Just a few points in regards to Teddy McCarthy's silly rant, I have taken out some excerpts todays piece on Hogan Stand.....

Teddy McCarthyTeddy McCarthy is adamant that the GAA should not make its grounds available to rugby.

- Good lad Teddy.

(....)

"But it was the GAA who had the foresight to build these grounds and pitches. Okay, they may have got grants and the taxman's money but they had the plans.

"Why haven't rugby been able to do it? Why hasn't Musgrave Park been redeveloped or Ravenhill or one in Connacht? They had plenty of time to do it and they still do ahead of 2023.

- Musgrave Park has been developed Teddy, as has the Sportgrounds in Galway and also in the process of redevelopment of Ravenhill. So I am afraid he has no leg to stand on there. Might I also add, the RDS is in line for a make over.

(....)

"We're ten or 14 years' out from a World Cup possibly being held here and surely that is enough time for the IRFU to get their house in order and improve their stadiums and build other ones if necessary. But instead they're looking to stage it on the back of the GAA. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt us."

-How could it possibly come back to haunt the GAA? If its going to take place in Ireland anyway then surely it would get the same exposure if it was on a GAA pitch or not? Why would IRFU build new (20,000-30,000 sized) stadia just for one event. I smell the white elephant. We don't have rugby teams to put into the Stadium's because we only have four actual worthwhile teams in Ireland and our domestic soccer teams aren't up to much either.

The GAA will make money but Teddy McCarthy is everything thats old fashioned about the GAA.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1666 - 26/03/2013 12:31:11    1356546

Back to the cliches again ashure. The GAA invests every cent it makes back in the game unlike rugby who (with generous government tax breaks) give inflated salaries to second rate players. It is unique in Europe as a national sport that it attracts over 1 million followers through its turnstiles year after year. This support for a sport that has virtually no international dimension is plus the fact that its finals every year bring 80,000 plus from an all island population of about 5.5 million is amazing. It is a part of our popular culture that should be cherished. There is a section of Irish society which feel threatened by this popularity and resort to characterisations like "old fashioned" "begrudgers" "coming of age" "bitter" "insular". Perhaps those of us like Teddy who object to handing over our stadia to promote a competitor see such a course of action as "unwise"

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 26/03/2013 14:10:20    1356648

25/03/2013 16:24:44
mod
I wonder when rugby might do something for little ole Ireland? I note Brian OD held his testimonial over in London, did the organisers not think the Irish hotels could use the business especially in this recession?
That was one event for O Driscoll that will be held over the space of 1 year. He has a dinner in Dublin very soon
link


26/03/2013 14:10:20
mod
Back to the cliches again ashure. The GAA invests every cent it makes back in the game unlike rugby who (with generous government tax breaks) give inflated salaries to second rate players. It is unique in Europe as a national sport that it attracts over 1 million followers through its turnstiles year after year. This support for a sport that has virtually no international dimension is plus the fact that its finals every year bring 80,000 plus from an all island population of about 5.5 million is amazing. It is a part of our popular culture that should be cherished. There is a section of Irish society which feel threatened by this popularity and resort to characterisations like "old fashioned" "begrudgers" "coming of age" "bitter" "insular". Perhaps those of us like Teddy who object to handing over our stadia to promote a competitor see such a course of action as "unwise"
Jesus h Christ you are bitter.
Go back ages and you consistently have regular go's at rugby.
What salaries are inflated? Which players are second rate?
Rugby invests huge money back into the grass roots. Look at the IRFU annual accounts and you will see that

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/03/2013 14:46:19    1356681

