Belfast Giants

**ifk101** · 12/10/2006, 7:09 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Did you hear where the ROI teams will be based?
Dublin Vikings would be such a good name for a Hockey team doncha think?

3 teams will play out of Dundalk for the foreseeable future and 3 teams out of Dundonald. Somebody else posted this forum link with information about the Irish league here before:

International Ice Hockey Forum

From the above thread it sounds like any potential Dublin rink will be built in Abbotstown.

**BohsPartisan** · 12/10/2006, 7:34 AM

I was on the IIHA website and it says they are working on getting a Proffessional team for Dublin in the future.

**Poor Student** · 12/10/2006, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I was on the IIHA website and it says they are working on getting a Proffessional team for Dublin in the future.

That site seems pretty dead in a lot of areas. I've heard there's been some hope for a Dublin franchise and a Dublin rink for a while.

**Magicme** · 12/10/2006, 10:33 AM

I went see the giants one time as my works christmas party. Was a great nite out. Am planning on bringing my boys sometime soon when the el season finishes.

**Poor Student** · 12/10/2006, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Magicme

I went see the giants one time as my works christmas party. Was a great nite out. Am planning on bringing my boys sometime soon when the el season finishes.

I'm sure you're just dying for a Dundalk team to have family outings in your favourite part of Ireland.

**Macy** · 12/10/2006, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Dublin Vikings would be such a good name for a Hockey team doncha think?

Dublin City Vikings. I know the name of a guy that has experience of running a franchise that is currently not too busy.

**BohsPartisan** · 12/10/2006, 1:07 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

Dublin City Vikings. I know the name of a guy that has experience of running a franchise that is currently not too busy.

Hee Hee

**Aberdonian Stu** · 12/10/2006, 2:00 PM

On a serious note I would be very concerned about the viability of any attempt at a full time Ice Hockey franchise in Dublin.

The playing staff requirements would be considerable not to mention administration costs. Developing a following would prove the biggest stumbling block. I could see a great start followed by a massive drop off within weeks.

The Elite league has struggled throughout its existence and now has to contend with having no London team for the forseeable future due to the absence of an adequate venue (the London Racers became the first team to withdraw from the league for reasons other than economics).

**Dodge** · 12/10/2006, 2:26 PM

If you read that thread linked above, the IIHF think exactly the same. They have absolutely no plans for a Dublin side. Their plans are to get the irish league off the ground and build up players as a priority. I'd guess that if they had 100s of players and start getting a few 100 to every league game, they might look into the possibilty but they're approaching this as a real grassroots operation. And fair play to them for that.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 12/10/2006, 2:52 PM

That makes perfect sense.

I remember Dublin being very loosely mooted in the past as a possible location for NFL Europe and British Basketball League franchises, neither of which would have worked in my opinion. Both IAFA and the (needless to say much bigger) IBA have taken the view that we start from the grass roots and build from the ground up.

**BohsPartisan** · 12/10/2006, 3:13 PM

The website does mention a proffessional franchise as well.

**Poor Student** · 12/10/2006, 6:28 PM

Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu

I remember Dublin being very loosely mooted in the past as a possible location for NFL Europe and British Basketball League franchises, neither of which would have worked in my opinion. Both IAFA and the (needless to say much bigger) IBA have taken the view that we start from the grass roots and build from the ground up.

Might basketball not have worked? From my admittedly poor knowledge of North American sport in Ireland, basketball seems to be a lot bigger here than American football. I've noticed that NFL Europe has basically collapsed or condensed into essentially a German league.

As for the grassroots option that Dodge mentioned, I agree that it's a good idea. Looking at the Irish against the likes of Iceland in the World championships, our skating looked very poor, slow and unnatural compared to theirs. Both teams were fairly crap but we had few shots on goal because we couldn't even move it up the rink quickly or work space with any nifty skating. You can see that essentially no one learns skating in their youth. You could imagine if you had no skill in hurling and tried to pick it up in your early 20's, you'd be a million miles behind the technique of those who have done it since childhood.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 12/10/2006, 9:03 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Btw, ye do all know the World Championships Div III are in Dundalk next year? They're building a purpose built arena for Ice Hockey there. Perhaps a franchise might be launched out of there?

Well as may have been alluded to before, there is a consortium of Irish American investors led by former NHL player Patrick Flatley interested in having an ice hockey club based in the Republic and they were hoping for a suitable venue in the Dublin area, to enter a team into the Elite League and provide two professional Ice Hockey clubs on the island of Ireland.

