READ THIS : Initially the GAA made little inroad on cricket in Kilkenny, and indeed the game's popularity peaked as late as 1896, when there were 50 active teams. Cricket may have delayed the spread of the GAA in County Kilkenny, aided by post-Parnellite dissensions in the GAA board there in the early 1890s. By 1898 it could be said of Gowran (home of D. J. Carey) that 'This is essentially a cricketing village'. The only surviving cricket pavilion in the county is on the Gowran pitch-and-putt course, and that historic building should be an object for planning protection.
As a Tipperary man, O'Dwyer does not shy away from recording the lamentable state of hurling in late nineteenth-century Kilkenny. Modern-day Kilkenny is ringed by its four outstanding hurling clubs, but in the nineteenth century ten different cricket clubs were based there, shown on an intriguing map on page 130. In 1887 Michael Cusack's Celtic Times despatched an observer to report on the state of hurling in Kilkenny. He saw a hurling match in the town with no spectators present, 'a fact which proves conclusively what little hold the GAA has taken on Kilkenny'. He went on to deplore the quality on offer: 'The hurling of both teams was, we believe, the worst and most spiritless ever witnessed on an Irish hillside . . . It would break the heart of a Moycarkey or Galway Gael to witness such a contemptible perversion of the grand old dashing game of hurling'.
So bad was the situation that an 1895 letter-writer to the Kilkenny Journal implored the cricket clubs to help out the GAA by playing football and hurling in the winter months: 'They should now form themselves into football clubs or perhaps I should have said hurling, or both . . . The GAA should have its own club in every parish'. The advice must have been acted on, as Kilkenny won its first hurling All-Ireland in 1904: it is possible that cricket proved the salvation for Kilkenny hurling. Perhaps this should not come as too much of a surprise; some of the skills of both games overlap, although cricket lacks the physical intensity of hurling. So it is salutary to be reminded that Henry Meagher, father of Lory, was a mainstay of the Tullaroan cricket team in the 1880s, as were the Fennelly family later in the Ballyhale area.
On the eve of the First World War, twenty cricket teams were still active in the county. The game was not played in the miserable sporting decade from 1914 to 1924 but it enjoyed a renewed spurt between 1924 and 1931, with almost twenty teams again playing the game. The Second World War caused more lean years; after it, there was a brief revival and then the game finally sputtered out. In 1958 Mount Juliet became the sole surviving Kilkenny club, albeit relying primarily on outside players.
This detailed book certainly opens a new vista on the sports history of Ireland. It is salutary to be reminded that cricket teams flourished in places like Mullinavat, Clohastia, Windgap, Tullaroan, Templeorum, Kilmoganny, Knockmoylan and Coolyhune. We can add this study to books on the game in Kildare, Carlow and Tipperary and a recent thesis on Westmeath, featured in History Ireland

Wicklowman (Wicklow) - Posts: 1142 - 05/03/2011 11:38:27    881793

I can only really speak with any authority on north cork, that feeds my opinion of ireland at the time. We, in north cork, never played cricket. Hurling was always the number one sport and has actually decreased in popularity from its height. I've never even met an Irish man who plays cricket. It looks like fun to play but i don't understand it. It seems sure, to answer the thread, that it wouldn't make any sense to have a cricket match in croker.

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 05/03/2011 11:53:55    881800

Atta
I think you will find that there will never any problem with other sports being played in the Aviva as for your dig at Shamrock rovers ,Thomas Davis were very stupid to try and stop Tallaght stadium as it was always a soccer and rugby stadium as Thomas Davis have recieved huge grants for their club but they still have managed to get themselves in to huge debt and hopefully the banks come down on them hard as they will get what they deserve,they would be better trying to bring the GAA to the working class estates in Tallaght than trying to stop soccer .
Hopefully people will get up in the morning and watch the cricketers play against India lets hope for a good performance.