Mod, what are you trying to say? Rugby is a professional sport, players need to be paid wages and not every cent goes back into gaelic games, trust me there. I do not think for one second that the IRFU feel threatened by the GAA, in fact, its the other way around. If Ireland get the tournament without the help of the GAA, it will get the same expose anyway. But it must be stressed, without the GAA, we won't be able to take on this tournament alone. So your overall point is you don't want to hand over the stadia to cherish the GAA while the country loses out on 100 or so million being pumped into the economy by visiting supporters and enthusiasts. Very good Mod, very very good. Look at the bigger picture and don't be narrow minded, for as long as the kids are out playing football and hurling on a Sunday morning, the GAA will be alive.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1666 - 26/03/2013 14:58:33    1356695

mod
County: Mayo
Posts: 562

1356648
Back to the cliches again ashure. The GAA invests every cent it makes back in the game unlike rugby who (with generous government tax breaks) give inflated salaries to second rate players. It is unique in Europe as a national sport that it attracts over 1 million followers through its turnstiles year after year. This support for a sport that has virtually no international dimension is plus the fact that its finals every year bring 80,000 plus from an all island population of about 5.5 million is amazing. It is a part of our popular culture that should be cherished. There is a section of Irish society which feel threatened by this popularity and resort to characterisations like "old fashioned" "begrudgers" "coming of age" "bitter" "insular". Perhaps those of us like Teddy who object to handing over our stadia to promote a competitor see such a course of action as "unwise"

Very well said mod and teddy.

Tom1916 (Armagh) - Posts: 2001 - 26/03/2013 15:04:44    1356702

it doesnt say much for rugby in this country when (1) its a professional sport and (2) it gets the media backing.yet they still basically asking the gaa to hold the world cup for them.why dont the gaa just put in a bid to host the world cup on their own without the irfu piggy backing on the ticket.they wouldnt actually need a single rugby stadium if its all about money.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 26/03/2013 16:21:02    1356789

Ormond,
What players are second rate?You obviously didnt watch much of the 6 nations!

juniorbsub (Wexford) - Posts: 646 - 26/03/2013 16:30:27    1356795

Yes,

It would be great to hold the Rugby World Cup in Ireland but who will benefit the most:

1, Irish rugby
2. The economy
3. tourism
4, the county asa whole - positive feeling


now at number 99999 iy is the GAA - now this isn't begrudgery but rugby will benefit to the detriment of the GAA -
Rugby is making in-roads everywhere - in 25 yrs time we will have rugby being played in every parish in the country - and ultimately GAA pitch.
We have seen it first with Croke Park, now provincial grounds - next will be club grounds..
I have no problem with rugby but it was their inefficient out-look in life left them with an efficient stadium which was crumbling for decades
2. the media loves the rugby click - club rugby is v. poorly attended.... but we have end to end rugby news/articles etc
3. Brian O'Driscoll had his testimonial at the weekend - fair play you may say , but he was on 400,000 to 500,000 euros ayear not taking in sponsorships/endorsements, Now he had it in London with such people as Sean Fitzpatrick at it........ this is what rugby people are like, - remember apparthide in South Africa and the Irish rugby team went,,,
4. Rubgy needs the GAA at the moment... but in reality its long-term objective is to be no 1 sport

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 26/03/2013 16:37:35    1356805

I agree with Teddy, it worries me to see how easy this was passed. It's like there was no discussion on it. There are pros to opening the stadia i.e. money but there are also major cons but the results of the vote look like this is simple a win win for us. Was it even debated or are member afraid of the bully boys who will call them dinosaurs if they have a different opinion. The RWC will be great for the economy and the IRFU but GAA delegates should be making their decisions based on whats best for the future of the GAA and nothing else.

Louth Gael (Louth) - Posts: 1227 - 26/03/2013 16:44:34    1356814

Not sure how helpful Teddy's comments are. And, as one poster pointed out, if his answer is to have the IRFU use their own stadiums, would it still not have the same proposed affect on the GAA?

In all this discussion, people seem to be ignoring the fact that the country is hovering just above bankruptcy. Yet they're proposing staging a world cup here in 10 years time? Unlike countries France, Britain, or Japan, our existing facilities are a long way off being ready to host a World Cup, we'd have to invest a lot more. More debt, really? I don't think that money would not be made back. And who would be back in business on the back of all this development? The same cadre who developed us into the whole we're currently in.

