When they were properly promoting it a few years ago it became interesting for a while. I was at Leinster/Ulster match in Parnell on a Friday evening under lights. Place was packed and it was a good game. Not been to one since. Used to be brought to Croker on Patricks Day years ago and it was a bit of a trial. Invariably freezing and about 500 people in the place!

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 10/10/2013 09:13:11    1498817

get rid of Sigerson?

crazy idea

emmomac (UK) - Posts: 273 - 10/10/2013 09:22:54    1498824

The face the sigerson cup and the railway cup are two complete different competitions. The railway cup is an exhibition of the most talented players. I would have it something similar to the NBA all star weekend thing. It has 4 teams in total. The sigerson has a number of universities taking part. It is not a competition todisplay the best talent the gaa has to offer but instead allow an individual to play football at university of college. By your logic Face all school football should be stopped then?

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 10/10/2013 11:00:18    1498854

keeper7
County: Longford
Posts: 1545

1498521
Mesamis,

It's funny how Irish rugby has taken advantage of a provincial kinship initially fostered by the GAA's Railway Cups yet is this lost now on GAA fans? Probably not in Ulster or to a certain extent Connaught anyway!

Wouldn't know about rugby man, from the wrong part of town for that lark!

I'd imagine if rugby has managed to foster a provincial kinship then that could play into GAA's hands regarding the inter pros.

GAA is very much an identity thing in terms of support. I'm a Dub so I support Dublin, I've no interst in supporting Leinster as no part of me feels any more kinship to another county just because it is in Leinster rather than the other 3. They may have provincial kinship in Ulster, and to a certain extent in Connacht and Munster but in Leinster it seems almost non-existant.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13796 - 10/10/2013 12:18:26    1498893

MesAmis,

Maybe you want a 5th province? The Pale? :P Of course Meath/Westmeath/Longford was the original 5th province (cúige is Irish for province & means 5th).

The rugby heads around here are a divided bunch. Most would be Leinster but some would lean towards Munster or Connacht.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 10/10/2013 12:41:00    1498911

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 2199

1498642
Inter-provincial just doesn't cut it in our games, it's all about county borders and nothing else matters!!!

If it was all about county borders then we would be looking at Fingal Vs. Dun Laoighre/Rathdown in the Leinster championship next year.

I wouldn't be supporting a Leinster team out of any patriotic notions but then this is a very short lived competition that we're talking about - 4 teams - novelty value and the point has been made by someone else on this thread - this should be our equivalent to the All-Star games, e.g. East Vs. West.

The GAA has pumped money into International Rules, TV marketing. What if that investment had gone to the Inter-Pros instead?

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 10/10/2013 12:49:44    1498918

If it was all about county borders then we would be looking at Fingal Vs. Dun Laoighre/Rathdown in the Leinster championship next year.


Sorry??? Don't get that, they're not counties as we know them, no Dub considers him/herself as a Rathdownian or Fingallian (Paul Flynn asides :) Look, the inter-pro just doesn't grab us by the balls, and it never will!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8746 - 10/10/2013 13:02:47    1498925

keeper7
County: Longford
Posts: 1547

1498911
MesAmis,

Maybe you want a 5th province? The Pale? :P Of course Meath/Westmeath/Longford was the original 5th province (cúige is Irish for province & means 5th).

The rugby heads around here are a divided bunch. Most would be Leinster but some would lean towards Munster or Connacht.

Maybe so man! Maybe Leinster being divided up with Meath the province as well as the Pale at differing times has hindered the development of any type of Leinster identity (rugby aside).

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13796 - 10/10/2013 13:12:38    1498933

I'm afraid they are counties. All official and above board.

The inter-pros used to grab lots of Irish men and women by the "balls" but the competition has been devalued by the GAA in favour of a hybrid sport, one that they've invested a lot of money in. All we're suggesting is that there is a real possibility that the competition could be revived if the equivalent promotion went into the Inter-Pros.

HighKing81 (Meath) - Posts: 129 - 10/10/2013 13:14:33    1498937

The international rules series is nothing more than a shop window for AFL recruiting AFL teams. As a spectical I've never been too sure on what the rules are, along with a good few of the participants I'd say...

That said if the players in particular want it, who am I to say it should be pulled.

