And that's not even including Ulster where half of the (large) population either have zero interest / intense dislike for GAA sports. However people both sides of the political divide follow soccer teams, particularly in Scotland/England

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4656 - 31/01/2015 18:13:32    1688401

an absolute disgrace from rte tonight on six one sports news
not one gaa story ahead of the national league starting tonight
didnt even mention any of the matches being played tonight let alone tomorrow.
then we had the embarrising situation of the only horse racing news being a video of
what can only be descirbed as the worst grade one race i have ever seen from england
won by our own trainer willie mullins with a horse that wouldnt get near a grade 1 in ireland
and to top it off they after showing the race actually showed an interview from willie mullins
who was in fairyhouse at the irish race meeting today that was taking place
and only asked abut the horse that won abroad and they didnt even mention any winners from fairyhouse
or show any footage from fairyhouse's races today

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 31/01/2015 18:32:05    1688409

bad.monkey
County: USA
Posts: 3976

1688379
Much higher participation levels in soccer . And as you well know most soccer fans in Ireland follow the English/Scottish leagues. There are many parts of Ireland where very little Gaelic football is played - all the cities, large parts of Munster / Leinster. Similar story for hurling and rugby. However soccer is popular in every county. Sky subscriptions are huge in Ireland and every pub shows EPL /SPL.

participation levels in soccer are massively bloated by micky mouse 5 a side leagues that are guys having a kick about
actual soccer club memebers wouldnt be higher than gaa club members.
i have to laugh you then say most IRISH soccer fans support ENGLISH and SCOTTISH soccer leagues
hahahahaha how can that be included as soccer in ireland then haha
irish soccer is the league of ireland what dont you get about that?
gaa is in every community in ireland.
sky subscriptions are huge haha what has that got to do with soccer in ireland?
pubs show english sport again just another embarresment to show they wont show irish soccer
your arguement makes no sense its all based on soccer in england not ireland

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 31/01/2015 18:37:58    1688413

Bad.monkey, do you actually have a clue about what you are saying. In no way does Soccer have higher participation levels then GAA whether it be football or hurling. As Hill16no1man said, going out having an oul kick about in the middle of the street doesnt and shouldn't be counted as playing soccer. I know for a fact that in Meath, soccer is definitely well behind Gaelic Football on participation levels.

PoppinPoints (Meath) - Posts: 225 - 31/01/2015 18:45:22    1688418

It is just a myth there is GAA in every community - no GAA club in a huge chunk of South Dublin streching from Clanna na nGael in town out to Cuala in Dalkey near Wicklow. Huge population centres - Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire..etc with no clubs. Half the communities of Ulster have no GAA clubs or do you not consider the 6 counties as part of Ireland??
Soccer is actually popular in every town, in every county in whole Island. Clearly has the highest participation levels too.

Hill16 your notion that soccer is not popular in Ireland because it's English/Scotish soccer everyone watches is a bizarre one. Are films not popular in Ireland because it's American films everyone watches not Irish ones!?

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4656 - 31/01/2015 19:11:14    1688432

PoppinPoints
County: Meath

I know for a fact that in Meath, soccer is definitely well behind Gaelic Football on participation levels.

That sounds interesting - please feel free to share with us

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4656 - 31/01/2015 19:20:49    1688434

Ormond against the head are going to show ail games. I think bad monkey is limited of his knowledge of Ireland by been based in the USA, much like i would have limited knowledge of sport in Colorado. If Rte want a sportswomen on there sport or entertainment shows on tv or radio the always call up a female rugby player, the never call a ladies footballer despite football been the number 1 female sport in the country. Much like it took Rte 2 months to getting round to interviewing Katie Taylor after she won the world championship.

