The Garrison thing is just a slur, Take Tralee from Royal Muster Fusilliers site "Ballymullen Barracks has a long history, work on the construction of Ballymullen Barracks began on 11th August, 1810, to facilitate Regular and Militia Units in Tralee. The barracks was completed, and the first troops took up residence, in 1815. It is estimated that the total cost of construction, was £17,500, and on completion, could accommodate 18 officers and 300 NCO’s and privates. This figure was subsequently increased, as additional accommodation blocks were added", While according to sources in Sligo, the local barracks could only accommodate one third of that number and the Barracks was abandoned in 1909 as it was in a semi derelict state, going by the above I believe that the sport now known as Gaelic Football was brought to Ireland by British Soldiers the same way they brought it to Australia. Aussies rules was codified long before Gaelic and they obviously share the same ancestry.
Off the top of my head I would say that Cavan and Meath aside the other counties in this list had signifigant British Army numbers. Note that Kildares success ended shortly after the Brits left the Curragh.
KERRY (36) - 1903, 1904, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1924, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1962, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009.
DUBLIN (23) - 1891, 1892, 1894, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1942, 1958, 1963, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1983, 1995, 2011.
GALWAY (9) - 1925, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1998, 2001.
CORK (7) - 1890, 1911, 1945, 1973, 1989, 1990, 2010.
MEATH (7) - 1949, 1954, 1967, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1999.
DOWN (5) - 1960, 1961, 1968, 1991, 1994.
CAVAN (5) - 1933, 1935, 1947, 1948, 1952.
WEXFORD (5) - 1893, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918.
TIPPERARY (4) - 1889, 1895, 1900, 1920.
KILDARE (4) - 1905, 1919, 1927, 1928.
So now ye know the truth.
Dont forget that London contested a number of finals in the early years to help back up your thesis
Funny enough London beat Sligo last year, I.didn't see the game but Oisin the barman in the pub across from the station in Sligo, who some of yew may know, gave a play by play replay for the benefit of the only gah fan in the shop and in his version all the London team were cockneys born and bred with only the slender grasp of current rules, so a theory becomes a.certainty.
You're excluding the game of caid from this thesis.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
Bookmarks