I've been to two railway cup hurling finals in Thurles. Probably saw the best game of hurling I ever saw one year between Connacht and Munster. There wasnt too many there and we actually parked inside the gates which was a little sureal compared to any other time I've been there. Again, and fundamentally on this one, I dont think I've heard any intercounty player state that the inter provincials should be pulled, quite the contrary in fact. Given they're amature, I think the GAA should maintain and subsidise them for this reason alone. I've never understood Croke Parks recent disdain towards these competitions. The fixtures can like everything else be worked around.

Prior to the AI club championship it was a massive draw each St Patricks day. We're unlikely to ever see a return to that, but they shouldnt just be disposed of.

Passer_By (Carlow) - Posts: 533 - 10/10/2013 13:14:35    1498938

The Interprovincial final will be played in Dallas Texas next year in March at the cotton bowl I think it is. They are using it to try to showcase our sport in the US. Great interest in it from what I hear, part of a huge Irish festival in Dallas I believe. I know there will be many lads travelling to Dallas for the weekend to get the rare chance to see county level players west of the Mississippi.

Dubfan Abroad (Dublin) - Posts: 282 - 10/10/2013 13:33:55    1498955

Well I admire your conviction HighKing but I'm afraid it's probably too late!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8746 - 10/10/2013 13:43:41    1498963

Passer by can you please prove to me how the compromise rules game is a shopping window for the AFL? Last time I checked most Irish players in the AFL hadn't even played senior intercounty football before been drafted to Australia.
Clarke, Mooney, Coney, Dyas et al had not played for their county at senior level prior to going Down under. They also had the grand total of zero Irish caps when they boarded the plane. So could you please tell me how it is a shopping window for AFL clubs?

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 10/10/2013 14:08:31    1498991

When I hear Railway Cup, I always think of the great Sean O'Neill of Down who won eight Railway cup medals and was one of the names that stilled my childhood play.......

beal (Mayo) - Posts: 1388 - 10/10/2013 19:56:48    1499258

Love the Railway cup My first memories of it were Ulster winning, Seamus Hoare, Bernard Brady , Frank mcFelly, Sean Ferriter allDonegal. Pt Tracy and Mick Brestwer( Fermanagh) Jody o Neill Nd Tady Turbett (Tyrone) Jimmy Whang (Armagh) Tom Maguire Jim mcDonald and Charlie Gallagher ( Cavan)Leo Murphy Paddy Doherty The McCartans Sean o Neill Joe Lennon (Down)Sean o Connell (Derry). It was great then to see Donegal and Fermanagh players getting a national medal these counties had won nothing at all so to be part of a winning team in Croke Park must have been fantastic for them. I think it was 2009 and I saw Ulster won the railway cup here in London(Ruislip)beating Munster it was great to see all the top players and officials here at the time including M Donnelly who sponsors the Railway cup So please keep the Railway cup. Also another competition I would like to know what people think of ---- The All Ireland Gaeltacht club championship which is played around the June bank-holiday weekend I went to two of the finals, one in Cork and one in Donegal and I saw some great games

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 10/10/2013 21:07:55    1499289

Got Milk, it's not my logic. People are on here dissing the Railway Cup because it draws poor crowds. All I'm saying is that if that's going to be the yardstick for deciding if a competition lives or dies then the Sigerson's neck should be on the chopping block too.

The Face (Monaghan) - Posts: 890 - 10/10/2013 21:20:24    1499294

HurlingDub, I was also at that game. Leinster won in extra time and not a soul left Parnell Park thinking the Railway Cup was dead. That was 6/7 years ago, I think. Long after the Railway Cup was supposed to be in decline. But it proves once again that if you bring the competition to places who want it, it will thrive. The powers that be want rid of the Railway Cup, not because it doesn't generate revenue but because it takes up a couple of weekends out of their precious calendar. These are the same people who brought back the completely meaningless NFL semi finals.

The Face (Monaghan) - Posts: 890 - 10/10/2013 21:27:47    1499300

The Face the Railway cup and the sigerson are two completley different competitions. Sigerson is boys who go to uni together and play with each other at University for 3 years. They train first thing in the morning with one another for 4/5 months of the year.
the railway cup has a couple of training sessions. You can't compare them. Now don't get me wrong i am not oppossed to the competition but I would prefer the international rules to the railway cup

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 11/10/2013 09:28:33    1499351

Christ of almighty, it's like talking to the wall.

The Face (Monaghan) - Posts: 890 - 11/10/2013 10:25:30    1499376

No I understand what you mean. But what I am saying is attendance are not what should be used to measure the sigerson.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 11/10/2013 11:41:49    1499406