Why aren't Wicklow able to compete at a high level inter-county wise? I was looking at their population and they have similar population sizes compared to Wexford, Mayo and Tipperary. You would think with Dublin and Kildare to the north you would have a strong club scene in football and with Wexford to the south you would have a decent hurling scene.

Anyone know the reasons behind why they are so far behind? Is it the lure of other sports or is it something like club rivalry we see in Antrim?

deadybai (Kilkenny) - Posts: 63 - 03/12/2014 11:33:28    1676233

Too many abandoned camógie matches & referees being put into the boot of a car.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 03/12/2014 12:07:19    1676247

I used to work with a lad from Wicklow and he said apart from the fact that club rivalries can be intense, soccer is the main sport in a lot of the bigger towns, particularly along the east coast of Wicklow where a larger portion of the county's population resides. Now obviously I'm only telling you what 1 Wicklow supporter told me so I could well be wrong on that and I'm open to contradiction.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 03/12/2014 12:46:00    1676262

no identity..how much of the county has links to dublin?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 03/12/2014 14:18:02    1676298

Be careful lads.

The last person to start asking questions bout Wickla GAA was last seen being stuffed into the boot of a Renault Megane and been driven at speed in the direction of the Sally Gap.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 03/12/2014 14:21:37    1676303

Haha good one mes.Obviously Bray Wanderers are the most famous sporting club in the county.Wicklow have never had any history of winning anything and im sure as the years pass by,this would eat away at a counties desire and self worth.A losing tradition is as hard to break as a winning one.Carlow,Leitrim,Fermanagh,Waterford(footballers),Antrim,Sligo,Tipperary(footballers,until recently) have all got a losing tradition.They will win the odd game every few years,such as Leitrim winning Connacht in 1994.But in general they are fighting this losing mentality on a yearly basis.Not having the population,resources,facilities and finances combined with this is a recipe for nothingness.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 03/12/2014 14:41:24    1676319

You would think that the population would be large enough to cater for Wicklow to be competitive at all sports. Soccer must really be popular. They have to be the biggest underachievers in the history of the GAA. Even Fermanagh who have the least amount of clubs have a decent crack at it through the years.

deadybai (Kilkenny) - Posts: 63 - 03/12/2014 14:50:43    1676323

hardly say bray wanderers are the biggest sporting team
did you ever see the 2 or 3 hundred attendances that turn out to watch them
soccer seems to be played at a club level inside wicklow but at a supporting level gaa would be bigger
the fact they have an awful location in aughrim and the worst ground in the country is not attractive to anybody
when they go well they are a bit like limerick they will get people to turn out.
lack of promotion in the county would be a problem
the kilmacud crokes ex dublin contingent are after being installed as their football management team
and i would expect to see them improve,boxing has seen a lift becuase of the success of katie taylor
and thats what gaa needs in the county a brakthrough.
if they were to get to croke park would be the ideal lift needed

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 03/12/2014 15:02:18    1676331

Back, way back when the All-Ireland Championship was contested not by county teams but by the club championship winners from each county, Bray Emmets competed in the Dublin Championship. They won the Dublin Championship and went on to claim the All-Ireland title representing Dublin in 1901.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 03/12/2014 15:06:20    1676336

i agree with you hill about aughrim...brutal ground...terrible stuff

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 03/12/2014 15:07:55    1676338

Hill,i dont think Wicklow getting to Croke Park would make any difference.Why would that give them a lift?They won their 1st ever game in Croke Park a few years ago but what difference has it made?The culture and tradition of winning is not in the county.Never has been.I dont know the inner workings of the Wicklow GAA scene but i just cant see it changing.Micko brought a lot of interest and fanfare to the county when he was there but since his departure theyve gone back to being...well - Wicklow.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 03/12/2014 15:40:11    1676353

there is a decent amount of hurling there. DJ Carey was knocking about with them in some capacity a few years ago (John Henderson had him down there). They are miles off Kilkenny, Wexford etc but a couple of years ago, they were ahead of Carlow. A bit of effort and ...

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 03/12/2014 15:48:58    1676357

Katie Taylor is probably the most famous sports person to come out of Wicklow. I would imagine that rugby would be popular enough as well in the Garden county.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 03/12/2014 16:22:27    1676366

Well holy God...

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8589 - 03/12/2014 16:26:51    1676368

This is where you would like to see HQ adopting a proactive approach to games development, something that the GAA have failed at over the years - a full-time county secretary, full-time games development officers and everything that goes along with. This would probably necessitate a focused redistribution of Dublin's sponshorship windfalls, something that would be completely vindicated if those resources were successfully pumped into developing the game in areas like Co. Wicklow.

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 03/12/2014 18:24:45    1676408

Aughrim is a fine piitch and dressing room, but as a supporter it is awful- currently undergoing work.
Wicklow for the size is underachieving. Rathnew won Leinster club in '01 and quality is much worse since.
Christy ring finalists, Leinster Minor and 21 finalists in football in '97 and '01 but the problem is lack of structure thereafter.

Club rivalry is teak tough and the geographical nature of the county creates a big East v West divide.
East is quite suburban and an extension of Dublin to a degreee whereas the west is rural and remote at times.

County board are very much old school and each minds their own patch, same faces for 30 years, only in last 12 months has an academy and development centre come into play with fresher younger faces.

Micko came and got us headlines but left us where we were but less well off financially!

Change is coming but it'll get worse before it gets better.

Please post this.....

HomerJay (Wicklow) - Posts: 369 - 03/12/2014 18:49:38    1676419

cuderocket

the last time they won there against kildare it did take off for them
facilites have improved since then
just look at bray emmets set up for example
the problem was there was no long term set up
micko dwyer is all about the here and now with them countys
but they never had plans for the future to build
johnny magee has been there for a year already under harry murphy
im sure he has a long term idea for them
they were getting the crowds for qualifier matches under micko
which is a ground which wouldnt entice the hardcore support never mind kids or newcomers
they need to move out of aughrim badly

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 03/12/2014 19:00:01    1676425

training facilities and county grounds in the middle of the county make it unattractive to both players to commit at younger ages and for supporters to go to matches, big towns not pulling their weight in terms of attracting players from soccer and rugby and then developing good players. Same, stubborn county board that doesnt like to change things and an overall lack of respect in Wicklow Gaa i.e. to refeeres,fulfilling fixtures and to the oppostion make it an extremely underachieving county

Victorious87 (Wicklow) - Posts: 597 - 03/12/2014 19:31:30    1676433

keeper7
County: Longford
Posts: 2189

1676247
Too many abandoned camógie matches & referees being put into the boot of a car.

Lazy and unfunny response keeper7. very lazy

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1060 - 03/12/2014 20:49:08    1676467

Maroonatic
County: Galway
Posts: 701

1676467
keeper7
County: Longford
Posts: 2189

1676247
Too many abandoned camógie matches & referees being put into the boot of a car.

Lazy and unfunny response keeper7. very lazy


Damn, what does that make mine? :D

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8589 - 03/12/2014 20:57:12    1676471