rugby now more popular than football AND GAA?! [Archive]

peadar1987

11/11/2009, 11:08 AM

I'd say it had something to do with the fact that the rugby lads did something that hadn't been done since the 40s. If they won it again and the footballers qualified for the world cup, the Iconic Moment would be Tony Cascarino's last-minute winner against France, after his shock call-up to the squad.

International sports are always going to get more popular support than domestic anyway. Everyone in Ireland could appreciate O'Gara's drop goal, but Kerry could have won that title with only 3 players on the field, all of them suffering from terminal cancer, and still you wouldn't find anyone in Cork who'd vote for them.

Schumi

11/11/2009, 11:09 AM

Misleading headline.
soccer... was rated as the favourite sport of participants, with a following of 25.4 per cent compared to 23.2 per cent for rugby and 21.8 per cent for Gaelic football
The main point of the article is about these categories.

Brian O�Driscoll rated as �Ireland�s Greatest Sports Star�, Ronan O�Gara�s dropped goal away to Wales in Cardiff deemed the �Most Iconic/Memorable Sporting Moment� of 2009 and Ireland�s Grand Slam success rated by 70.6 per cent of those surveyed as the �Greatest Achievement� of the sporting year.Can anyone objectively put a football alternative above any of those?

Buller

11/11/2009, 11:15 AM

Football is by far the most popular sport in the country. Everyone with eyes knows that! Everyone plays football... a fraction of population play rugger!
With the Rugby, we won the grand slam this year - an amazing achievement thats obviously going to take center stage for 2009!! (unless we qualify for the wc ;) )
Of course we're all still on a high from that, the artical is tripe...

soccer... was rated as the favourite sport of participants, with a following of 25.4 per cent compared to 23.2 per cent for rugby and 21.8 per cent for Gaelic football
Its also by far the most played sport in the country. Particpation levels show that - not even taking into account astro...

paul_oshea

11/11/2009, 11:28 AM

Misleading headline.
The main point of the article is about these categories.
Can anyone objectively put a football alternative above any of those?

I think thats the point being raised by tets, lets wait another week and see what the reaction is.

Women had a big say in that, most women dont care for soccer but enjoy watching rugby. The old adage of big burly men getting down and dirty must be true even if the women of the 21st century dont admit it.

Having said that its still a cup that was won, as oppossed to just qualifying for a world cup, if ye see it objectively.

But I think a last minute winner from a robbie keane header would definitely be hte big acheivement. Peoples memories are short, and the more recent memory is generally the bigger memory!!

People have already forgotten the mauling of england at croker that "famous" day.

Stuttgart88

11/11/2009, 11:35 AM

I only scanned the article in about 3 seconds but did it say that rugby was more popular, or that the most rated sporting achievements during 2009 were rugby related? Hardly any surprise there.

The win in Cardiff was probably the most enjoyable moment of 2009 for me (3 minutes against Italy aside!) and BO'D is probably the biggest sports star.

The same question in 2008 would probably have had Harrington as the outstanding performer and star.

Permbroke Consultants wouldn't be in Donnybrook, D4, per chance? :)

Stuttgart88

11/11/2009, 11:39 AM

Sorry, just saw Schumi's post above!

an_ceannaire - this is your second or third attempt at declaring this "fact". This one is a shocker even by the standards set by your earlier efforts. You can't even summarise an article properly. Back to school with you (or have you left yet?).

youngirish

11/11/2009, 12:03 PM

I do find it funny that when I left Ireland in early 98 nobody gave a sh*te about rugby. I don't think I can recollect seeing anyone in town on a night out with a rugby jersey on. Strangely enough Ireland were not much use at rugby back in those days. We failed to qualify for the world cup I think later that year.

However when I now go back their seem to be more and more rugby 'fans' everywhere I go, even some heads I grew up with in the north inner city (a traditional hotbet of rugby support if ever there was one) are now 'fans'.

Muppets. They'll be back supporting football if Ireland qualify for the world cup and the rugby team start to falter next year.

CarrickFan

11/11/2009, 12:32 PM

I do find it funny that when I left Ireland in early 98 nobody gave a sh*te about rugby. I don't think I can recollect seeing anyone in town on a nigth out with a rugby jersey on. Strangely enough ireland were not much use at rugby back in those days. We failed to qualify for the world cup I think later that year.

