Ah Tinryland man I thought I covered everything in the last post. I'll try one more time very briefly. 1) A Tax break is money there are no tax breaks going to non professionals. It is clearly discriminatory and should be abolished. There is much more given by the govt this way than by other methods. 40million to IRB alone EACH YEAR. 2) Shamrock Rovers were given a FREE Stadium and it is Maintained including even Grass Cutting by South Dublin County Council FREE of charge. I dont care what the High Court said any reasonable person would see that as being very biased particularly at a time when the GAA (after much soul searching) gave Croke Park to their International colleagues. On top of that soccer any rugby (which also uses Tallagh Stadium) are supposed to be a business but they are getting more total funding than the GAA. And I reiterate Shamrock Rovers unlike the other GAA clubs have no history in the area. 3) My choice of occupations was not comprehensive enough but your nit picking does not obscure the fact that the spread of so called classes is much greater in the GAA than any other sporting body. Finally saying something is FACT might make you happy but it doesn,t make it true no matter how often you say it. As one who followed and admired Eire Og in their glory years when they went so close to winning the All Ireland club title I am surprised that a Carlow man wouldn't have more pride in his native sports and their contribution to Irish society. This argument is now becoming repitive and closed as far as I am concerned "there are none so blind as those who will not see"

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 06/10/2009 00:16:00    445981

Mod you still didnt answer the question the question why was the ESRI report flawed I am supposed to believe you before the high court and the ESRI dont think so pal.

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 06/10/2009 01:39:37    446005

Lads...you're getting off the point slightly....

Fact is our Gaelic Games Athletes are being treated like chumps by the ISS and the Government.

No one seems to care apart from a hand full of true Gaels.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 06/10/2009 13:56:28    446280

this is terrible

mondred (Wexford) - Posts: 872 - 06/10/2009 18:15:06    446594

Tinyrylandman, I have not seen this ESRI report of which you speak. However, I assume that the point mod is making is that the ESRI report does not include the substantial tax breaks (money) given to professional sports, and that is what makes it flawed? Mods point about the GAA being classless when compared to other sports would appear to be true here in Cork. I cannot speak for Dublin or indeed Carlow. But down here GAA has members of all social classes. Rugby has traditionally been for wealthier people and has little presence in rural areas, whilst soccer is played by all, but again hasn't gained much foothold outside the towns. However, rugby and soccer are certainly becoming more all embracing, whilst GAA may be loosing popularity in some working class areas. It is changing, but I would still wager that there are a great deal more GAA members than those of any other sport in Cork. I'd be surprised if it was significantly different in any other county outside of Dublin. It is little wonder therefore, that people will question the respect given to GAA players by the government. In rural Ireland (or Cork anyway - maybe Carlow is radically different), almost everyone is a member of the local club. The same cannot be said of local soccer clubs, and there is often no such thing as a local rugby club. If all of us are members, then it's little wonder that we seek respect for our games and those who play them.

Culchie (Cork) - Posts: 799 - 06/10/2009 18:22:22    446604

Definately my last comment on this. First of all I didn't say the report was flawed check back on the posts. I think it is an excellent document although I wonder if you read it. It is high in its praise of the GAA quote "The report highlights the unique contribution of the GAA as one the "great generators of social capital in Ireland". With its large share of volunteering, memberships in sports clubs and attendance at sporting events, the GAA, is a model of what the voluntary, community-based sports organisation can contribute to society." Unquote AND again quote "The GAA's organisational strength is greater than the relative numbers of those who play its games would suggest. It is by far the largest sports body in the country and is the strongest representative of the voluntarist, community-based model of sports organisation." unquote AND quote"The size and strength of the GAA as a sports organisation is not the only aspect of its unusual character and gives an incomplete indication of its significance in Irish life. The most notable of its other features is the wide range of social and cultural objectives it sets itself, over and above its activities in sport. The GAA (football, hurling, camogie and ladies football) accounts for 42 per cent of all volunteering - 21 per cent for Gaelic football, 15 per cent for hurling, 4 per cent for camogie and 2 per cent for ladies football (Table 3.3). After the combined Gaelic games, soccer is the next most volunteered-for activity at 17 per cent of volunteers. There is then a considerable gap to the next sports, with swimming at 6 per cent of volunteers, and golf, basketball, rugby and athletics at 3-4 per cent each." unquote This is all from the ESRI report The ESRI also comments on the classless nature of the GAA which totally undermines your argument on that score. Quote " The GAA, by contrast, has a wide social class spread in its membership: while 40 per cent of its members are from either the skilled or semi-skilled manual classes, 33 per cent are from the higher or lower professional classes (Table 4.6). It attracts more members in the skilled and semi-skilled manual classes (39 and 29 per cent respectively) than any other sport. Tennis is quite concentrated in the professional classes, with over half its membership coming from higher or lower professional classes, as are golf and swimming to a somewhat lesser degree." Unquote My observation on funding is understood by the other contributers (the report doesnt cover the tax aspect which is extremely valuable to Rugby and Soccer and discriminates against Gaelic. The 47% figure you quoted is NOWHERE in the report although a figure much less than this is given for all GAA funding (remember the GAA is 2 major sports Hurling and Football and a number of smaller ones). I could go on but It becomes tedious for other readers this is definately the end of this topic as far as I am concerned it has been beaten to death.

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 06/10/2009 23:46:36    447065

mod
County: Mayo
Posts: 79

Good post Mod... actually an excellent post.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 07/10/2009 15:15:48    447628