People need to take off their GAA and/or rugby hats, and be adult about this. Yes, a World Cup would be cool and carry alot of prestige, but we can't afford to be cool or prestigious at the moment.

Marlon_JD (Tipperary) - Posts: 1823 - 26/03/2013 16:49:54    1356819

Pity Ormand and ashure have to resort as predicted to name calling Ormand "bitter" ashure "narrow minded"
Could you stick to the facts and dispence with cliches First "GAA only interested in money" a bit rich coming from supporters of a professional sporting body dont you think? One current example of this interest in money is the great BOD who if he didnt have enough money already is having a number of testimonials [thanks for the info ormond](some money will be given to charity as a sop but the majority is trousered by the man himself). Media also kept very quiet about one of the attendees the one of the more prominent rugby supporters at his London shindig one Seanie Fitz. Now if a GAA player...........
Re having a go at rugby I dislike the media hype/hypocracy that attends that sport. No harm in exposing the less wholesome side of the game. God knows RTE takes some satisfaction in focusing on the warts in GAA games. A little balance is needed and that is one of the advantages of a GAA site like Hogan Stand take a bow gentlemen/ladies

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 26/03/2013 17:01:24    1356832

Marlon GAA delegates are selected to vote for what's best for the economy they are selected to vote for what's best for the future of the GAA. We were promised when rule 42 was voted on that it was only for Croke Park was the aviva was being built and anyone who said it would lead to other grounds being opened were called scaremonger. It seems to me there is a lot of bully boy tactics going on were by you agree with the top table want or you get branded backward, ignorant, old fashioned. Where was the debate on this, why didn't we hear the two sides before congress?

Louth Gael (Louth) - Posts: 1227 - 26/03/2013 17:03:10    1356835

It comes down to one thing for me. Rugby people are very fast to look down on the GAA when it suits but when they want to use Croke Park etc they have no problem asking. For that alone they should be told where to go. If Rugby is such a big sport here they should have there own stadiums to use

moomoo (Kerry) - Posts: 4023 - 26/03/2013 17:04:58    1356838

louth gael makes a very good point when rule 42 debate was on it was made crystal clear that it would only be croke park ever allowed used and it was only for that period of landsdowne being done up,why has no journalists being putting this to the gaa to brass as i would love to hear thir answers to it.
anybody who doesnt agree with it is being labelled this and that and i think that is wrong as their are clear reasons as to why they feel it should not go ahead.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 26/03/2013 18:08:59    1356892

26/03/2013 16:21:02
hill16no1man
it doesnt say much for rugby in this country when (1) its a professional sport and (2) it gets the media backing.yet they still basically asking the gaa to hold the world cup for them.why dont the gaa just put in a bid to host the world cup on their own without the irfu piggy backing on the ticket.they wouldnt actually need a single rugby stadium if its all about money.
The IRFU are not asking the GAA to host the world cup.
Don't be silly there's no way at all that the GAA would be able to bid on their own.

26/03/2013 16:30:27
juniorbsub
Ormond, What players are second rate?You obviously didnt watch much of the 6 nations!
I did watch all the 6nations and was at one of the home games. You didn't answer the question. Which players are 2nd rate? List them as it would be interesting to see which players you think are 2nd rate

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/03/2013 20:33:50    1356966

Get over it lads, honestly.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1666 - 26/03/2013 20:45:10    1356979

26/03/2013 16:37:35
cuchulainn35
Yes, It would be great to hold the Rugby World Cup in Ireland but who will benefit the most:
1, Irish rugby
2. The economy
3. tourism
4, the county asa whole - positive feeling
now at number 99999 iy is the GAA - now this isn't begrudgery but rugby will benefit to the detriment of the GAA -
Don't think GAA is that far down at all. Irish rugby will benefit from hosting the competition but it will depend on attendances etc as to how much Irish rugby benefits as IRFU has to cough up millions upon millions to the IRB to host the tournament.

