Well....its a weekend really isn't it or a week as Tourism Ireland will tell the tourists?...... What is everybody doing this year? For myself it will involve going to McHale Park for Mayo v Kildare on Saturday night followed by a sessions of pints. I am sure a few Kildare fans will make a weekend of it in the west. Then hopefully another session on Sunday while watching the club finals. Great weekend of sport to Look forward to, just a pity Ireland are not playing for anything but pride in Drico's last game. Enjoy the weekend all and Happy St.Patrick's Day

P.S: Best of luck to all the club team's in the finals on Sunday especially the two Connacht teams, Bridget's and Thomas's - hope they bring them cups across the Shannon.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12127 - 14/03/2013 16:57:59    1349567

Hopefully the club finals,and not the rugby, will get a bit of advertising for paddys day.Last year all the pubs were trying to sell a six nations game to the yanks to celebrate being Irish,a bit weird seeing as how rugby is a British sport.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 14/03/2013 17:07:47    1349575

the tourism board must be tearing their hair out when you see 20 governement ministers all leaving ireland for st patricks day,must be the only country in the world where its national day and our government gets out of the country instead of promoting people to come here for the weekend.
how much will 20 flights to differant countries cost the taxpayer.
as for me double header saturday night in croker parade in town unday and back to croker to cheer on the mun.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 14/03/2013 18:31:00    1349626

Getting off topic but I never understand get so wound up about this... I always think these are money well spent. Papers love to kick up a fuss but really for a country so reliant on foreign investment St Patricks Day is a great opportunity to rub shoulders with foreign leaders. I don't see too many other countries our size getting an annual appointment with Obama.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 14/03/2013 18:56:52    1349641

yew_tree

You not supporting the two Mayomen James Burke and Shane Forde of Ballymun?

mayoboy1 (Mayo) - Posts: 1654 - 14/03/2013 18:57:30    1349643

Looking forward to a weekend over West. Travel down tomorrow, stay in Westport on the Quays, the lilies on Sat and watch club matches Sun.
Hopefully a better Kildare 70 mins.

On the ministers heading off for Paddys day, a lot of publicity and trade talks done on these trips, yeah there always is a few hangers on but most countries would give their left hand to have the publicity and promotion created on these Paddy's Day trips.

commander (Kildare) - Posts: 225 - 14/03/2013 19:26:52    1349655

Hill16 in 07 it was 700k plus, last year 100 k
But in fairness,it's a opportunity for our leader and ministers to promote us abroad,and try to bring international companies to the country , the Irish abroad take this more seriously than those of us living hear and there politicians feed off it for the Irish vote, IMO if they can create jobs or investment for the country it's money well spent, better than sitting in the back of a lorry watching a white van go past calling itself a float,
As for me,navan sat at five,rest of weekend at home catching up with family time, trying to avoid the town as much as possible, too many idiots with too much drink taken

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 14/03/2013 20:58:38    1349717

Tullamore on Saturday & Croke Park supporting K/K on Sunday.

Dissapointed to miss Kildare Ladies v Dublin in Under 14 & Under 16 on Saturday in Kilcullen.

Ladies Minors v Wex on Monday if escape can be organised !!!!

KELF (Kildare) - Posts: 775 - 14/03/2013 21:10:24    1349722

I will never understand the lack of promotion to visitors of the club finals in Croke Park... We do more promoting and recruiting for our sports here in the Rocky Mountain region around Paddy's Day than they do for that fantastic event. I really believe that the GAA drops the ball (pun intended) when it comes to promoting our games.
Will be spending the weekend recruiting new players to our team of already 120 members all weekend for the fastest growing sports, everywhere that is except in the mind of the GAA.

Dubfan Abroad (Dublin) - Posts: 282 - 14/03/2013 21:23:01    1349730

Weekend will be spent at Croker on Sat evening and pints after in town. Sunday then have things to do with family. Looking forward to the long weekend I must say :-)

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 14/03/2013 21:23:38    1349733

mayoboy1
County: Mayo
Posts: 1257
You not supporting the two Mayomen James Burke and Shane Forde of Ballymun?

I didn't think of that and I wouldn't mind seeing Ballymun win but Bridget's also have Mayo connections in Keving McStay and Liam McHale.

I also agree that not enough is done to promote the club finals for tourists to get a glimpse at Gaelic Football and Hurling.

On the issue of people giving out about the government jetting off....we are a small country and has always and needs to look outward rather than inward. Most of them trips are disguised as trade missions anyway. I am however surprised no minister is heading to south America.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12127 - 15/03/2013 08:40:51    1349770

Good weekend for the young lad, I'll bring him to see the Dubs on Saturday night and then some more Dubs on Sunday afternoon, ah yes, I remember the days : )

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 15/03/2013 09:14:57    1349782

Anyway, I thought this St. Patrick dude drove the snakes out of Ireland, Dail Eireann is still standing as far as I can see??!!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 15/03/2013 09:16:23    1349783

hoping for wins for kk and st Bridgets.might have a sneaky tenner on the double with mr power.

liffo (Offaly) - Posts: 649 - 15/03/2013 09:17:46    1349784

Heading for Cork on Saturday night for Donegal game then up to Croke Park Sunday for the club finals. Hoping Donegal and Ballymun can do the job.

irishtom (Donegal) - Posts: 219 - 15/03/2013 09:35:56    1349791

yeah but we always hear of any event happening here how much millions it creates for the local economys.
could you imagine if the government all stayed at home and got the likes of obama and other leaders to come here instead the amount of visitors we would get would be ten fold.instead or promoting just one parade here in dublin they could have four massive ones,dublin,cork,galway and belfast.
have all the ministers divided to each you could have heads of other countries divided to each that came over and there fellow country citizens would follow their leaders to that parade be worth millions instead of jetting off wasting our money with this idea of creating jobs which never works.
whos going to come here when our own government dont want to be here?

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 15/03/2013 09:49:21    1349802

mayoboy1, we are spoilt for choice. Mayo men carrying both teams to the final. They would be better off to stand aside and just let the two sets of mayo men play against eachother to decide a winner...
On that subject I will be supporting brigids. I think they have earned their corn over the years and deserve one that little bit more.
What club is forde from by the way?

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 15/03/2013 10:20:59    1349827

Big Tree for the win on Paddy's Day lads, almighty craic the last few years

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 15/03/2013 13:06:54    1349956

hill16no1man
County: Dublin

could you imagine if the government all stayed at home and got the likes of obama and other leaders to come here instead the amount of visitors we would get would be ten fold.instead or promoting just one parade here in dublin they could have four massive ones,dublin,cork,galway and belfast.
have all the ministers divided to each you could have heads of other countries divided to each that came over and there fellow country citizens would follow their leaders
-------------------------------------------------------------

You may be over-estimating our popularity

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 15/03/2013 16:13:49    1350065

The woman is away to Dublin to see Girls Aloud for the weekend so I might just go stone mad at home!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10370 - 15/03/2013 16:18:33    1350072