However when I now go back their seem to be more and more rugby 'fans' everywhere I go, even some heads I grew up with in the north inner city (a traditional hotbet of rugby support if ever there was one) are now 'fans'.

Muppets. They'll be back supporting football if Ireland qualify for the world cup and the rugby team start to falter next year.

Spot on...down here in the sticks!! its the very same 10 years ago it was all Ireland or English premiership jerseys aswell as GAA not a rugby fan in sight..now during a match the pubs are full of jersey wearing Rugby "experts" shouting at the screen when it's clear(in the vast majority of cases)most of them dont even know the rules or the names of the players!!....for me the rise in popularity of Rugby coincided with the celtic tiger aswell as the National teams success..the nouveau riche crew couldnt be seen at "rural" GAA or "working Class" soccer games anymore instead the SUV's and BMW made their way to the "rugger" with their Tommy Hilfiger jumpers around their necks..it wasnt restricted to D4 anymore it happened all over the country...

also it was the Irish Times..what other sport was going to top the poll!!

Football is and will always be the greatest sport on earth..rant over:)

Murfinator

11/11/2009, 12:36 PM

Football is by far the most popular sport in the country. Everyone with eyes knows that! Everyone plays football... a fraction of population play rugger!
With the Rugby, we won the grand slam this year - an amazing achievement thats obviously going to take center stage for 2009!! (unless we qualify for the wc ;) )
Of course we're all still on a high from that, the artical is tripe...

Its also by far the most played sport in the country. Particpation levels show that - not even taking into account astro...

It's worth pointing out that Soccer is the most played sport in the USA too. That doesn't say squat about its popularity into the professional game.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Soccer is the 4th most popular sport in the country now and us qualifying for this world cup is imperative or it goes from a big sport at a low ebb to a bigger problem, less tv coverage, less kids playing the game all due to reduced interest.

paul_oshea

11/11/2009, 12:45 PM

I'd agree with that murfinator and ive said the same all along.

YI i know what ye mean, i can remember losses in the rugby to wales in low scoring games in the mid 90s and being gutted and no one too concerned, and the loss to argentina in France and how low the whole thing was and on one giving a sh1te. I was as big into the rugby then as I was soccer, but the whole thing since Ive left (6 years ago, though was in the states the year before that too) its everyone is rugby, the hardcore gaa element are now all Rugby fans. As the popularity of the sport increased i started to feel less drawn to it, the irish mindset really does **** me off like that. I still watch Ireland in rugby and like to see them do well but its nothing close to what the soccer is.

Murfinator ive also said, it will be interesting to see if we do qualify for this world cup, will the reaction be anything like even 7 years ago?! I dont thin it will. Again the only way I see it is if they start to be crap again like the mid 90s.

CarrickFan, carricks increase is down to the regeneratoin of yer rugby club there in carrick. Boyle and carrick are seeing an increase double fold because of that. I spose they knew with the increase in popularity of rugby down there and around the country that they would get the followers to start hte club up again.

gspain

11/11/2009, 12:48 PM

There haven't been any truly great moments in football yet this year.

The survey still states

"Interestingly, soccer � which was rated as the favourite sport of participants, with a following of 25.4 per cent compared to 23.2 per cent for rugby and 21.8 per cent for Gaelic football"

The sporting highlight of the year so far has to be the Grand Slam win and Brian O'Driscoll clearly is the sportsperson of the year so far although Katie Taylor is surely very close.

In just over 7 days time the above will hopefully be wrong.

The football highlight of the year anyway was probably Pats beating Kryla.

Murfinator

11/11/2009, 12:56 PM

Well right now I get the feeling the country doesn't really believe our team is much good. People like Souness throwing around claims that we're a limited side well managed doesn't exactly entice people to run out onto the street waving banners in their support either.

If we beat France though I think it'll make the doubters sit up and take note, you'll see a change in attitudes then.

