This GAA are a wealthy organisation needs to be examined more closely. Yes they have alot of property pitches etc but that just relieves the state from providing these facilities. They also generate alot of income but it is all recycled back into coaching and funding the various activities they engage in. The GAA accounts are published annually and they reveal there is no pot of gold being hoarded in Croke Park. Those local volunteers who do bag packing etc are raising funds to improve the lot of those under their care. I have done this myself and have alot of respect for those who are public spirited enough give of their free time supervising teenagers when they could be on the couch watching TV or propping up a barstool in the local pub.

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 24/08/2011 13:06:50    1018003

Omaghredhand:

Think I know Norman as well....)

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 24/08/2011 13:12:16    1018011

omaghredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 3166

1017974
s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 872

1017917 i think the man had a fair point. if you look at it without prejudice. The GAA are a very wealthy organisation. and it might appear that they are depriving other GENUINE CHARITIES of valuable fundraising slots. if this comment was made by a fianna fail or fine gael politician in Dublin would the reaction be different

The GAA may be a wealthy organisation centrally, however many, many clubs are virtually broke and are responsible for their own fundraising. Bear in mind that most clubs have to pay Croke Park and their county boards monstrous registration fees. Activities such as bag filling at Tescos and the like are not the preserve of charities. Indeed maybe some charities could make a bit more of an effort as I have very rarely seen any of these bag filling exercises. They are not depriving merely using their initiative. Your point regards FF or FG politicians is irrelevant as I would presume their is no sectarian undertone. By the way the scouts, soccer teams and various other bodies also engage in this type of fundraising, why were they not mentioned?

Ok point taken. if other sporting organisations are doing it then the man is indeed a bigot. I was just trying to give everybody the benefit of the doubt.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 24/08/2011 13:18:47    1018020

Omaghredhand , no the lad isn't called Norman. He's called Allan although I'll not mention his surname. He's a good lad and uniquely supports Tyrone and Rangers!! We tease him that he just likes the Red hand on the Tyrone crest!! -)

dubupnorth (Dublin) - Posts: 1897 - 24/08/2011 13:44:37    1018059

yawn...

Long_John (Down) - Posts: 299 - 24/08/2011 13:57:15    1018074

dubupnorth
County: Dublin
Posts: 1735

1017881 Appalling thing for a man who supposedly represents the electorate , catholic & protestant to come out with. I've lived in the 6 counties almost 10 years , mostly in Derry city but now in County Derry ( Portstewart , a very mixed and harmonious town) and I've friends on both sides of the religious divide.

You involved with Eoghan Rua Coleraine dubupnorth, pitch is practically in Portstewart?
Agreed on Portstewart being a mixed, harmonious town, unlike its neighbour Coleraine. (lived in Coleraine for the majority of my life, glad i got out)
Not a hope of our club organising a bag packing with either Tescos Portstewart or Coleraine, Tesco's just wouldnt risk their business.

bosch (Derry) - Posts: 873 - 24/08/2011 14:49:33    1018131

To my friend from Kerry,
You are indeed correct we should not have a political forum on the Hogan Stand, but recently there was a post on'Hurling in Weaker counties' whereby i commented on certain politicans at both local and national level who not only oppose but go out of their way to object to the development of the gaa in the 6 counties,

recently a new gaa development was given the go-ahead in the city of newry and belfast, major project for a gaa club, nearly every unionist politican opposed granting planning permission, and drew up a list of reasons, this was not published , it is these kind of 'behind the closed doors' which the gaa have to contend with,
Jim Wells is not new and opposed the setting up of goalposts in Auglislafin, Co. Down even though the land was private ( farmer's land) because it didn't have appropriate planning permission,

in the old days we were annoyed and angry, today we laugh at them and pity their narrow-mindness, tomorrow brings a bright future whether Jim's in it or not...

