jpcampion

Just because the British like to call them the british isles doesn't make it so.
They like to call Laois Kings county. Shall we run with that also?

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1126 - 02/06/2015 11:49:40    1731299

Since the good friday agreement it is "Islands of the North Atlantic" (or IONA)

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 02/06/2015 12:42:06    1731334

Ormond said:

Hurling played more widely in schools than rugby? Varies on area In Dublin.

Serious delusions man and gives an insight in to the tiny bit you know of Dublin.

Thanks to Cumann na mBunscol hurling is played is just over 90% of all primary schools in Dublin, and it is then played in the vast majority of secondary schools as well.

Whereas rugby is played in a tiny minority of Dublin primary and secondary schools.

Over the 8th and 9th of June there will be 30 U13 Dublin finals played in Croke Park. That's 30 matches from the 30 competitions which all had about 10 schools in them. This is a Dublin only competition too. There are also over 20 U11 schools hurling leagues played in Dublin primary schools. Football has even more competitions. Rugby is nowhere even close to it.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 02/06/2015 13:00:57    1731355

to be called the british isles, they have to be british. Its silly calling them that, officially thats not the name anyway

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 02/06/2015 13:18:54    1731364

The British Isles is a geographical term, not a political term so it doesn't particularly bother me.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 02/06/2015 13:27:28    1731368

I can only comment really on Derry city. Population of 120,000.

Soccer (english teams) is first
then maybe boxing
and way below those is rugby football and hurling. The county has 40 affiliated clubs, 32 football, 2 hurling and 6 dual

Only 4 of these are in the city area. I would struggle to name the last city lad on a county football team.
30 people in my office. only myself and 2 others watch GAA and only 2 of us watch hurling and he is from Donegal. Most have never been to a football game and couldnt even tell you that we have a hurling team......just try spot the derry fans at next weeks ring final

In the main what you are saying is correct. There are a few figures there that id have to pick you up on. The population of the city itself(not council area) is about 90K. Within the city there are more than 4 clubs. In order of strength id say. Steelstown,Na Magha(hurling),Doire Trasna,Colmcilles,Ardmore,Seán Dolans. Slaughtmanus and Claudy are in council area too. Neil Forrestor was last city lad to play football(league I think though), before him Paul O'Hea,Marty Dunne etc.
There are 6 Na Magha men on panel for Saturdays Christy Ring Final, 5 of these lads have all featured this year. But soccer is still dominant, but things are slowly changing.
There are

christy sting (Derry) - Posts: 262 - 02/06/2015 13:43:09    1731373

Being a city person i usually wouldnt include Ardmore,Slaughtmanus and Claudy as city and I doubt they would either ha ha

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 02/06/2015 14:03:01    1731390

wouldnt view either hurling or rugby as minority sports - hurling is less popular than football but is still probably 2nd most loved sport in the country and 1st loved in limerick (yes before rugby) cork tipp clare waterford kilkenny wexford and in good bit of laois galway offaly and antrim

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 02/06/2015 17:22:47    1731554

jpcampion
County: Laois
The British Isles are two islands that reside off the north west of Europe. The larger island is called Great Britain. The smaller one is called Ireland. Together they are called the British Isles.

According to who? Not according to the official position of the Irish government, or many institutions in Britain. Its simply an outdated term, that is no longer correct, politically or geographically. Its like saying Portugal is part of the Spanish Peninsula, or Norway is part of the Danish peninsula. Probably about time we moved on from the 19th century.

As for the subject of the thread, hurling is one of the 4 major sports in the country overall, but there are certain counties where it could still be considered a minority sport. When you think about it, its actually pretty crazy that an island of just over 6 million people can support 4 major team/field sports like that, what would be the equivalent in other European countries?

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 02/06/2015 17:49:45    1731572

I'm not sure there is a European equivalent Marlon - maybe Scotland with Soccer, Rugby and Shinty (tho it's certainly a minority sport). They don't really have a 4th big team sport - Rugby League is possibly 4th.

The closest comparisons worldwide would be New Zealand IMO with Rugby union, league, soccer and cricket. After that, you'd probably have to look at an individual state in the US where baseball, NFL, basketball and ice hockey, netball, soccer or Lacross is popular.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5017 - 02/06/2015 18:10:17    1731588

"The British Isles are two islands that reside off the north west of Europe. The larger island is called Great Britain. The smaller one is called Ireland. Together they are called the British Isles.

According to who? Not according to the official position of the Irish government, or many institutions in Britain. Its simply an outdated term, that is no longer correct, politically or geographically. Its like saying Portugal is part of the Spanish Peninsula, or Norway is part of the Danish peninsula."

- The British Isles is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Continental Europe. It includes Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man, Shetland, Orkney, and thousands of smaller islands
- Portugal is part of the Iberian peninsula
- Norway is not part of the Danish peninsula

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 02/06/2015 18:13:51    1731591

keeper7
County: Longford

Ah keeper, I expected better. I KNOW that Portugal is part of the Iberian Peninsula (not the Spanish Peninsula), and Norway is not part of the Danish peninsula, that was my point.

And copying and pasting something from Wikepdia didn't answer my initial question (which I guess I answered myself). And as fine a site as it is, not everything stated in it is a fact.

Ah well

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 02/06/2015 18:50:48    1731620