And I hope so too, I know people who'd remind me days beforehand about the Real Madrid v AC Milan game or Chelsea/United, then I'd ask them where they're watching the game on saturday and they'd asked me with a puzzled look "Who's playing?" It's not just reduced soccer interest in the country, there's people who actually follow the game and don't watch the national team play anymore. :(

OwlsFan

11/11/2009, 1:11 PM

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/1111/1224258553807.html

Not unlike this thread started by you. Are you Laughing Bill O'Herlihy in disguise? Throw in some random statement/poll result and see what happens:

http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=123944

CarrickFan

11/11/2009, 1:19 PM

Hi Paul...the people i was referring to would never have stood on a rugby pitch in their lives and are probably unaware that there is a Rugby team in Carrick again..i see the terms "barstooler" and "sunshiner" used on this site alot and i guess these are the people i mean..also it's not just around here i think it's a nationwide phenomenon...

also you mention about GAA fans are now Rugby fans also...very true..but how come soccer is "a dirty foreign sport" (a direct quote from a Gaa/rugger fan) and Rugby is not?...pathetic reasoning.

gspain..for me the 90 seconds or two minutes between St Ledgers goal and Italys equaliser was my greatest sporting memory of 2009(along with Blinkhorns header and the Bohs cup replay)but as you said hopefully next week we will have a new memory!

Murfinator

11/11/2009, 1:24 PM

CarrickFan

11/11/2009, 1:34 PM

We have world beating club sides in Rugby for one, comparatively a LOI fan will be doing well if their club team is still in existence the following year. Fans of other sport would see it as there being no other reason to support soccer than to support it with teams in other countries.

may i ask what this post is in reply to?..

Also When you say WORLD beating clubs sides the WORLD u refer to is France and the UK?

soccerc

11/11/2009, 1:34 PM

We have world beating club sides in Rugby for one, comparatively a LOI fan will be doing well if their club team is still in existence the following year. Fans of other sport would see it as there being no other reason to support soccer than to support it with teams in other countries.

Name me one world beating rugby club side in Ireland. :cool:

Murfinator

11/11/2009, 2:13 PM

Provincial club side if we're being technical here!

Murfinator

11/11/2009, 2:17 PM

may i ask what this post is in reply to?..

Also When you say WORLD beating clubs sides the WORLD u refer to is France and the UK?

Italy are also in the competition, as is Spain, Romania, Georgia etc at the lower levels. Point is some of the finest players in the world play for Munster and Leinster.

Torn-Ado

11/11/2009, 2:40 PM

We have world beating club sides in Rugby for one, comparatively a LOI fan will be doing well if their club team is still in existence the following year. Fans of other sport would see it as there being no other reason to support soccer than to support it with teams in other countries.

You cannot compare a football league with numerous clubs competing against each other to the rugby set up of 4 provinces in an international league. They are not club sides.

CarrickFan

11/11/2009, 3:00 PM

Italy are also in the competition, as is Spain, Romania, Georgia etc at the lower levels. Point is some of the finest players in the world play for Munster and Leinster.

Thats true and its something for Ireland to be proud of...still not sure what your point is..i pressume you are comparing it to LOI or Irish soccer in general and why more people lately follow Rugby??....

obviously tho it is more likely that we have top players in a sport that is only played at the top level in only handfull of countries(im in no way an expert on Rugby but im guessing Oz,NZ,SA,France,Ireland,UK,Argentina and Italy) as oppossed to football which would be played in probably every Country in the world and at a top level in dozens of them.

soccerc

11/11/2009, 3:08 PM

Provincial club side if we're being technical here!

Technically the provincal teams are not clubs so still waiting for you to provide an example of a world beating rugby club in Ireland.;)

Murfinator

11/11/2009, 4:32 PM

Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland) professional rugby union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union) club based in Munster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munster), that competes in the Magners League (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_League_%28rugby_union%29) and Heineken Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heineken_Cup).

Note the word "club"

soccerc

11/11/2009, 4:35 PM

SkStu

11/11/2009, 4:36 PM

Technically the provincal teams are not clubs so still waiting for you to provide an example of a world beating rugby club in Ireland.;)

Cork Con.

soccerc

11/11/2009, 4:39 PM

Cork Con.
Lots of Con(men) in Cork :D

Acornvilla

11/11/2009, 5:27 PM

Lots of Con(men) in Cork :D
im sure if we combined all the clubs in leinster and the support that would generate i'm sure a leinster soccer team would be quite succesfull. you cant compare the provintial rugby teams to our loi clubs thats just stupid

old git

11/11/2009, 8:44 PM

may i ask what this post is in reply to?..

