GAA gets higher ratings than Ireland Qualifier

[Murfinator]

Shhh, the GAA Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propoganda doesn't like to talk about such things, much better to brush that under the carpet and then talk to the press when their flagship event topples those big bad West-Brits viewing figures.

You sound like you really have a chip on your shoulder with the GAA. The GAA put on two excellent tournaments every year and stepped in to help both soccer and rugby when they needed a stadium for the past several years, so as a sports fan I'm certainly grateful to them.

[Jicked]

To GAA fans and Irish people in general. I'd honestly only expect some comment like that from some english supremest who deludes themself that they have an in depth understanding of our country. Pretty sick to think there's people living in my country with that kind of caveman view on our national game and the people who support it.

Good grief, you think I'm "sick" because I've no time for a particular sport that's only played in a few areas of a tiny country?
And then to refer to me as possibly being "English" in a derogatory way?
If you think what I said is sick you'd be completely freaked out if I told you exactly what I, and a lot of other people, actually think about the sport.
Of course I look at it as just that, a sport, not a vital part of my Irishness or superior to some big bad foreign games.

The game is awful pal, and the quote you took such offence too, that it's played by amateurs who often don't look like top sportsmen, and who regularly engage in disgusting assaults on each other which is greeted with cheers and yahoos from the crowd is true I'm afraid.

[pineapple stu]

To GAA fans and Irish people in general. I'd honestly only expect some comment like that from some english supremest who deludes themself that they have an in depth understanding of our country. Pretty sick to think there's people living in my country with that kind of caveman view on our national game and the people who support it.

Ah in fairness, take a look at what the GAA has done to football in the country (Rovers and kicking people out of school for a start), and you'll understand some people's attitudes towards the GAA.

[CarrickFan]

My friends and I are all huge sports fans. I can have quite in-depth conversations with anyone about F1, football, rugby, golf, tennis, baseball, american football, boxing and numerous other sports.
I have no idea who is in the upcoming GAA football final, I could name one single GAA player (Colm Cooper off the hilarious lucozade ads). All my close friends are the same bar one who has family from Kerry and so keeps an eye out on GAA scores and knows a little bit about it, but nothing more.



That sort of thing doesn't bother me in the slightest and only seems to bother those of the GAA persuasion, who also seem to take it as a personal insult that a football player may dive, yet exult at some farmer from Mayo punching an overweight barman from Westmeath in the head as if it's some higher form of Irishness.

Give me Robbie Keane leading our national team across the world, carrying himself with great dignity and respect on and off the pitch, proving himself to be one of the best players in the biggest football league, and the craic of talking to locals in Sofia or Podgorica in pidgin English about Robbie Keane's goalscoring heroics over anything the GAA could offer.

It's the GAA that will be serious trouble in this country over the next 15/20 years, particularly their anachronistic position on so many issues, and their mind-numbingly boring football code (boring from the skill / tactical point of view, I'm aware it's reasonably exciting if you like to see amateurs punch each other and try to kick the ball as hard as they can, I just like a little something more from the top sportsmen in a particular field )

It's not often i agree with a Shams fan!!!...but that was spot on..well said.

I have no interest in The GAA sports or the organistation...and i dont understand why GAA people always feel the need to compare thier sports to soccer and claim they are better..insecurity perhaps??..i heard some Hurling pundit on Newstalk say how great the All Ireland final was especially in comparison to the Cyprus match..What does one have to with the other??...i thoroughly enjoyed Argentina v Brazil on Sat nite after our own win in Cyprus but did'nt feel the need to tell my GAA friends how great a game it was and how my personal sport is better compared to theirs...it's pointless...each to their owm....if they didnt feel threatened by soccer it wouldnt be an issue...

Anyway the GAA should be thanking us because apart from the 2 finals and the Dublin games...October 10th and possibly 14th will be the only time Croke Park will be FULL since the RUGBY despite the MANY MANY "National games " that have been played there all summer.

[Murfinator]

You're entitled to your opinion but I'd always rather actual Irish people who live in the community and are part of the culture representing our country. Seeing cases like Stephen Ireland who'd rather play for Manchester than his country or English born "Irish" like Andy O Brien or Dean Kiely who realistically were only ever playing for us because they weren't good enough for England. Those guys aren't players I want to support or would in any way make me proud in the team.

That kind of thing would never happen in rugby because everyone loves playing for their country and appreciates the honour in the regard that it should be held in. The very notion of a player retiring from the international side to "concentrate on their club career" would be unheard of in rugby.

And your assault accusations are bizarre. I'd certainly say Henry Shefflin and Colm Cooper are far less violent than someone like Roy Keane or Stephen Hunt.
In fact if we were as physical and filthy as you're describing we wouldn't be getting bashed physically every time we faced the Australians in Aussie Rules!

[Jicked]

You sound like you really have a chip on your shoulder with the GAA. The GAA put on two excellent tournaments every year and stepped in to help both soccer and rugby when they needed a stadium for the past several years, so as a sports fan I'm certainly grateful to them.

