In Tallaght youv croi ro naoife who are a small enough junior club, marks are in serious decline they have less and less teams every yr, there's a huge amount of soccer clubs up that way, they had a very good senior team 5/6 yrs ago but lost a lot to emigration, Anne's are improving at juvinle level all the time, Thomas Davis wouldn't be in decline they are by far still the strongest team in Tallaght, seniors arnt as strong as they were 5 yrs ago but will always be good enough to stay in div1 and have a good few underage dublin players that have serious talent, there 21s and minor teams are always competing in the highest champo, the 21 hurlers won the B champo last yr, there ladies footballer won junior all Ireland, following yr lost in the inter all Ireland final and now compete in div1 and senior champo, thing with Davis seniors is that all there panel are from Tallaght all home grown it's hard for them to compete with the likes of ballymun who have about 10 players from outside there clubs, Davis would probably be the on div1 team with all local lads.

rubywalsh (Dublin) - Posts: 356 - 25/06/2014 12:26:55    1608820

Donegalman i was down travelling through Kerry in 2007 and the amount of Munster flags I seen down there was unreal.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 25/06/2014 12:39:20    1608828

Excellent first post extranjero :-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 25/06/2014 12:40:43    1608830

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 11420

1608809
Soccer is strong in Westport, but in fairness, they are by no means anti-gaa. They play both football and hurling to a relatively high level. I think they have just had some very good soccer players over the years, and the success has bred interest. I always thought of castlebar of more of a 'soccer town', despite the success Westport have had.

Depends on what your measure is, really. Castlebar went through a bit of a drought in the past two decades or so, but they are second on the roll-of-honour, after Stephenites. And Mitchels are usually strong at underage. The problem is that Mitchels were fond of importing players from outside of the town, be they fellas who were in town for work, or fella who had grown up playing for neighbouring clubs. This obviously had a detrimental effect on football in the town, especially given that they are the only club in Castlebar.

I think that problem has been addressed with the present crop of players, most of whom are born and bred within the Castlebar town borders. Attendances at Mitchels games were quite poor for a long time, but they seem to have improved in the last few years, no doubt through having more success and a more 'local' side.

I don't see how you would see Castlebar as being more of a soccer town than Westport, to be honest. Castlebar have been far more successful in all grades of gaelic football than Westport, be it schools, underage, senior club football or whatever.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/06/2014 13:21:09    1608861

I wouldnt say the inner city is huge for soccer either, although it is the number 1 there, those clubs you mentioned couldnt be called big, other parts of dublin have a far stonger soccer tradition.

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 25/06/2014 14:35:35    1608910

Theres probably more people play soccer in dublin 4 yhan ythe inner city

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 25/06/2014 14:37:21    1608913

Less people in the inner city do anything! Not being smart but it is not a great part of the city for community involvment, added to that there is massive proportion of non Irish who keep themselves to themselves mostly. Dublin is more like New York than Newtownhamilton!

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 25/06/2014 14:45:00    1608922

I see Castlebar to being more of a soccer town because I believe they have a higher number of people who would see themselves as soccer only. It isn't really a question of success. You can be from a 100% soccer town and not win a single trophy.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 25/06/2014 14:54:54    1608931

Towns formerly subject to British Army garrisons are often strong soccer towns

Sligeach
Longfort
Baile Átha Luain
Mainistir Fhear Maí
Cluain Meala

Trá Lí had one, but we must've kept picking the ball up when they tried to play us

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 25/06/2014 15:06:42    1608945

Aungier Celtic,Oliver Bond,St Francis and Iveagh Trust all in south inner city.Sheriff F.C,Orchard FC Ballybough,Shelbourne FC in Nth Inber City.You could add Home Farm and Stella Marris who take a lot of their players from inner city.Bohs also.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 25/06/2014 15:22:17    1608960

rubywalsh, can you name all those players that weren't homegrown on that Ballymun team?

Because, in fairness to Ballymun, they didn't actually go hunt any players. If the players ended up there it more to do with DCU being relatively close in proximity to the club. I know Leahy had a long protracted move from Clontarf a good few years ago and ended up with Ballymun. I'm not sure if that was his first choice destination! They have an excellent juvenile set up and good underage teams. Their minors are pretty decent and have seen them a good few times from u14 up to Minor. So I think calling them a powerhouse is a bit much. Ballymun are quite a small club in comparison to others.

Ballyboden, St. Brigids, Na Fianna, St. Vincents and Kilmacud would all have way bigger memberships than Ballymun.

Clubs who are in serious decline are the likes of Isles. I never understood Isles, having a lot of family in that neck of the woods I think they should be doing a lot better. Finglas is a massive area. I know there is a lot of soccer there, but there is lots of soccer everywhere in Dublin.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 25/06/2014 15:22:35    1608962

Isles seems to be in serious decline Jay. Was not that long time ago that there were very few Dubs teams of any age or gender than didn't have Isles players. Louise is still on the camogie team and I think she is the sole reprensentative. I imagine that Fianna and Ballymun are getting a lot of players through the schools that once supplied Isles.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 25/06/2014 15:31:27    1608971

in galway north and west are football stongholds! south and east is hurling! city is soccer and rugby and rugby is getting strong in the city and west gaa isnt in danger there but funny anuf soccer is definity but football is in danger underage all over galway

frankpassion (Galway) - Posts: 73 - 25/06/2014 16:07:49    1608999

Derek Byrne- round towers
Karl Connolly - fingallians
Kevin leahy - clontarf
Liam o Donovan - Whitehall
James Burke - mayo
Cian Burke- mayo
Michael Brady- Cavan
David givney - Cavan
Shane Forde - Laois
Brian McGrath- ravens but has since gone back

