Was in Galway city to watch the hurling today and went to a span new Sports pub in Eyre Square.Watched the minor match on the silent screen, fair enough. But when the senior game Kilkenny v Waterford came on the staff turned up the volume for the Liverpool match.When I queried this, I was told that this is what people wanted. I don't know if that is the truth. Went to another new pub and the hurling was on most screens with sound commentary and great banter.
Is this the way these new foreign pubs are going to operate then maybe they would be better not been supported by the good Galway supporters or visiting tourists.I believe I am speaking for the silent majority who go into watch a match during the summer Sundays and are disappointed by the service.
Is this what we want or should we just put up with it.

sixtyfive (Galway) - Posts: 32 - 09/08/2015 21:40:47    1766841

plenty of GAA pubs try the one in Wood quay. Having said that typical Irish business people. More allegiance to the 'Pool then hurling.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2520 - 09/08/2015 21:49:10    1766845

plenty of GAA pubs try the one in Wood quay. Having said that typical Irish business people. More allegiance to the 'Pool then hurling.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2520 - 09/08/2015 21:49:10    1766846

know the place your referring to,more tvs than customers, better off staying clear of that place mate ,KingsHead is a good spot for the games for future reference!

SpionKop (Galway) - Posts: 40 - 09/08/2015 21:50:52    1766847

In fairness you done well to get the hurling on in most pubs in Galway city, I'm from Galway city myself, and Galway city would certainly not be a bastion of GAA culture.

gilly0512 (Galway) - Posts: 1176 - 09/08/2015 21:53:59    1766852

It's not just Galway. I was trying to get the Clare and Limerick first round of the championship in Cork. I went in to Reardens Bar, the premier GAA bar in Cork City. Unfortunately it was also "Survival Sunday" - see who gets relegated from the English Premier League, fascinating! Anyway Reardens Bar had the hurling on without sound on small screens and the soccer on the biug screens and blaring!

To make matters worse Reardens had been using their facebook and twitter accounts claiming how excited they were that the hurling championship was starting! Anyway after a few minutes of trying to watch the hurling with Hull City's fight for survival ringing in my ears I decided to play them at their own game and sent out the below tweet cc'ing and tagging a few GAA accounts letting them know where Cork's premier GAA bars priorities really lie.

https://twitter.com/reardensbar/status/602486192374951937

About 3 minutes later the soccer fell silent and the GAA appeared on the big screens with volume! Was it my tweet that did it. I don't know, but social media can be very powerful. My guess is that Reardens didn't want to lose face on front of the sizable GAA community they so carefully court and a public tweet put them under pressure.

I believe there are restriction as to how many live games pubs can show in the UK but there are none here. If you walk through Cork City of a weekend for the next 9 months you will here the distinctive sound of English soccer commentary from virtually every pub you pass. For every visitor to our country we are sending them a message loud and clear. "What are you doing here? The real action is across the water!"

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 338 - 10/08/2015 10:03:32    1766950

2-3 years ago I had a imilar experience in the West County in Ennis. It was an All Ireland and they wouldnt put on the minor match because the barman wanted to watch Liverpool. Worse this place is associated big time with Clare GAA.

In Galway tried to see a match recently in the Pillo but there were a few Dubs watching racing and they wouldnt put on the match. Went across the road to Menlo Park where it was on 2 screens.... Happy out.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 10/08/2015 11:03:52    1767035

limerick city is by far the worst
went through twenty pubs in the middle of town there looking to watch
westmeath v fermanagh and cork v kildare games
every pub had a rugby game on from new zealand
despite havin several tv's in each pub they played same thing on all.
found one pub with about 20 screens so thaught surely have it on there.
one screen around the back of the bar(which was shaped ina n oval so you could be served anywhere you sit)
had the gaa on. Sat down 15 mins were gone.
I waited to be served until half time and still bar man wouldnt come around or over to where was sitting
so got up and left as he was more interested in watching the rugby and serving others.
found a restaurant/pub now that the rugby was over had the last 10 mins of the westmeath v fermanagh game on
oredered food and 5 mins before the cork v kildare match was to start
bar man flicks off and puts on a lower leauge english club soccer game I think it was.
the guy at the bar telling him anything but that bloody gaa for godsake.
myself and a cork man in the place who was also having food had to kick up a bit of fuss to get it back on.
What made it worse the games were on sky sports
anytime you go to pubs they always show sky sports over our own tv stations and still found it very hard to get
to see it despite sky showing them.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 10/08/2015 11:19:42    1767050

Does not surprise me. I was in Dublin a few years ago and wanted to watch a league game involving Mayo v Dublin which was on in Castlebar (the night of the fog). Most places in the city centre looked at me like I had two heads...not a clue it was on and would not put it on. Ended up going hopping in a cab and going out to Drumcondra.

How does everybody's local work in relation to this? In mine they will always show soccer etc BUT during GAA season it is GAA games all the way on all TV's no matter who is playing.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11236 - 10/08/2015 11:22:03    1767053

yew tree

in my experiance in dublin
they show different sports on each tv
which makes sense as it caters for everybody who is in the place.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 10/08/2015 11:41:45    1767082

Some people prefer soccer to GAA lads. Some prefer golf, some prefer rugby etc.Unfortunately some bar staff just suit themselves or their regulars.

