Must bring to readers attention an incident that happened recently in the Hayes Hotel recently.
Sunday 27th Nov attended Crusheen v Na Piarsaigh Munster Hurling Final in Semple Stadium, and afterwards went to Hayes Hotel, where our founder fathers met in 1884, to watch the Leinster Hurling Final ( Deferred coverage on T Na G),.
The match was on the Screen behind the Bar, we bought two lunches whilst we awaited other members of our party to arrive and sat down to dine and watch the game, low and behold, after about 10 mins, the Barman turned the Hurling off to watch the English soccer game. Liverpool v Man City.
I approached him and told him we were watching the Hurling, only to be informed that the two men at the Bar wanted to see the Soccer.
I objected strongly, only to be brushed aside by the Barman, we sent a message to our other friends not to come, finished our food and left, and on the way out made a complaint to the Staff at Reception.

sam02 (Tyrone) - Posts: 643 - 05/12/2011 11:00:10    1080037

Ridiculous situation, maybe thats why when I last visited the place it was empty - except for a few bums at the bar maybe they are all that is keeping the place open.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4955 - 05/12/2011 11:49:54    1080057

been there many a time & as much as i love going to thurles i wont ever go in there again.i was in a simlar situation a few years ago

hitmanhart (Limerick) - Posts: 496 - 05/12/2011 12:21:37    1080082

It may be possible that the barman in question is a Liverpool or Man City supporter and that is why they were watching it. It is annoying when the GAA is turned over for soccer and i'm not trying to defend a pub in Tipp but it probably said on a sign outside the front door what matches they were showing.

Footballforever (UK) - Posts: 92 - 05/12/2011 15:34:08    1080197

It has to be said you were asking for a deferred match to be shown over a live match. Although it doesn't sound like he even attempted to justify it to you anyway so you are right to be angry.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 05/12/2011 15:45:04    1080207

Only 1 TV in the whole Bar??

Dubfan Abroad (Dublin) - Posts: 282 - 05/12/2011 16:03:33    1080223

I suppose the crowd in charge of the hotel can argue that they have no obligation to the GAA and if a couple of regular Customers wanted to watch the Football and a couple of strangers wanted to watch a GAA game then they felt they should oblige the regulars. However this works both ways and if they seek the patronage of the GAA then GAA people should indeed make their feelings known, their e-mail address is available on their website, maybe if enough of us registered our displeasure there might be some response. However I do agree its amazing that a Hotel has only one television and has not the ability to show two Sporting events simultaneously.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 05/12/2011 17:02:40    1080272

As someone else said live soccer is probably the main attraction of modern day bars/hotels and will always hold sway over the likes of GAA club games but given the history of the hotel you would have thought they might have had another TV where you could have watched it. However I believe customer service in the hospitality industry North and South leaves a lot to be desired, in fact it is dire. Most Irish people don't have the service mentality like foreign and American staff and will usually do something very reluctantly and with a sour face. It's very offputting in shops/bars/restaurants/hotels and it's really no wonder the industry is dying on it's arse.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9819 - 05/12/2011 17:37:24    1080296

I wouldnt really criticise the pub.Not too much anyway.When you have deferred coverage of a game,involving two clubs(neither from Tipperary),alot of people in fairness would rather watch the Pool/City game(which is a big game in the EPL in fairness).Id personally rather watch the hurling but I wouldnt lose sleep over it. Thats what the Gaa is up against in modern Ireland.I think it would be a good idea for the Gaa to try to link up with sky sports news and attempt to get our games covered on that channel.
Imagine the lovely Hayley McQueen previewing the all Ireland hurling/football finals.That would do no harm to the promotion of our games as alot of people in this country watch that channel regularly.