Also When you say WORLD beating clubs sides the WORLD u refer to is France and the UK?

small world :D:D all sports and their popularity go up and down 1990 world cup we all went soccer mad then a for a few years after / rugby is on the crest of a wave now but when the bubble bursts all the sunshine fans will fade away and reappear as gaa fans / soccer fans whatever is the most popular at the time ... it is so funny now to see all the so-called rugby heads around your local town when ireland / munster / leinster play and yet they would not get out of bed on a sunday morning to watch their local junior rugby teams play :confused:

The Bunk

11/11/2009, 9:05 PM

small world :D:D all sports and their popularity go up and down 1990 world cup we all went soccer mad then a for a few years after / rugby is on the crest of a wave now but when the bubble bursts all the sunshine fans will fade away and reappear as gaa fans / soccer fans whatever is the most popular at the time ... it is so funny now to see all the so-called rugby heads around your local town when ireland / munster / leinster play and yet they would not get out of bed on a sunday morning to watch their local junior rugby teams play :confused:

The thing with rugby is, imo, that I don't think the bubble will burst. The provinces will sustain the popularity and status that it has attained in the country as a whole. The uptake in player numbers at youth level has been huge - you only have to look at the number of high calibre players in the provincial academies - particularly Leinster's.
Rugby is here to stay, but it will take more people away from the GAA than from football in my opinion.

CarrickFan

11/11/2009, 9:50 PM

small world :D:D all sports and their popularity go up and down 1990 world cup we all went soccer mad then a for a few years after / rugby is on the crest of a wave now but when the bubble bursts all the sunshine fans will fade away and reappear as gaa fans / soccer fans whatever is the most popular at the time ... it is so funny now to see all the so-called rugby heads around your local town when ireland / munster / leinster play and yet they would not get out of bed on a sunday morning to watch their local junior rugby teams play :confused:

each to their own i guess..dont understand the "sunshine" mentality myself...this is the sport i love and follow Rovers/Ireland regardless of how they are doing!!..if local or Irish teams in other sports start doing well,althought i'd be happy for them,i dont just jump aboard as they are sports im not particularly interested in...

your bang on about the Rugby..as i said in an earlier post i would doubt some of the "fans" in the pubs watching the Hieneken cup or internationals
even know there is a local team!!..also what is particularly laughable around here is all the "fans" have Leinster/Munster jerseys on!!..the last time i checked Leitrim/Roscommon/Sligo are all in Connacht!!..but alas we dont have a successful team or big name players so lets not follow them!!..pathetic.

Supreme feet

11/11/2009, 9:51 PM

I agree with the The Bunk's post, there are enough young players coming through the Irish academies to sustain provincial and national success for a good few years to come. However, rugby is more attractive to people of a certain physical makeup. If you are under 6 foot, it takes gruelling physical conditioning regimes to develop the muscular size/strength to compete at a high level of rugby. Top-level rugby players are, as a pre-condition, big... and getting bigger. For example, Peter Stringer is 5'9" - average height for a man - and has become redundant as a top-class player for that fact, because he's simply not big enough. The same is happening to O'Gara and Shane Williams. Can you imagine Xavi or Iniesta playing rugby??? Edit; the likes of Gordon D'Arcy can get away with being small-ish - 5'10" - because he's built like a tank. I've seen him and Kevin Doyle in person, and D'Arcy seems much bigger than Doyle, despite being slightly smaller in height. Some of the most important traits for a rugby player are through genes, rather than any acquired skills or conditioning.

No, soccer will always be more popular at grassroots level because of the simplicity of the game, and the accessibility. Irish international football has been in the doldrums for the best part of a decade, yet grassroots participation is still strong, and astro-turf pitches are still full around the country. There is more than enough potential in this country for both sports to thrive without necessarily impinging on each other.

CarrickFan

11/11/2009, 10:08 PM

[QUOTE=old git;1270780]small world :D:D all sports and their popularity go up and down 1990 world cup we all went soccer mad then a for a few years after / rugby is on the crest of a wave now but when the bubble bursts all the sunshine fans will fade away and reappear as gaa fans / soccer fans whatever is the most popular at the time ... it is so funny now to see all the so-called rugby heads around your local town when ireland / munster / leinster play and yet they would not get out of bed on a sunday morning to watch their local junior rugby teams play

SilkCut

11/11/2009, 10:28 PM

The thing with rugby is, imo, that I don't think the bubble will burst. The provinces will sustain the popularity and status that it has attained in the country as a whole. The uptake in player numbers at youth level has been huge - you only have to look at the number of high calibre players in the provincial academies - particularly Leinster's.
Rugby is here to stay, but it will take more people away from the GAA than from football in my opinion.