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 31/01/2015 19:30:26    1688439

Bad monkey how many unionists in the north do you think watch Rte and lets not forget the six counties do not pay the licence fee to Rte, indeed there are Gaa clubs in every part of the north, some parts of Dublin soccer is more popular then football but in the majority of Ireland more people play football then soccer.
r

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 31/01/2015 19:39:54    1688441

if nobody cares about the league then explain the attendences?..again making lazy uninformed remarks

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 31/01/2015 19:48:36    1688447

gaa is the most popular sport in the country taking everything into account both attendance and participation..soccer has a huge drop off in participation after the age of 16 or so..and very little attendance while gaa is huge in every part of the country pretty much

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 31/01/2015 19:49:27    1688449

bad.monkey


cuala and kilmacud crokes are both huge clubs which cater for them areas
they have 4 and 5 teams for most grades they are super clubs which can cater for huge parts of that region.
you must not spend much time on the nothside of dublin
as the area of raheny, donaghmede, kilbarrack, clongriffin, edenmore, balgriffin, baldoyle and airfield
all have gaa clubs catering but crokes alone would have the same amount of teams to match them clubs together
i dont count loylaists as irish as they dont count themselves as that so again you make no sense.
as for your last silly comment are you actually serious
how can american films be classed as irish is my answer
the same as how can british soccer be classed as irish soccer
you cannot take participation levels from ireland and then turn around and use two other countries adults leagues
as your barrometer for sport in ireland it makes no sense

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 31/01/2015 20:24:37    1688481

the only thing which goes close to the average sports person in ireland in terms of interest compared to the gaa would be a successful irish national side in soccer but outside of that there isnt much what you would call 'real' interest as evidenced by the terrible grassroots in this country for soccer

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 31/01/2015 20:30:06    1688488

I cannot understand Hill16 that you keep thinking that there is more GAA in Dublin anyone that knows the city will know that there is by far more soccer played in the city than GAA

tinrylandman (Carlow) - Posts: 387 - 31/01/2015 20:32:38    1688489

The GAA world :-
A thought and a fact our National Broadcaster in 2009 paid the 'Six Nations ' company 5 million Euro for 5 rugby matches....... basically one million per game.....

maybe that is why RTE shows so much rugby!!!!

Has anyone any facts for 2015!!!

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1691 - 31/01/2015 21:26:37    1688526

This is a pretty interesting debate but in fairness participation levels have nothing to do with TV.for tele GAA fans the season is only three months long. That's due to a number of things. Bad weather plays Havoc on our games which is epic irony.
I'm Ashamed to say that soccer is number 1 in Wexford. The GAA has massive participation up to minor but on.urban areas they never continue on. We lose our best young players to drink. A lot of issues with GAA politics too.
On fairness Irish soccer is not just Irish league. The English leagues are international really. Irish soccer fans closely watch Irish players. Does Katy Taylor stop being an Irish boxer if she goes to Russia to box??
Thankfully there's very little interest in that foreign sport that keeps stopping and starting with the quare shaped ball and lads who eat too much.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3838 - 01/02/2015 11:31:06    1688610

01/02/2015 11:31:06 Doylerwex
Thankfully there's very little interest in that foreign sport that keeps stopping and starting with the quare shaped ball and lads who eat too much. Terrible post. To have a go at rugby players about their weight etc is pathetic and un called for. As for your comments on the game(stopping etc) hahaha

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 01/02/2015 17:56:28    1688768

ormondbannerman

It was intended as tongue in cheek mate. Not to cause offence to "Rugby" is that what you call it?? players. :)

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3838 - 01/02/2015 18:18:55    1688789

01/02/2015 18:18:55
Doylerwex
Ormond It was intended as tongue in cheek mate. Not to cause offence to "Rugby" is that what you call it?? players. :) Fair enough......

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 01/02/2015 18:57:05    1688821

The only RTE Sports programme to show any real level of balance in January was Radio 1 Sunday Sport otherwise RTE was something of a wasteland for football and hurling supporters. In contrast RTE TV failed miserably in reflecting the level of interest in football and hurling nationwide. Failing to send even one camera to such as the O'Byrne Cup final while giving live coverage to a reserve team friendly in rugby union really summed up the old school tie attitude in RTE TV. February looks like being much the same. It appears now that RTE have sent a reporter to the USA to cover the Super Bowl. Can't send one camera to Newbridge but can afford to send a reporter to the Super Bowl. Talk about rubbing salt in the wounds.

mediaman (Antrim) - Posts: 355 - 01/02/2015 20:02:10    1688889

Soccer definitely no. 1 in Dublin. I genuinely believe that the GAA suffers in the big smoke because it is an indigenous game, and some parts of Dublin associate Irishness with backwardness. their loss imo.
Some great work being done at club level in Dublin though, and long may that continue.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 01/02/2015 20:14:45    1688905