TheRoad (Galway) - Posts: 1339 - 05/12/2011 18:27:31    1080341

It should be bought out by a syndicate of true gaels. Throw out the few regulars that dont comply, there would be killing to be made from customers that turn up a a few times a year plus the few packed out days during the summer when it's full to the rafters anyway

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 05/12/2011 20:03:43    1080427

its the poor attitude of the bar staff is the problem here rather than the fact that the soccer was on the telly instead of hurling. Whats different with most pubs in the country? Hayes' can be deceiving on big match days its great craic but ive been in there on regular hours and its your bog-standard hotel bar, service dosent tend to be exemplary. If a barman told me in a normal manner that he couldnt put on deferred club hurling because regulars were watching soccer i couldt argue with that, no matter what bar it was.

deisebhoy (Waterford) - Posts: 416 - 05/12/2011 20:23:31    1080439

The barman was dead right. The vast majority of people would want to watch the soccer over some club game, if twas an intercounty game i could understand but a club game, which is defferred and in Irish???.... what did u expect? a red carpet and champagne in front of the fire.. get over it

miketyson (Limerick) - Posts: 2748 - 05/12/2011 20:25:54    1080441

They pay for sky sports, they may aswel use it!

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1713 - 05/12/2011 20:35:42    1080446

mike I don't think the issue is all about the Hotel showing the Soccer in preference to the GAA, its about the attitude shown by Staff on the day, and in their subsequent handling of the complaint.

corkcelt (Cork) - Posts: 4388 - 05/12/2011 20:41:35    1080451

Wont be goin in there again..

Blackwater (Kildare) - Posts: 102 - 05/12/2011 21:12:59    1080473

was the food nice ??????

dubbydave. (Dublin) - Posts: 3927 - 05/12/2011 21:27:12    1080487

well done for highlighting this, but one doesn't have to travel to the historic hayes hotel, i've encountered this in many a south armagh drinking establishment,

the problem is many on the hogan stand are gaa people but there are many out there with just a passing interest in our games......

i remember many years ago the red lion in teddington, which sponsored the st. mary's strawberry gaa team, had an irish landlord and an irish clientel , put on a soccer match (lower league) than the gaa - it was the man behind the bar who wanted it on........

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 05/12/2011 21:51:21    1080507

I was in The Royal Hotel in Killarney last Sunday after Crokes match and asked the bar man to change over to see deferred coverage of Na Piarsiagh match. He duly obliged. And Killarney is far from hurling country. Maybe you just met an ignoramus. Must say I cant bear going into a pub after a match ( Hurling or Football)and seeing soccer on the telly. I could'nt bear to watch that rubbish after watching real sport!!!!!!

creb (Limerick) - Posts: 131 - 06/12/2011 09:58:03    1080547

Thought it was supposed to be only us Dubs that are into Soccer??

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 06/12/2011 10:43:19    1080577

TheRoad
County: Galway
Posts: 307

1080341
I wouldnt really criticise the pub.Not too much anyway.When you have deferred coverage of a game,involving two clubs(neither from Tipperary),alot of people in fairness would rather watch the Pool/City game(which is a big game in the EPL in fairness).Id personally rather watch the hurling but I wouldnt lose sleep over it. Thats what the Gaa is up against in modern Ireland.I think it would be a good idea for the Gaa to try to link up with sky sports news and attempt to get our games covered on that channel.
Imagine the lovely Hayley McQueen previewing the all Ireland hurling/football finals.That would do no harm to the promotion of our games as alot of people in this country watch that channel regularly

you set yourself up here for me with your words
ALOT OF PEOPLE WOULD RATHER WATCH POOL/CITY GAME WHICH IS A BIG GAME IN THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE.
what country is the pub in answer ireland therefore irish sport should get preferance over foreign,you might at least have an argument if it was an irish soccer match but for a hotel that advertises itself as the birth place of the gaa to refuse to show a gaa match over a foreign soccer match is not right and why on earth could they not show 1 match on 1 tv and the other on another.i wonder if an american football match was on the same time would they have left that on

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 06/12/2011 11:26:37    1080599