Bang on there Bunk. The bubble won't burst for several reasons but the biggest one is the structure the IRFU put in place when the game went professional. Unlike the FAI, the IRFU showed themselves to be a very clever forward thinking organisation. They knew a country of our size could not possibly support a league the size of the AIL as a professional entity, clubs would have gone under in double quick time (how could Blackrock have afforded to pay the best player on the planet and keep a competitive team together?) this was seen with the collapse of the Scottish and Welsh leagues who thought they knew better. The IRFU pretty much resurrected rugby in those countries with the Magners league idea, giving them the opportunity to use "provincial teams" as opposed to the traditional "club" model. For those of you saying Munster are not technically a club, I am sorry to burst your bubble but for the purposes of Heineken Cup and Magners League, they are indeed "a club" as are Ulster, Leinster and Connaught. All of their players are registered with club sides merely to confirm eligibilty to play for the larger "Province" because of some old rule or other from back when the game was amateur. Irish rugby is now on the cusp of something massive, we are leading the way in Europe, this is something for us all to be proud of. rugby fans or not.

The FAI have been floating this Atlantic league idea for a while now, where do you think they got the idea from? It's a bit unfair to compare the two sports as the FAI never really had the opportunity to do what the IRFU did, but as long as our rugby sides are successful the sport is going to increase in popularity, this is natural, we should after all be supporting or national sides in all events. How do you think footballs popularity grew? Wonder what the scores would have been pre 1988?

I would dearly love to see Irish football restructured in the same way rugby was, with 4 provincial clubs competing in an Atlantic League. Unfortunately Scotland, Wales and Scandinavia don't need it as much as us so it will never happen. If it did we would most certainly be a better footballing nation than a rugby nation.

EastTerracer

12/11/2009, 1:22 AM

The FAI have been floating this Atlantic league idea for a while now, where do you think they got the idea from?

I would dearly love to see Irish football restructured in the same way rugby was, with 4 provincial clubs competing in an Atlantic League. Unfortunately Scotland, Wales and Scandinavia don't need it as much as us so it will never happen. If it did we would most certainly be a better footballing nation than a rugby nation.

The FAI had absolutely nothing to do with the idea of an Atlantic League and that proposal actually pre-dates the Heineken Cup by several years.

On the second point, I really don't see people supporting a provincial team. Most of the posters on here will continue to support their LoI team (win or lose, regardless of the league level) or their English or Scottish favourites. The event-junkies who are currently rugby fans may switch to a provincial team initially but as soon as the team starts to struggle those crowds will be out looking for "the next big thing". This is the same kind of idea as the Dublin Dons (look it up if you aren't old enough to remember). Those of us who support a football team can't switch when a new franchise arrives on the scene.

mypost

12/11/2009, 1:46 AM

SilkCut

12/11/2009, 2:43 AM

The FAI had absolutely nothing to do with the idea of an Atlantic League and that proposal actually pre-dates the Heineken Cup by several years.

On the second point, I really don't see people supporting a provincial team. Most of the posters on here will continue to support their LoI team (win or lose, regardless of the league level) or their English or Scottish favourites. The event-junkies who are currently rugby fans may switch to a provincial team initially but as soon as the team starts to struggle those crowds will be out looking for "the next big thing". This is the same kind of idea as the Dublin Dons (look it up if you aren't old enough to remember). Those of us who support a football team can't switch when a new franchise arrives on the scene.

I acknowledge that the FAI didnt come up with the idea, however it was only put forward in 2000 or 2001 by PSV. The Heineken cup started in 95 and rugby turned pro in the same year which was when Irish rugby was restructured officially. In any case thats not the point of my post, the point is the reason for our success in rugby is the structure. I also said it would be unfair for us to compare the two setups because yes it would be difficult to restructure Irish football at this stage. I think however that we would adapt to a provincial set up for an atlantic league with the LOI acting as a reserve and academy league just as the AIL does, therefore still allowing us to support our teams. The Dublin Dons thing was a completely different story, they were talking about taking an English club and putting them into a stadium in dublin, would have done nothing for Irish football. Also a provincial team would not be a new Franchise, surely you could support the province you come from?? I would not worry though, it will,sadly,never happen.