If the venue proves suitable in Dundalk then they might go for that.
Dundalk is close enough to Dublin and it's suburbs on the one hand
and Newry and it's suburbs on the other to make it possible to draw a crowd.
Naming it might be difficult. But seeing as there is some kind of Black bird on the Dundalk FC logo what about Dundalk Ravens?
NHL teams have been known to play exhibition games in European venues pre-season ( i.e. August/September). A suitable venue in Dundalk might see such a game gracing these shores.

**Dodge** · 12/10/2006, 9:42 PM

Doubt it, the capacity of the dundalk arena is set for about 1,000.

**BohsPartisan** · 12/10/2006, 10:09 PM

I always wanted to set up the Navan Palindromes.

**Magicme** · 13/10/2006, 8:42 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I'm sure you're just dying for a Dundalk team to have family outings in your favourite part of Ireland.

Ha! True tho it would b handy. Having said that Belfast is only an hour & a half away anyways so its no biggy going there either.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 21/10/2006, 8:27 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I always wanted to set up the Navan Palindromes.

Deadly bud !

**CollegeTillIDie** · 21/10/2006, 8:31 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I'm sure you're just dying for a Dundalk team to have family outings in your favourite part of Ireland.

Given the broadminded nature of some of the locals maybe they could wear all black and be the Dundalk Neo-fascists... I'll get my coat

**Gerrit** · 26/11/2006, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Save who's money? I'd imagine it was funds from the Republic that paid for it. We have had no proper ice rink on this side of the border until now. From the looks of the crowds in Iceland last year the Odyssey would be way too big to host this. I think the arena in Dundalk will have 2k capacity.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, no Giants players play for Ireland, they play for the British team. I think the Irish team is mainly Irish amateurs. They're really really really bad.

If the ROI contains no proper ice rink and no Giants players are playing for Ireland, then where (for what clubs) do these amateurs play?

I've been to Belfast Giants-Edinburgh Capitals last season in the play-offs (3-3 result, last home game of the season).

Amusing enough, it's a rapid sport with a lot of shots on target, and some good skilled players in the UK league. However, I don't like the commercial aspect of it, and those annoying music jingles during every moment the game is stopped... Overall though it's pleasant enough to attend a game.

Giants have average nr of fans no Irish League club comes close to, unfortunately. The game I saw had approx 7000 fans, and the people around me (who were season card holders) said that's the standard nr of fans. But even if they slightly exagerated, then still... no IL club gets 4000 or 5000 fans every home game, so I guess we can safely say Giants are the most popular sports team in the North along with Ulster Rugby (of whom I have yet to attend a game)

The ice-rink in Dundalk... correct me if I'm wrong but the purpose is a regular ice rink families can use for hobbyist skating? If what I've read is correct, the rink is mainly built to offer ROI citizens a proper ice rink, and it's a happy coincidence they can host that hockey tournament. Although guess it makes sense to install a proper team in a new rink, so maybe they could start a franchise after a while and enter in the professional UK league. If that's a success and more Irish pro teams are formed, an own ROI league could be considered. But as far as what I've read the Dundalk rink was not purpose-built for that one tournament.

By the way, a friend of mine goes to Czech Republic 7 or 8 times a year and is a season ticket holder there of icehockey club HCM Pardubice. Apparently they often play 3 games a week there, so everytime he goes over he stays with friends for a week and attends 2 or 3 games. The teams have to play over 40 league games in a rather short season, plus national team obligations. And then football players complain of a full calendar

**Gerrit** · 26/11/2006, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by Aberdonian Stu

On a serious note I would be very concerned about the viability of any attempt at a full time Ice Hockey franchise in Dublin.

The playing staff requirements would be considerable not to mention administration costs. Developing a following would prove the biggest stumbling block. I could see a great start followed by a massive drop off within weeks.

The Elite league has struggled throughout its existence and now has to contend with having no London team for the forseeable future due to the absence of an adequate venue (the London Racers became the first team to withdraw from the league for reasons other than economics).

On the other hand, if there's only 1 team for the whole Dublin (unlike football with the great divide within the capital) then why shouldn't the club be able to attract a few thousands every week? I mean, if we in Belfast can do it (much smaller city, also competition of rugby and several football teams...) then why wouldn't Dublin be able to do it? I'm sure there is a crowd for icehockey and all you need to do is brand a team to a city where local fans would be screaming for an own team instead of NHL games on TV.