As stu has pointed out, the GAA have a very antagonistic approach towards football in this country, look at Shamrock Rovers, the club down in Kerry, those stories of glass being put on pitches, the fact they constantly try to put themselves in competition with another sport when most sports are happy to co-exist and help each other out.

And what is it the GAA are making from each game in Croker, €6mill? Also, it's only a temporary opening, and if we ever need to use any other GAA sports pitch in the country we can't because football was founded in the UK, a country we were at war with 80 years ago. Like I said, anachronistic.

[Jicked]

You're entitled to your opinion but I'd always rather actual Irish people who live in the community and are part of the culture representing our country. Seeing cases like Stephen Ireland who'd rather play for Manchester than his country or English born "Irish" like Andy O Brien or Dean Kiely who realistically were only ever playing for us because they weren't good enough for England. Those guys aren't players I want to support or would in any way make me proud in the team.

I haven't always lived in Ireland, and I wasn't born on the island.
Are you telling me I'm less Irish than you?

[Murfinator]

Ah in fairness, take a look at what the GAA has done to football in the country (Rovers and kicking people out of school for a start), and you'll understand some people's attitudes towards the GAA.

Maybe in the past but that seems like an old fashioned outlook nowadays that doesn't have any bearing on the modern organisation. Personally I love all 4 of the big sports and don't like anybody trashing any of them for not being as good as the other. I think they're all better in their own way.

Hurling at Rugby at the high end are far and away the most entertaining to watch since they're so technically difficult to play.
Football is the best local game to follow since it's the only game really played competitively throughout most of the country.
Soccer is the most fun to play because of its simplicity and follow and discuss since it's a global game and there's a lot more happening all the time.

It's actually always confused me how you could be a die hard fan of one and not enjoy a high quality match in the other whatsoever.

[elroy]

...and i dont understand why GAA people always feel the need to compare thier sports to soccer and claim they are better..insecurity perhaps??..i heard some Hurling pundit on Newstalk say how great the All Ireland final was especially in comparison to the Cyprus match..What does one have to with the other??...i thoroughly enjoyed Argentina v Brazil on Sat nite after our own win in Cyprus but did'nt feel the need to tell my GAA friends how great a game it was and how my personal sport is better compared to theirs...it's pointless...each to their owm....if they didnt feel threatened by soccer it wouldnt be an issue...

This is so true and wrecks my head. It happens so often on gaa programmes. Text in newstalk about this last night after the comments were made and in fairness to owen whatever his name is, he read out my text and agreed with what I said.

NEVER NEVER will you hear any soccer pundit going on about how great a game of soccer was in comparison to a rugby or gaa or any other game for that matter. Is their an inferiority complex in the gaa???
I think soccer is a great game and my first love in sport terms, i also follow gaa, rugby, f1 amongst other sports and can appreciate a good game in any code without the need to compare it or promote it over another.

[Murfinator]

I haven't always lived in Ireland, and I wasn't born on the island.
Are you telling me I'm less Irish than you?

I wouldn't say where you're born has any bearing on your "Irishness" since it's something you can't control. On the contrary somebody who chooses another country over Ireland to live and work in my opinion wouldn't be, assuming they actually had a choice in the matter.

Your Irishness is how integrated you are in the culture and how passionate you are about the land and the people in it.

[Wolfie]

......... stepped in to help both soccer and rugby when they needed a stadium for the past several years, so as a sports fan I'm certainly grateful to them.

The GAA have been well remunerated in allowing Football and Rugby play at Croke Park. - it was good PR and above all else - a significantly extra few quid.

Most of the animostity and barely veiled hostility comes from the GAA towards football.

It appears the debate will rage on in relation to a "World" game like GAA versus a minority sport like "Soccer".

My allegiance is with the sport where you can only legitimately use two of your limbs, for starters.

[pineapple stu]

Maybe in the past but that seems like an old fashioned outlook nowadays that doesn't have any bearing on the modern organisation.

Tell that to Rovers fans whose club nearly went under less than two years ago after the local GAA club declared they'd be "the last man standing" in their row. Or did that cease to be a factor once the court case was over?

I enjoy watching hurling, don't mind the football although I can see where criticism of it comes from, but you can't dismiss people's problems with the GAA as all "in the past".

[Murfinator]

NEVER NEVER will you hear any soccer pundit going on about how great a game of soccer was in comparison to a rugby or gaa or any other game for that matter. Is their an inferiority complex in the gaa???

Probably more of a superiority complex than anything else, you get a bit of that in the states at the expense of other countries teams or in England, taking digs at other leagues (especially Serie A), it's all just arrogant banter to pad their own organisations value at the expense of others.

[CarrickFan]

You're entitled to your opinion but I'd always rather actual Irish people who live in the community and are part of the culture representing our country. Seeing cases like Stephen Ireland who'd rather play for Manchester than his country or English born "Irish" like Andy O Brien or Dean Kiely who realistically were only ever playing for us because they weren't good enough for England. Those guys aren't players I want to support or would in any way make me proud in the team.