As for foreign visitors lets encourage them to go to games too and not just be bothered about watching GAA over soccer in the pub. Can't see it being such a highlight when they go back home telling their mates that they saw hurling or football in a pub.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7358 - 10/08/2015 11:42:34    1767085

There's more of a tradition in urban parts of Ireland to go down to the pub to watch the soccer rather than football or hurling. I guess it's because soccer coverage is almost exclusively ppv as opposed to GAA which was always free to air up until recently. People who follow soccer but don't have a sky subscription would always travel down the local on a Sunday afternoon to watch it. The rise in popularity of rugby and now that the Heineken Cup is only on Sky & BT has resulted in more rugby been shown in pubs.

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 10/08/2015 14:30:50    1767301

Its not that they are particularly anti GAA ... they are pro soccer.

There was nowhere around Croke Park showing the rugby on Saturday either even though Ireland were playing.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 10/08/2015 14:40:26    1767306

but every pub has 3-4 screens at least
why not show different sports thats on
on each of the tvs
then everybody wins

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 10/08/2015 16:26:20    1767405

They had the rugby on in the Big Tree beer garden the other day anyway that's for sure.

In my local at home, unless Donegal are playing, the soccer would nearly always be on ahead of the Gaelic, especially if any of the big teams are playing across the water. They might throw the GAA on in the wee tv in the corner but the soccer would definitely be on the bigger screen.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9151 - 10/08/2015 16:41:58    1767426

Me and a few mates our way home from Donegal a few years back and wanted to watch Limerick v Kilkenny in the all ireland final. Made the decision for me to stop in derry for a pint to watch it while the women went shopping. Bad decision, after calling into Peadar O'Donnells i think its called, we were firstly surprised to learn they didnt even know the all ireland was on and secondly told that theyd put it on after Cetic v Raith Rovers(now that was entertainment!).On our way down to grab a seat, liquid refreshments in hand, i heard one of the oul hands ask the barman what we wanted to watch, after telling him 'ah the grab all association', so that was enough for me in said establishment.

We then seemed to do a tour of every pub in Derry to get the game and on frequent occasions were told 'nah chelsea and aston villa are on' (another enthralling watch no doubt). We finally got a pub which i do believe we were told Henry or Seamus Downey are involved in at the bottom of Shipquay Street. Once we heard the Downey name we thought happy days theyll have it on and they did but to our bemusement and a little annoyance it was on the roof which was the smoking area. Of course on the other 2 or 3 floors Chelsea v Aston Villa was blasting out on about 20 tvs.

Needless to say i'll not make that same mistake again, we'll maybe stop in Ballymena the next time!!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 10/08/2015 16:47:20    1767430

'In my local at home, unless Donegal are playing, the soccer would nearly always be on ahead of the Gaelic, especially if any of the big teams are playing across the water. They might throw the GAA on in the wee tv in the corner but the soccer would definitely be on the bigger screen.'

Cheers Lockjaw and the anti casement brigade keep inferring that its only west belfast who show or are interested in soccer in Ulster!!

bumpernut (Antrim) - Posts: 1852 - 10/08/2015 16:52:49    1767440

Never had a problem anywhere in Dublin watching a GAA game in a pub.As hill said,there always plenty of screens to keep everybody happy.I never met a bar man who refused to put on a game.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 10/08/2015 17:11:26    1767454

Limerick is a tricky one. Rugby will be on before soccer in a lot of pubs which is great. When big hurling matches are on you ll have them on but never gaelic football. You'd be hard pressed to find a pub with that on unless it's the final.

BanTarleton (Clare) - Posts: 181 - 10/08/2015 18:17:19    1767507

Sport on TV in Pubs on Sunday
09/08/2015 21:40:47 sixtyfive
Was in Galway city to watch the hurling today and went to a span new Sports pub in Eyre Square.Watched the minor match on the silent screen, fair enough. But when the senior game Kilkenny v Waterford came on the staff turned up the volume for the Liverpool match.When I queried this, I was told that this is what people wanted. I don't know if that is the truth. Went to another new pub and the hurling was on most screens with sound commentary and great banter.
Is this the way these new foreign pubs are going to operate then maybe they would be better not been supported by the good Galway supporters. or visiting tourists.I believe I am speaking for the silent majority who go into watch a match during the summer Sundays and are disappointed by the service.
Is this what we want or should we just put up with it.What pub are you referring to? McGettigans is it? If there wasn't people watching the hurling and regulars etc wanted the soccer why shouldn't the hurling be shown. McGettigans if that was the pub is Irish and irish owned. They are not foreign pubs
10/08/2015 10:03:32 dahayeser
I believe there are restriction as to how many live games pubs can show in the UK but there are none here. If you walk through Cork City of a weekend for the next 9 months you will here the distinctive sound of English soccer commentary from virtually every pub you pass. For every visitor to our country we are sending them a message loud and clear. "What are you doing here? The real action is across the water!" Do you have a link to these restrictions on live games in pubs in UK? Whats wrong with pubs showing what their customers want?

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/08/2015 19:18:26    1767563