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 05/03/2011 20:53:22    882094

Poor form to say you a hope any club goes to the wall Tinrylandman.

They're hardly the only club in trouble.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 05/03/2011 21:12:33    882105

Double hop never said I wanted them to go to the wall ,just that they should get what they deserve just like the soccer team I love Bohs got what they deserved .If they have spent to much money they have to pay the price,

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 05/03/2011 21:47:06    882145

Comparing the troubles of an amatuer gaa club to that of a so called professional soccer club
is stupid. Gaa clubs for the most part built high quality facilties for the benefit of their parish.
Soccer clubs spent money paying average to poor footballers wages they could never afford
These soccer clubs are businesses that were unviable from day one when they chose to pay
journeymen big wages to play in their dumps of soccer grounds for example drogheda utd
and bohs and not forgetting shamrock rovers who would remind you of wimbledon football club

atta (Meath) - Posts: 705 - 06/03/2011 15:45:09    882280

atta
County: Meath
Posts: 235

You should also note thatthe tax payer built a football field in tallaght for shamrock rovers,
one of irelands leading "professional" soccer teams and point blank refused to give thomas
davis use of the same pitch.

As much as I enjoy giving out about Shamrock Rovers you're wrong here.

Thomas Davies acted disgracefully over that issue and built up a huge amount of ill-will for the GAA.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13796 - 06/03/2011 17:24:41    882368

would be great to see them in croker but its very unlikely have to say its getting popular theres now a fully grown criket club in sligo and its probobly more popular than hurling in sligo .big game for irish team tomorrow good luck to them

farmer.2 (Sligo) - Posts: 69 - 10/03/2011 18:42:19    885870

would they allow tiddley winks to be played

hipster (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 10/03/2011 19:28:53    885926

Not that I'd be in favour of cricket in Croker but as for the ground not being right for it, they could play a charity game there like 1 that was played in the Millenium Stadium a couple of years ago where you get more runs the higher you hit it into the stand, i.e. the normal 6 runs for clearing the boundary (or landing it in the bottom tier), 8 runs for the secind tier and 10 runs for the third tier

killer_88_ (Mayo) - Posts: 2040 - 11/03/2011 09:15:13    886117

"Oh, it's cricket. Marvelous game, really. You see, the bowler hurls the ball towards the batter, who tries to play away a fine leg. He endeavors to score by dashing between the creases, provided the wicket keeper hasn't whipped his bails off, of course."

As for the Tallaght/Rovers/Thomas Davis thing.
Thomas Davis had the support of several other high profile South Dublin clubs in this case a few years ago. They all pulled the plug one by one and left Thomas Davis holding the can. And now they're in serious, serious debt because of it. Unfortunately for them, Thomas Davis took the fall for this whole incident but it could just as easily have been shared among those other GAA clubs initially involved!

OffalyBigBall (Offaly) - Posts: 635 - 11/03/2011 09:43:53    886132

As for the Tallaght/Rovers/Thomas Davis thing.
Somebody got the sniff of money re: deveolopers and went with it, they are now reaping the rewards. It's ironic who their new neighbours are

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 11/03/2011 09:55:44    886141

Real Kerry Fan
County: All
Posts: 1988

881176 Tiddlywinks for Croke Park also.

She's busy rehearsing for Panto

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 11/03/2011 09:56:55    886144

dhorse
County: Laois
Posts: 7531

886144
Real Kerry Fan
County: All
Posts: 1988

881176 Tiddlywinks for Croke Park also.

She's busy rehearsing for Panto

Oh no she isn't !

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1066 - 11/03/2011 10:33:29    886170

Maroonatic
County: Galway
Posts: 297

886170 dhorse
County: Laois
Posts: 7531

886144
Real Kerry Fan
County: All
Posts: 1988

881176 Tiddlywinks for Croke Park also.

She's busy rehearsing for Panto

Oh no she isn't !

She's behind ya!!!

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 11/03/2011 10:40:38    886183