ESRI Sports Report

[BohsPartisan]

Honestly lads but this anti-gaa bull is the reason why a lot of heads stay away from eloi cos judging from this thread callin the gaa bigoted is kinda pot calling the kettle black. I play Gaelic Football with young fellas who also hurl and play soccer but would have no interest in going to a eloi game simply because most of the existing fanbase are elitist and not accepting of Gaa and to tell you the truth reading this thread proves their point.
What i think is that we gotta accept every sport being played in the country as part of our sporting culture but the GAA is a part of our cultural heritage and therefore should remain an integral part of our identity.

I don't think thats true. I know plenty of Bohs fans who go to Dubs or Meath games - league and all. Maybe its the case in Sligo. Once had a flatmate who was a Sligo fan and he said there was a major split between Association and GAA fans in Sligo. However you have to look at the GAA's attitude towards "foreign games" as the source of this animosity. I know a few Shamrock Rovers fans who were once Fanatical Dubs fans too but won't go to games anymore because of the Thomas Davis episode and who'd blame them for that?

We've had some AGM's and Members info meetings in Na Fianna and you'd have to envy the facilities they have in comparison to what LOI sides can boast.

[Macy]

Honestly lads but this anti-gaa bull is the reason why a lot of heads stay away from eloi cos judging from this thread callin the gaa bigoted is kinda pot calling the kettle black.

File under this weeks excuse for people not going to League of Ireland games

Why is it to criticise the GAA to point out part of an ERSI report that they are getting more funding than their participation levels suggest they deserve? And lets be clear, the GAA went straight on the attack questioning the ERSI on participation levels as soon as this report was released, questioning the credibility of the figures. They simply won't accept they are declining in relative terms. Football has long outstripped it in participation.

So lets just be clear when football fans are being accused of bigotry... Which organisation still has a ban on football and rugby being played on their grounds? Which organisation took South Dublin County Council to court to delay a football ground being built in an area that is desperately in need of sporting facilities? That's before we get into historical bans on players playing other sports, glass being spread on football pitches, sectarian bans on certain occupations, players giving up their games due sectarian abuse.

[thischarmingman]

Honestly lads but this anti-gaa bull is the reason why a lot of heads stay away from eloi...most of the existing fanbase are elitist and not accepting of Gaa

Don't. Be. Stupid.

[pete]

Any chance this thread could stay on topic?

Scanned through the exec summary & seems to me that the ESRI are criticising the existing capital sports programme as outdated model. They say that majority of adults participate in individual sports but funding is given to team sports in particular Gaelic football which drops off dramatically from school days to adulthood. GAA numbers are stagnant whereas football, rugby & basketball are increasing a lot.

Football & rugby are much easier to play as have 5-a-side, futsal & tag rugby. Gaelic football does not really have an alternative small game & probably seen as too physical.

IMO the GAA are too caught with us against them attitude so very slow to share facilities which means they should really have lesser chance of getting grants.

[Macy]

IMO the GAA are too caught with us against them attitude so very slow to share facilities which means they should really have lesser chance of getting grants.

But they're happy enough to share others facilities, it's only sharing their own they have a problem with. It's not just very slow, it expressly forbids sharing it's facilities (lest we forget, even Croke Park is only open as a temp (albeit very lucrative for them) arrangement, and Cooney was one of the main opponents of opening).

[Da Real Rover]

What i think is that we gotta accept every sport being played in the country as part of our sporting culture but the GAA is a part of our cultural heritage and therefore should remain an integral part of our identity.

No more than football.

And as Bohs partisan said there is quite a split in Sligo.
Generally speaking (with obvious exceptions) your either a GAA head or a Rovers man in Sligo.
It comes from a very bigoted history of Sligo GAA as the town was always a footballing stronghold.
Correct me if im wrong but wasnt Sligo GAA only one of two Counties to vote against the removing of the rule of playing 'foreign' sports?
When Sligo won the Connacht Championship last year Rovers offered the Sligo GAA to have the GAA players on the Showgies at half time for an applause etc, but it was flat out refused.
I would rather gouge out my eyes than set foot in Markeivicz Park.

[GavinZac]

Honestly lads but this anti-gaa bull is the reason why a lot of heads stay away from eloi cos judging from this thread callin the gaa bigoted is kinda pot calling the kettle black. I play Gaelic Football with young fellas who also hurl and play soccer but would have no interest in going to a eloi game simply because most of the existing fanbase are elitist and not accepting of Gaa and to tell you the truth reading this thread proves their point.
What i think is that we gotta accept every sport being played in the country as part of our sporting culture but the GAA is a part of our cultural heritage and therefore should remain an integral part of our identity.

Our fanbase are elitist, while GAA people are saying they should get special treatment? Right.

[gspain]

No more than football.

And as Bohs partisan said there is quite a split in Sligo.
Generally speaking (with obvious exceptions) your either a GAA head or a Rovers man in Sligo.
It comes from a very bigoted history of Sligo GAA as the town was always a footballing stronghold.
Correct me if im wrong but wasnt Sligo GAA only one of two Counties to vote against the removing of the rule of playing 'foreign' sports?
When Sligo won the Connacht Championship last year Rovers offered the Sligo GAA to have the GAA players on the Showgies at half time for an applause etc, but it was flat out refused.
I would rather gouge out my eyes than set foot in Markeivicz Park.

You are correct. Sligo and Antrim were the only 2 counties to vote in favour of keeping the ban when it was removed.

Football was the most popular sport i nthe country btw in 1986 before Jack Charlton took over as Irish manager. The gap has continued to get wider ever since. The studies don't count 5-a-side btw just numbers playing organised competitive sport whether that be on the Balla C team in the Limerick Junior league or for St Pats in the EL.