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 24/08/2011 15:02:17    1018143

The clubs should demand funding from central funds.The GAA squanders millions annually on managers,coaches,physios,hotels etc.Down here in the west they're squandering 12 million on a so-called centre of excellence in the middle of nowhere.I turn a deaf ear to the band of pioneers who come into the pub at 12 o'clock Sat.night extracting 2 euro from the drunks.Ever since I realised that 100 euro feeds a family of 10 for 6 months in Somalia.

worple (Roscommon) - Posts: 351 - 24/08/2011 15:15:01    1018147

Bosch , I'm not involved with Eoghan Rua , still involved with Colmcilles in Derry city as I played with them when I moved up here and my almost 9 yr old son plays with them. His mother still lives in the city and he seems happy playing with them so I'm not going to move him unless he's not happy. In saying that myself and the lady I'm now with are expecting twins and all going well , I'll get them involved with Eoghan Rua if we're still in the area. Pass their grounds almost every day and they have a very impressive set up and a great record too. your points about Tesco , Sainsbury's or Asda in Coleraine not doing a GAA bag packing are well made. Although I've worn GAA tops shopping in asda and not had a word said to me. Then again , I'm not a small lad so maybe that's why.

dubupnorth (Dublin) - Posts: 1897 - 24/08/2011 15:27:24    1018158

I have to laugh though at the DUP and their ilk though - a few years ago they would have just come straight out with their Anti-GAA stance whereas now they try to dress it up or create a smoke screen as to their true reason i.e. GAA baggers preventing other more deserving charities from collecting, cannot put up goal posts due to planning permission etc etc. Didn't hear Wells complain about the Pride of the Maine (and other flute bands) bagging in Ballymena nor the BB or Hockey or Rugby clubs whom you see while doing the Saturday shopping. Think the next time Jimbo is in Tesco or Sainsburys he should get himself a pack of plasters for his knuckles and stop worrying about who is collecting.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 24/08/2011 15:31:47    1018164

Well said cuchulainn,could not agree more. Dont get angry at this man.laugh at him. He and his like are losing and he knows it. To all the GAA volunteers out there,keep on trucking, your doin good work.

9801 (Galway) - Posts: 126 - 24/08/2011 16:08:43    1018235

Worple - I'm not sure what point you're making; your posts are a tad incoherent. I don't know what fundraising from drunks you're taking about, I've never encountered it, and I've spent a great deal of my time around both drunks and GAA men. Sometimes both at the same time.

I also don't see why you're comparing GAA fundraising to the famine in Somalia; I think it's in poor taste and inappropriate. For a start, you are not comparing like with like; one is a volunteer community based sporting organisation in need of funding at a local level, the other a humanitarian disaster. Secondly, donating to one does not preclude you from donating to the other, and if moneys tight then by all means donate to whichever means the most to you, but it gives you no right to criticise others who may chose to donate to other causes.

Secondly, you have made an awful lot assertions vis a vis the wealth of the GAA in general, and how it has "squandered millions", but you have failed to support either claim. Am I to understand that both allegations are based on nothing more than hearsay and your own personal opinion? If so, it belies more than a little bias on your part, which in turn only serves to undermine your position on GAA related matters.

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 24/08/2011 16:28:41    1018262

Well said cuchulainn.

As someone else noted, the fact that he has to hide his prejudice instead of being open about it like 30 years ago shows the progress made. In another 30 years hopefully his great grandson will bring sam home to down....

hurlinspuds (Cork) - Posts: 1494 - 24/08/2011 16:32:02    1018265

Festinog.You're a bit illogical yourself.
My first point...fundraisers..drunks(arguably I should have said drinkers) refers to the lotto.Its nearly midnight in the pub.The lotto lads arrive.They start at one end and go right through the customers with the tickets.No one escapes.Of course you dont have to buy them.But as everyone knows everyone and people in their weakness(especially towards midnight in a pub) dont wish to be marked down as a mean so and so,they assent.Now the next chap(equally determined not to be a mean git),assents as well.And so on.
Questions arise
1.Why dont they start earlier,when people might be expected to be in a more lucid state?
2.Why dont they just stand on a stool and announce that the tickets are available in one particular corner and anyone who wants them can have them?
3.Why dont they knock on the doors of the rich guys around town who never frequent social gatherings?
4.Is it not an exercise in targetting a captive audience,using a mild form of blackmail?.
Thats the first point made a little clearer.
The above amplification may seem to be tedious labouring of a point but... heck ...you did challenge the coherency of the post.
I'm happy to do a two page dissertation on the other points,especially the miniscule needs of GAA clubs compared to great world disasters.
And the "white elephant" centre of excellence is in Bekan Co.Mayo-do you think its worth 12 million?.