cuchulainn35
Rugby is making in-roads everywhere - in 25 yrs time we will have rugby being played in every parish in the country - and ultimately GAA pitch.
We have seen it first with Croke Park, now provincial grounds - next will be club grounds..
I have no problem with rugby but it was their inefficient out-look in life left them with an efficient stadium which was crumbling for decades
2. the media loves the rugby click - club rugby is v. poorly attended.... but we have end to end rugby news/articles etc
Rugby will never be played in every parish. Never ever. It was poor by the IRFU(and FAI who fulltime tenants in Lansdowne since early 90s) not to have been more proactive in developing Lansdowne but they didn't.
It will not be club grounds. No need and will never happen.
Club rugby is not poorly attended. There most certainly is not end to end rugby news/articles. Club rugby is not covered and its only the professional rugby games that are covered as well as the overhyped/over covered schools rugby games that are covered by the media
cuchulainn35
3. Brian O'Driscoll had his testimonial at the weekend - fair play you may say , but he was on 400,000 to 500,000 euros ayear not taking in sponsorships/endorsements, Now he had it in London with such people as Sean Fitzpatrick at it........ this is what rugby people are like, - remember apparthide in South Africa and the Irish rugby team went,,,
4. Rubgy needs the GAA at the moment... but in reality its long-term objective is to be no 1 sport
That was something created and started by others. Im sure if it was up to brian himself he wouldn't have held that event.
It was one part of a testimonial which will last over the next few months. The irish team going to south Africa has no relevance to this argument
All sports aspire to be number 1 sport. nothing wrong with that

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/03/2013 20:45:52    1356980

26/03/2013 16:44:34
Louth Gael
I agree with Teddy, it worries me to see how easy this was passed. It's like there was no discussion on it. There are pros to opening the stadia i.e. money but there are also major cons but the results of the vote look like this is simple a win win for us. Was it even debated or are member afraid of the bully boys who will call them dinosaurs if they have a different opinion. The RWC will be great for the economy and the IRFU but GAA delegates should be making their decisions based on whats best for the future of the GAA and nothing else.
The GAA would have been so much worse off and got so much negative PR if they had rejected the idea.
What would you prefer. Lots of articles praising the GAA for allowing stadiums be used IF and only IF Ireland get to host this world cup in several years time or lots of articles criticising the GAA for not allowing a bid be put in at all.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/03/2013 20:48:36    1356983

26/03/2013 16:49:54
Marlon_JD
Not sure how helpful Teddy's comments are. And, as one poster pointed out, if his answer is to have the IRFU use their own stadiums, would it still not have the same proposed affect on the GAA?
In all this discussion, people seem to be ignoring the fact that the country is hovering just above bankruptcy. Yet they're proposing staging a world cup here in 10 years time? Unlike countries France, Britain, or Japan, our existing facilities are a long way off being ready to host a World Cup, we'd have to invest a lot more. More debt, really? I don't think that money would not be made back. And who would be back in business on the back of all this development? The same cadre who developed us into the whole we're currently in.
People need to take off their GAA and/or rugby hats, and be adult about this. Yes, a World Cup would be cool and carry alot of prestige, but we can't afford to be cool or prestigious at the moment.
Tourist numbers would be huge though from fans staying the 3-4 weeks of the group stage to the huge numbers who would travel in from the likes of England/france/Scotland/wales on weekend trips for their own games.
We could afford to host this with proper management.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/03/2013 20:53:07    1356987

26/03/2013 17:04:58
moomoo
It comes down to one thing for me. Rugby people are very fast to look down on the GAA when it suits but when they want to use Croke Park etc they have no problem asking. For that alone they should be told where to go. If Rugby is such a big sport here they should have there own stadiums to use
We are using our own stadiums but we don't have enough and are asking a fellow irish sporting organisation to help countrymen and women so that one of the biggest sporting competitions in the world can be held in Ireland.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 26/03/2013 21:02:31    1356991