Is that enough for you?

rubywalsh (Dublin) - Posts: 356 - 25/06/2014 16:23:11    1609015

Hurlingdub

Yeah but most clubs have competition with other clubs for players. The likes of Jude's/ Faugh's, Marks/Davis, Crumlin/Good Counsel, Brigids/Plunketts/C'Knock/ Peregrines, Ballymun/Isles/Fianna are all clubs in close proximity, but most still produce players. The issue of schools has always been weird, if a club has a teacher working there they tend to direct kids to their own clubs. But clubs should be getting their shoe in the door of primary schools ASAP. The bigger issue is primary schools and club nurseries. My own family tell me Isles do very little promoting in GAA in the area. It's a big area. Finglas South, Finglas West and a chunk of Glasnevin are all well within Isles territory traditionally. I think there is a generational gap a lot of the housing close to the ground are ageing, but I've driven through Finglas West Numerous times and there is very little GAA activity up that direction. And plenty of lads on street corners. Isles has produced some top county players. Sad to see that they are so badly in decline.

Some people blame soccer but that obstacle has always been there in these communities. I played both my whole life, carefully juggling both. I think clubs need to get em young, and win hearts and minds.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 25/06/2014 16:34:25    1609022

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 11427

1608931
I see Castlebar to being more of a soccer town because I believe they have a higher number of people who would see themselves as soccer only. It isn't really a question of success. You can be from a 100% soccer town and not win a single trophy.

'Believe' being the operative phrase here. Having grown up there, I would suggest that people in that neck of the woods are fairly broadminded in their sporting tastes, insofar as a relatively small percentage of people identify solely with GAA, soccer, rugby or whatever. For example, Castlebar Celtic's best two players (brothers) represented Mayo in an All-Ireland minor final in 2005, and still turn out for Castlebar Mitchels' junior side, which is not uncommon in the town. Likewise, several soccer referees from Castlebar have represented Mitchels or Mayo to a decent level. Several of my contemporaries represented both Castlebar sides, as did I, albeit at underage level.

I would still say Mitchels tendency to discard local players is the most likely reason to explain their relatively poor support in the past. I would also suggest that as the largest town in Mayo, Castlebar has a much greater number of 'soccer first' types in simple terms, but I would personally be surprised if the proportion was much different to many areas.

I am interested in why you think soccer has a more hardcore following in Castlebar than Westport, though. I've been to some of Castlebar's FAI Junior Cup matches where there were more people from Westport than Castlebar! Especially a few involving Carew Park against Castlebar.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 25/06/2014 16:41:45    1609029

rubywalsh

Now name the other 30 in that Ballymun panel who are local lads!?

Leahy had a falling out with Clontarf, and signed with Ballymun eventually. Like Fennell he didn't get to transfer to the club he originally wanted to play for.

The Burkes are related. James would have been in college at 18 with one of Ballymuns full backs, doing primary school teaching. Trained with Ballymun, liked the set up and decided to play with them. The fact a relation joined after explains itself.

The Cavan boys are relatively new, has Givney even played. Again, doesn't look like the boys were headhunted. College/working in Dublin.

Derek Byrne came in with Curran.

Shane Forde is from Mayo/Galway. Not from Laois. Has played since he was about 18 with Kickhams. Another college lad looking to train. I actually remember seeing him in a game my mate was playing against Ballymena a few years back. It was inter or junior. Couldn't believe he lined out in a county final 5 or 6 years later.....and played well.

O'Donovan is a Cork lad!? Again another college lad I think.

So as I said, the close proximity to DCU and recent success has kinda attracted those guys to Ballymun. But of all the players you named, not many actually start games besides James Burke and Kevin Leahy.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 25/06/2014 16:54:24    1609035

I appreciate your point gleebo, but surely your point about what I believe, works exactly the same way for you and Westport? I know of the two brothers you speak of. I also know of two Westport brothers, one is the best half back in the country, the other is a standout player for westport utd. May I ask, why those lads, who represented mayo at minor level as you say, have prioritised soccer? Choosing to line out for the junior gaa team only. Isnt that far more of a soccer first mentality than a family where 2 brothers play one each, to a very high level? Any place where county minor standard players, to the level mayo would be at (didn't one of them pay in an AI minor final?), who would subsequently choose soccer over gaa would suggest that the area they hail from would be pro-soccer would it not?

Your point about Westport supporting castlebar isn't really gaa vs soccer, it is just a club supporting their neighbours. They weren't doing it in spite of the gaa club...

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 25/06/2014 17:42:06    1609065

a huige amount depends on the schools in the area, and the luck you might have that theres a driven GAA man in the school, thats probably Isles problem now. You could contrast them with Setanta from Ballymun (hurling), whoi are small, but get strongerevery year (theyre in senior B now, and have teams at every level in juvenile), who get a lot of players from the Seachtar Laoch and Holy Cross schools. Chiarans had a very strong primary school too, but their problem right now is that their area, which was alays small, is getting old, like many traditional parts of dublin

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 25/06/2014 17:49:47    1609070

No leahy a dad had a falling out, Kevin signed cause he thought it would help his chances with the dubs, Byrne was there well before curren came along that's a fact, o donvan is a dub , of u are a bully mun lad u havnt a clue

rubywalsh (Dublin) - Posts: 356 - 25/06/2014 17:59:12    1609076