worple (Roscommon) - Posts: 351 - 24/08/2011 21:31:57    1018490

Yes we have come a long way, if a bigot attempting to justify bigotry by dressing it up in supposed concern for charities, can be considered progress. Unfortunately this bigot will be reelected by the overwhelming numbers of supporting bigots who put him there in the first place. The more things change the more they stay the same.

derryman (Derry) - Posts: 3246 - 24/08/2011 21:52:02    1018513

just regarding the lotto collectors. It is a thankless task... i would much rather be in there drinking with you than going round collecting but someone has to do it. someone has to raise funds for improved dressing rooms, new stands, new pitches,footballs,training kit etc etc. sure isn't it even worse at mass. they hold the bloody box in fron of you or they issue envelops with your name on them.

having said that I have seen pubs which have all the lotto cards on the counter from football,soccer,handball and all other clubs and if people want to fill them in they can. It is less intrusive.. but I'll bet it doesn't raise as much.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 25/08/2011 08:48:08    1018548

dubupnorth
County: Dublin
Posts: 1737

1018158 Bosch , I'm not involved with Eoghan Rua , still involved with Colmcilles in Derry city as I played with them when I moved up here and my almost 9 yr old son plays with them. His mother still lives in the city and he seems happy playing with them so I'm not going to move him unless he's not happy. In saying that myself and the lady I'm now with are expecting twins and all going well , I'll get them involved with Eoghan Rua if we're still in the area. Pass their grounds almost every day and they have a very impressive set up and a great record too. your points about Tesco , Sainsbury's or Asda in Coleraine not doing a GAA bag packing are well made. Although I've worn GAA tops shopping in asda and not had a word said to me. Then again , I'm not a small lad so maybe that's why.

Never usually much bother for me either with regards gaelic tops around the town, but obviously i stay out of the real rough areas or your just asking for trouble.
Had a few things said about "letting any scum walk the street" while wearing a Dromore club top....maybe it was cos it was Dromore and not GAA in general though lol (no offence to Dromore people)

bosch (Derry) - Posts: 873 - 25/08/2011 09:25:29    1018561

There are many ethical business ways to raise money for clubs.
For example.A Ladies club.Women(God bless 'em) spend loads of money on cosmetics,perfumes,wellbeing etc.Mostly in high street shops.With new ways of working ,some cosmetic manufacturing companies distribute by direct sales,mail order,thus cutting out the middleman.The money saved is diverted back to the customer.Any enterprising woman in a club could organise a mini-business whereby the members ordered online and all the (considerable) profits go to the club rather than the multinationals.
Now, the fellas might not be interested in cosmetics(well...you never know!).But they could find something similar,like sports drinks.Some companies do sponsor in this regard,but really, they only have their own interests in mind.
So there you are guys,you had me figured for just a moaner.
No indeed, the future is bright for those who are sharp and receptive to new ideas.
With its vast network of people/clubs,the GAA is ideally placed to ride this new wave and lets consign all this North /South rubbish talk to the dustbin.
Its a together thing.

worple (Roscommon) - Posts: 351 - 25/08/2011 12:52:50    1018753

agree Bosch. Wouldn't be wearing a GAA top around Ballysally or the area near the showgrounds. That would be just asking for bother and although I'm able to look after myself , I'm not bullet or knife proof!!

dubupnorth (Dublin) - Posts: 1897 - 25/08/2011 12:58:23    1018762

Worple, please stop now.
You start by describing a few lads selling lotto tickets in a bar, and make it sound like the Gestapo doing a round-up.

Then you advise GAA clubs to start small business'es in order to finance themselves. Which would have profound impacts on the current status of the organisation. To continue with your example, starting any business, no matter how small, requires capital, business insurance, registry costs, tax payment etc. etc. etc. Are the women who pour the time, expense and effort into starting said industries supposed to bear all this themselves? Obviously not. There is a very good reason organisations like the GAA have fund-raising drives in all shapes and forms; they are NOT a business.

As a matter of interest, do you have the same problem with youth clubs, the scouts, girl guides, etc. also fund raising, or are your objections limited solely to the GAA?

festinog (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 25/08/2011 17:07:33    1019068