Peter Fitzpatrick, John O Mahoney, Sean Kelly, Graham Gerahty, Brian Whelan. What is it with Fine Gael and GAA personalities at the moment? Is it just a hard and fast way of getting a popular candidate? Sure even Enda played a few National League games with Mayo I think.

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 24/01/2011 21:31:58    853096

I would say either Eoin O Duffy or Fine Gael has the best policies.

Grattonboy (Monaghan) - Posts: 143 - 24/01/2011 21:45:04    853114

it's a strange one alright as fine gael and the GAA would be polar opposites in outlook.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 25/01/2011 08:27:46    853145

And what outlook does the GAA have Tom? Half a million members, I would have imagined there'd be a lot of different outlooks involved.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 25/01/2011 10:46:23    853196

I think Tom meant a traditonally opposite outlook.

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 25/01/2011 10:55:51    853207

2011 now and the GAA, church and FF bond is the past. Much as I love the GAA, its time to move away from the cronism, old boys club and vote people because they can make our lives better and fairer.

kerrykerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1779 - 25/01/2011 11:25:27    853228

doublehop, check out the GAA's aims a bnd then you'll see. I presume members of the GAA aren't opposed to the aims of the organisation they joined!

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 25/01/2011 11:47:29    853240

in what way do FG and the GAA have opposing outlooks??

It's just a way to get a popular candidate. Geraghty was a very poor candidate. It's more of the same, power over policy. We need to get people who will change the course of the country, instead people will vote for the parties their grandparents voted for.

This captures it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY&feature=player_embedded

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 25/01/2011 11:53:55    853245

Are you talking about this?
http://www.gaa.ie/about-the-gaa/mission-and-vision/
How do those aims conflict with any political party?

I suppose maybe in the North the GAA makes a statement of your political views but I don't accept that being the case in the South. Charlie McCreevy and Jack Wall both regularly attend Kildare matches and they're clearly from opposite ends of the political spectrum. I mean yer man Luke 'Ming' Flanagan is big into following Roscommon, how does he fit into your idea of a typical GAA politician?

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 25/01/2011 12:26:26    853284

And they like the RTE pundits as well. If the episode with George Lee wasn't enough they had RTE sports reporter Barry O'Neill in the Donegal bye-election and that didn't work out either. I just wonder will they try another media person.

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 25/01/2011 13:11:52    853328

I would agree with the previous post, fine gael and the GAA are poles apart especially for those from a northern persuasion, but political parties have always tried to attract people in the public eye, Louth is seriously lacking those with charisma, M. McGuiness FG isn't standing just taking her safe MEP seat - but her background was in a RTE farming programme, FG are worried with the introduction of gerry adams - each political party has used the gaa for its own ends - Jimmy Dinehan captained Kerry in 1980 to an all-ireland and is then propelled into politics withFG, Barney Rock was courted by the PD's, and Brian Whelan didn't turn his fame into electoral sucess, Jack Lynch had little time for politics in his early career but gets the popular FF vote, John Donnellan uses his galway gaa conections to be TD for Clann na Tamlacha (i think), Sean kelly had little or no involvement in politics and is then propelled into a safe MEP seat for FG,
probably the real true example of the gaa and politics is Dan Spring 1940 all-ireland winning captain - Dan was always involved in politics and was an active trade union official in the dingle region, but he used his gaa background to great effect to be elected in each election up until the 1970's when Dick took over, what is interesting here is thatDan was was always involved in politics..... not the othe way round

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 25/01/2011 13:34:15    853356

i think you hit the nail on the head there Hurlinspuds.

"This captures it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY&feature=player_embedded "

freddy2 (Wexford) - Posts: 215 - 25/01/2011 14:05:59    853393

Are you talking about this?
http://www.gaa.ie/about-the-gaa/mission-and-vision/
How do those aims conflict with any political party?

No, I wasn't talking about that.
Not going to read through them all but for a start the one about acting with integrity seems to conflict with some.

As for your other comments they aren't really worth responding to as they are factually incorrect but i'll humour you this once, in the north politicians from opposite ends of the political spectrum also attend GAA matches and are members of the GAA for example; Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, SDLP members regularly attend GAA matches and in my own club we have members from all 3.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 25/01/2011 14:15:05    853400

Thanks for humouring me. I obviously need it because reading back over my post I still don't see anything which is "factually incorrect".

My point originally was that I didn't think being a member of any political party was at odds with being a member of the GAA (this is an opinion). My comment about the North was obviously in relation to members of the unionist community (and either way I don't think anyone attempting to state a fact starts their sentance with "I suppose maybe..."). I can only assume you know something about the individuals match-attending habits that I mentioned that I don't know.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 25/01/2011 15:15:30    853463

anybody is and should be entitled to join the GAA regardless of religion or political opinion, however it is strange and against the norm for people to join theGAA and parties such as fine gael, dup etc as these parties would not be nationalist in outlook whereas the GAA is (as can be derived from the aims i mentioned earlier). There is however nothing wrong with someone from parties in the unionist spectrum such as dup or fine gael joining the gaa and infact it should be welcomed.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 25/01/2011 15:36:06    853486

I dont mean to derail the topic but what accent is in that video. I quite rather like it haha

"This captures it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY&feature=player_embedded "

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 25/01/2011 15:47:35    853493

"parties in the unionist spectrum such as dup or fine gael"

The civil war is over lads. As hurlinspuds said earlier there is no difference in ideology between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. That USC charge that's taking a huge clump of my wages this month, now that needs to be looked at!

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 25/01/2011 16:40:12    853532

Funny though it usually was football GAA stalwarts joined FG, hurling stalwarts joined FF.

Puddersthecat (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1692 - 25/01/2011 17:31:26    853582

I cannot suffer any party led by a Mayoman. FG won't get my vote.

farmer2 (Sligo) - Posts: 442 - 25/01/2011 17:50:09    853616

Fine Gael is largely detested by Northern Nationalists and consequently most Northern Gaels and this merely confirms the lack of understanding and lack of kinship that 26 county GAA members have with the North. John Bruton wasn't called John Unionist for nothing, including by much of the media, while the party have consistantly displayed their strong Unionist and British Monarchy sympathies. Therefore it is very very difficult for Northern GAA people to see so many in the organisation in the South tie up with Fine Gael. Then again I suppose these people see Fine Gael from a different angle and as their only chance to get elected on a non-Fianna Fail ticket. Hate is a strong word but I would reserve it, in my case, for the Blueshirts.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 25/01/2011 18:40:09    853685