SilkCut

12/11/2009, 2:47 AM

Dodge

12/11/2009, 8:02 AM

I've seen the survey. It asn't an open questionnaire. There were options from which you could choose (and an "other box" but thats useless)

Might help you understand some of the answers.

elroy

12/11/2009, 8:18 AM

You need to visit Limerick or Cork when Munster next win a Heineken cup or Ireland next win a grand slam and tell them that mate. See how long you last!! Its a religion in some counties outside the pale.

It is but alot of that following is down to the success of the team, I know it sounds really obvious but there are alot of munster 'supporters' who would go missing if Munster failed to get out of the group stages for example, which is a real possibility this year.

Having said that the IRFU have to be applauded for the structures they put in place. I read a book a few years back, think it was called from here to there or something like that and told the transition of rugby in Ireland over the last few years. From the disasterous Ashton era, the Irish team run by a bunch of men in a boardroom etc to the well drilled operation it is now. The game was on its knees when Ireland lost to Argentina in the WC in France but that triggered the changes needed.

As mentioned above by someone else, a domestic professional league in Ireland on a traditional club level was not and never would be viable, either is one in football im afraid. Some people, understandably would not like the change but a similar league with Wales, Scotland and others is the only way we will have a genuinely viable and competitive 'domestic' league.

Having said all that no other sport captures the heart of the nation as the Irish football team when things are going well, there is so many examples to illustrate this point.

bennocelt

12/11/2009, 8:30 AM

Anybody that thinks Rugby is more popular than football seriously needs their head examined - no way hose:o

ifk101

12/11/2009, 8:50 AM

no way hose:o

:D....

paul_oshea

12/11/2009, 9:35 AM

Ya ifk101 i did the same on reading that :D

bennocelt

12/11/2009, 10:32 AM

ha, actually i should have said horse!!!! (with a thick country accent):)

Murfinator

12/11/2009, 10:49 AM

If anyone needs to look at the popularity of rugby and football here, they need look no further than the following:

When the rugger buggers won their 6-team tournament in the spring, a few hundred hardy snobs packed out a street to welcome them home.

When Ireland return from not winning football tournaments, only the Phoenix Park is considered suitable to hold the welcoming party.

International football appeals to men, women, and kids, be they 6 or 96 worldwide. International rugby appeals to toffs in about 8 countries. There is no comparison.

Biggest load of crap I've read in a long time.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a3/HeinekenCupFinal06MunsterVBiarritz200506Small_ByMi ke.JPG/300px-HeinekenCupFinal06MunsterVBiarritz200506Small_ByMi ke.JPG

Here's 65,000 munster fans traveling abroad to watch their team.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Munster_rugby_2006.jpg/300px-Munster_rugby_2006.jpg

And the ones that didnt....

"a few hundred hardy snobs" my arse.

I like soccer a lot but the fanbase for it is far, far less likable than for the other 3 main sports in the country. What soccer for a start a large portion of the countries "fans" tend to be living in other countries. Even look at this forum you'll see a large number of people living in the UK, US, Australia and elsewhere. And they're the most "snobby" of all, they criticise rugby supporters and the game they follow, they criticise the GAA for being evil, they complain about barstoolers, complain about people who support the premiership, complain about this and complain about that. A lot of the so called fans of this sport especially on this site come across as begrudging auld men with zero tolerance for folk with other interests.

We have 4 great sports in this country that give great entertainment for different reasons. I pity those who feel that they must choose one and berate the rest.

paul_oshea

12/11/2009, 11:01 AM

Murfinator, the town im from got to a provincial semi final in GAA and won a provincial final in Junior soccer this year. There is a spill over of players between both, but not a huge amount would start on both teams. Id take the soccer crowd over the GAA crowd anytime. The gaa lads go around the town thinking htey are gods. I remember one of my mates was fundraising outside church for the GAA team for the development of a new stand. One of hte players said, nevermind that that should be for a players holiday.

Its like that up and down the country in GAA. I am a fan of GAA, but id take Ireland soccer fans over rugby and a lot of gaelic crowd any day.

Don't get me started on the lads that follow Rugby, I love watching rugby but the hub in dublin and cork turn their noses up at soccer and even GAA. If you haven't experienced this yet, you have abit of living to do. Ive worked and socialised with plenty of them in Dublin and London, and id take the soccer crowd any day.

Again thats my personal preference, but I reckon if i met you, you'd get on with me better than any of the rugby crowd im referring to.

You seem to be getting more and more frustrated on this site, and I enjoy and agree with a lot of yer posts, but Im wondering if you really care for the soccer at all?!