[drummerboy]

A little off topic but as regards the Rovers/Thomas Davis saga, my young lad plays both football and GAA. One weekend they played Shamrock Rovers out in Tallaght. The next weekend they were playing Thomas Davis at home. At least 7 or 8 of the players playing for TD had played for SR the previous week. Just thought it was so ironic.

[pete]

At least 7 or 8 of the players playing for TD had played for SR the previous week. Just thought it was so ironic.

Probably 7-8 too many for Thomas Davis.

[garyderry]

A little off topic but as regards the Rovers/Thomas Davis saga, my young lad plays both football and GAA. One weekend they played Shamrock Rovers out in Tallaght. The next weekend they were playing Thomas Davis at home. At least 7 or 8 of the players playing for TD had played for SR the previous week. Just thought it was so ironic.

thats the whole reason TD want rid of rovers from Tallaght, they are getting too successful at attracting young lads to play soccer.

[drummerboy]

thats the whole reason TD want rid of rovers from Tallaght, they are getting too successful at attracting young lads to play soccer.

Well there was always football played in Tallaght before Rovers came to town. I think lots of kids now play both codes, whereas before it was one or the other.

[Jinxy]

Taken from Hoganstand.com. Good man Ossie.

ESRI report misinterpreted - Kilkenny
27 May 2008

By Cóilín Duffy

Irish Sports Council Chairman Ossie Kilkenny has rubbished the interpretation of a recent ESRI report, which sectors of the media believed pointed towards a downturn in the participation rates in Gaelic Games.

Kilkenny, who spoke at the launch of the Gala Senior Camogie Championship today in Croke Park; underlined that the GAA is still the premier sporting organisation in the country, when it comes to the participation on-field of its members.

"The ESRI report has had strange reports in the media and has been misinterpreted," Kilkenny stated.

He added, "The GAA is our cultural heritage and has the highest participation rates. Because the organisation has such power, it needs recognition for the powerful role it can play.

"This is not a challenge for the GAA but an opportunity."

The Sports Council chief also pointed towards positive figures in relation to the participation of those in women’s Gaelic sports.

"Regarding camogie and women’s football, between the two bodies there is over 200,000 participating," he said.

[oldyouth]

Taken from Hoganstand.com. Good man Ossie.

ESRI report misinterpreted - Kilkenny
27 May 2008

By Cóilín Duffy

"Regarding camogie and women’s football, between the two bodies there is over 200,000 participating," he said.

200,000 participating???? . Assuming each team might have a panel of 20 players, then that is 10,000 teams, which is an average of over 300 teams per county. It would take 5 years to get to the All Ireland club final

[Jinxy]

Hard to argue with that logic.......

[gspain]

It is easy to massage the figures here.

The GAA covers the whole island and administers a few different sports mainly gaelic and hurling but also handball, rounders etc. They would also double count players who play gaelic and hurling.

The ESRI report was based on the Republic of Ireland and compares numbers there. Footall is by far the biggest participation sport in the RoI.

I don't know the figures for Northern Ireland but I find it hard to believe that the GAA would be bigger there given that football is played by the whole community and the GAA just pick from 40% of the population.

The basic point of the ESRI report is that the GAA should not get most of the funding and it should be more equitable.

[CharlesThompson]

I wish I were British, or better still, French

I wish I was a lesbian.

[geysir]

It is easy to massage the figures here.

The GAA covers the whole island and administers a few different sports mainly gaelic and hurling but also handball, rounders etc. They would also double count players who play gaelic and hurling.

The ERSI report was based on the Republic of Ireland and compares numbers there. Footall is by far the biggest participation sport in the RoI.

The basic point of the ERSI report is that the GAA should not get most of the funding and it should be more equitable.

The goal of this research document appears to be to have the different sports squabbling small mindedly over crumbs instead of making a case for increased funding, over and above what the GAA already receive, to cover other sports activities (as already pointed out by DCSteve).

Define participation?
The ESRI report previous to this one had identified that to a GAA participant, membership of a club was more important and more popular amongst GAA participants than soccer.
Membership of a GAA club is 200% more popular with GAA participants that with soccer participants.

"They would also double count players who play gaelic and hurling."
What nonsense
There is no double counting, there is an adding up.
approx 13% participate in Gaelic Games
8% Gaelic football
5% hurling

Approx. the same number of people participate in GAA today as there were in the 1970´s.
The big difference today is the rapid growth in the number of Soccer participants over the past 20 years.
A side issue, why should the 10´s of millions spent on dog and horse racing be termed as sports funding?

I don't know the figures for Northern Ireland but I find it hard to believe that the GAA would be bigger there given that football is played by the whole community and the GAA just pick from 40% of the population

I would have went with the don't know bit if I were you.

Catholic kids play both, Soccer and GAA. Protestant kids just play anything else but Gaelic games.
In School sports, GAA is as popular as Soccer at Grammer and Secondary school level in NI
Soccer is actually discriminated against in many (Protestant administered) grammar schools in favour of Cricket and Rugby.
After school, membership by GAA participants of a GAA club is high in proportion to soccer participants.
Public attendance in GAA sports is a multiple of local league soccer in the North.

Unless you have some figures I don't know about to support your statement about sports popularity in the 6 counties?
Sport and Community Relations
in NI

[oldyouth]

Define participation?
The ESRI report previous to this one had identified that to a GAA participant, membership of a club was more important and more popular amongst GAA participants than soccer.
Membership of a GAA club is 200% more popular with GAA participants that with soccer participants.[/URL]

Ah so membership of a club is the same as participating. That's like saying watching Debbie does Dallas makes you a porn stud

[pete]

Seems to me the state is most concerned with funding pubs. It builds pubs for dog racing & gives the GAA more money because it has more members of its pubs...