That kind of thing would never happen in rugby because everyone loves playing for their country and appreciates the honour in the regard that it should be held in. The very notion of a player retiring from the international side to "concentrate on their club career" would be unheard of in rugby.

And your assault accusations are bizarre. I'd certainly say Henry Shefflin and Colm Cooper are far less violent than someone like Roy Keane or Stephen Hunt.
In fact if we were as physical and filthy as you're describing we wouldn't be getting bashed physically every time we faced the Australians in Aussie Rules!

Ridiculous!!!

first of all neither Andy O'Brien or Dean Kiely are involved in the Irish team anymore...9 of the 11 starters on Saturday night were Irish born and no matter what peoples opinion on him as a player Kevin Kilbanes commitment to Ireland can not be questioned..the man has beeb ever-presant for 10 years....

do you honestly expect our top players not to go abroad and play for Europes top clubs and play at the highest levels of the sport and earn a living??
do you think Duff should play for Bohs,Keane for Shams etc? because you think they should be part of our community in order to play for Ireland??
...i never come on here to abuse people as everyone is entitled to their opinion but you are living in a world of your own

[Wolfie]

Your Irishness is how integrated you are in the culture and how passionate you are about the land and the people in it.

This prescribed form of degrees of Irishness is complete nonsense.

There's a coterie of cultural Nazi's in this country that try and quanity "Irishness" in order to suggest some citizens are more worthy than others. Nonsense.

I was born and bred in Ireland. I'm not ingrained in "the culture???" and I don't wear my love of my country and its people like a badge of honour.

So much for an all embracing, modern ethnic Society .

[Murfinator]

Tell that to Rovers fans whose club nearly went under less than two years ago after the local GAA club declared they'd be "the last man standing" in their row. Or did that cease to be a factor once the court case was over?

I enjoy watching hurling, don't mind the football although I can see where criticism of it comes from, but you can't dismiss people's problems with the GAA as all "in the past".

Never actually heard that story so I don't know if that's a local club thing or anything to do with the organisation as a whole.

If there was that kind of deep loathing between soccer and the GAA it'd seem a bit silly to me since other than for developing players they're not exactly in competition for audiences with their timeslots. Rugby and soccer would be far more in line with their season and game times.

[Schumi]

It's actually always confused me how you could be a die hard fan of one and not enjoy a high quality match in the other whatsoever.

I can honestly say I've never seen a high-quality gaelic match. I was subjected to Tyrone v someone a few weeks ago and saw some of Dublin against Kildare, I think, in a pub earlier in the year and both were 10 times worse than the worst football match I've ever seen. Football, rugby and gaelic are very different games and I don't see why liking one would mean that someone would like all three.

I have nothing against any sport or the people who play or watch them, regardless of my lack of interest or appreciation of many. I find this is often not the case from fans of other sports towards football. Posts such as yours above slagging football players for being born abroad are unfortunately typical of many insular minds.

[jbyrne]

Even look at today, were the Irish national soccer team is struggling to get 10,000 into a stadium Munster fill regularly with ease. Would you have believed that 10 years ago? What would be pointless would be to deny the swing that has taken place in recent years.

and how many will attend the next AIL lge match in limerick? munster fill thomand with ease for the all blaclks and heineken cup, they didnt fill it for Ireland V canada nor do they fill it for the magners lge

[elroy]

Probably more of a superiority complex than anything else, you get a bit of that in the states at the expense of other countries teams or in England, taking digs at other leagues (especially Serie A), it's all just arrogant banter to pad their own organisations value at the expense of others.

Fair point re the english leagues, i do remember Martin T during the pool/arsenal game last year saying something along those lines. But its different when its amongst the same code. There are facets to the gaa that the fai would love to have and vice versa. perhaps its a bit utopian to think its possible for people to enjoy whatever sports they wish without been subjected to this nonsense, but i do reiterate you will never hear an Irish pundit say after a good ireland game essentially how that game was far superior to anything the gaa would offer etc etc.

Just a comment on gaa football in response to some of the above, as a proud cork sportsman i will hopefully be at the AI final in a few weeks. When Gaa football is played well, a fair running kick passing game, it can be a great game. Unfortunately this is all too rare and the trend towards an overtly physical aggressive ulster style game in the last few years has damaged the game, almost brings the game in line with rugby rather than football. The style of football played by the likes of Wicklow for example this year was a breath of fresh air.

[CarrickFan]

Probably more of a superiority complex than anything else, you get a bit of that in the states at the expense of other countries teams or in England, taking digs at other leagues (especially Serie A), it's all just arrogant banter to pad their own organisations value at the expense of others.

it doesnt happen because as Soccer people we/they dont feel the need to have a chip on their shoulder or belittle other peoples sports..as i've said..each to their own..whatever sports you enjoy is fine..why always make comparisons and say one is better than another..

do you mind if i ask do you like soccer yourself or how have you come to post here?..genuine queation..just curious...i like Foot.ie as its about our league and usually a good spot for chat about the LOI and the national squad...dont come on here to talk about the GAA.