GAA

[Irish Saint]

Strange to think a few weeks ago if Tipperary had defeated Waterford then Limerick wouldn't even have made the Munster Final.

As for the football I find it hard to watch noadays. Once a team loses possession then the defending team just retreats  everybody behind the 45 yard line leaving the attacking team with a hand passing tickey tacky version A gaelic footbal pitch isn't suitable for an old" Barcelona" type of possession.

[OnStrike]

18 minutes ago, Irish Saint said:

Strange to think a few weeks ago if Tipperary had defeated Waterford then Limerick wouldn't even have made the Munster Final.

As for the football I find it hard to watch noadays. Once a team loses possession then the defending team just retreats  everybody behind the 45 yard line leaving the attacking team with a hand passing tickey tacky version A gaelic footbal pitch isn't suitable for an old" Barcelona" type of possession.

Yeah and they only beat Cork by a point, lost to Clare and were maybe fortunate to beat Clare then in the Final. They totally opened up then when out of Munster.

Agree about the football, although I think the really top teams know they won't win an All Ireland playing an all.out defensive and possession game...at some stage you have to go and win the game. Kerry v Derry was a great Semi Final and Kerry v Dublin will be some game Sunday too.

There was a passage of play a few weeks ago where Roscommon kept the ball against Dublin for about 6 mins, I think it was, with just handpasses around the back mainly. People went mad over it!

[Irish Saint]

I'll go for Kerry they have David Clifford ...different gravy.

[EggFace]

On 09/05/2023 at 21:40, OnStrike said:

What a great answer, enjoyed reading that.

The club and county seasons have been 'split' now to give certainty to club players as they used to be all over the place schedule wise to fit around the county season. This has resulted in a very condensed format (11 weeks from start of the hurling championship to the end) which is not popular with some.

I suppose I only mentioned the Premier League as the summer is a kind of window the GAA can often have to itself. A big complaint in moving the All Ireland finals into August (I think Limerick v Cork 2021 was July, I was at it) is that it gives up that time in the year the GAA can have to itself. When, as you say, the tension and build up should be mounting, the games are done and dusted too quickly.

You're right, the Munster Championship is now a group stage with a final. The provincial football championships are still knock out but the counties get another crack at the All Ireland series.

I hadn't realised St Patrick's Day was the old Railway Cup finals day, very interesting.

I'd add Galway to the very short list of counties that could win both. In fact Cork have fallen so far from grace football wise, I'd probably say Galway are only county where that could happen. And I'd add there is a very strong hurling tradition in a pocket of north Kerry, but it's far too small to allow them to compete in Munster. They're currently a decent second tier side playing the likes of Laois, Carlow and few others of that stature.

Spot on re the league, coaches give players a run out, experiment etc. Interestingly, there are growing calls to flip the whole thing on its head. Play the provincials in Feb and March and play the league as the main championship. As the gulf between the top tier counties and the rest grows, these calls will get louder I think. Dublin have won the Leinster Championship about 20 times in a row and Kerry stroll to the Munster championship nearly every year. They are becoming irrelevant. Only Ulster is still a highly sought after title (and of course Munster in the hurling).

Anyway enjoyed reading your post

I find it a lot to get my head around the whole GAA thing with having a number of sports under it's umbrella and then the whole Provincial, County, Club, minor etc....it's not straight forward like Super League or the NRL.

[OnStrike]

As a casual observer, all you'd need to know Gaelic Football wise really is the county game. 32 counties plus London and New York.

They all play in their Provincial Championships (Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Leinster) and these feed into an All Ireland series which is the pinnacle.

Today is Kerry v Dublin in Croke Park for the All Ireland Final.  Over 82,000 will pack it to watch what should be an absolute classic. It's on BBC iPlayer if you're interested at 3.30pm (in the Northern Ireland section)

Hurling is obviously another sport but only about 10 counties compete for the All Ireland as they play it to such a higher level than any other county. 

Edited July 30, 2023 by OnStrike

[Irish Saint]

1 hour ago, OnStrike said:

As a casual observer, all you'd need to know Gaelic Football wise really is the county game. 32 counties plus London and New York.

They all play in their Provincial Championships (Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Leinster) and these feed into an All Ireland series which is the pinnacle.

Today is Kerry v Dublin in Croke Park for the All Ireland Final.  Over 82,000 will pack it to watch what should be an absolute classic. It's on BBC iPlayer if you're interested at 3.30pm (in the Northern Ireland section)

Hurling is obviously another sport but only about 10 counties compete for the All Ireland as they play it to such a higher level than any other county. 

For the league football  competition it is 4 divisions of 8 Kilkenny don't  enter a team and sre replaced by London.

Final about to start. Go Kerry.

[EggFace]

4 hours ago, OnStrike said:

As a casual observer, all you'd need to know Gaelic Football wise really is the county game. 32 counties plus London and New York.

They all play in their Provincial Championships (Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Leinster) and these feed into an All Ireland series which is the pinnacle.

Today is Kerry v Dublin in Croke Park for the All Ireland Final.  Over 82,000 will pack it to watch what should be an absolute classic. It's on BBC iPlayer if you're interested at 3.30pm (in the Northern Ireland section)

Hurling is obviously another sport but only about 10 counties compete for the All Ireland as they play it to such a higher level than any other county. 

Didn't know that the finals were on as just caught on BBC2 but I always thought it was in the first weekend of September ?

BTW saw loads of different club jerseys at the game which is great to see.

[Maximus Decimus]

14 hours ago, EggFace said:

Didn't know that the finals were on as just caught on BBC2 but I always thought it was in the first weekend of September ?

BTW saw loads of different club jerseys at the game which is great to see.

It was in September but I think it changed over Covid and just hasn't gone back.

I see the emergence of Dublin as a bad thing, and they've now won 9 out of the last 13 after only winning 9 in the previous 90 years.

With professionalism and especially the huge influx of money, most sports have seen the emergence of a group of dominant big clubs that use their superior resources to win. This is most notable in football, but we've seen something similar in RL  with only 4 different league winners in the last 34 years despite a salary cap. In the 20 years prior, there were 13 winners including Widnes, Fev, Leigh, Fax and Dewsbury.

I always saw the GAA as a last bastion of that old sporting way of life, where a small club (in this case county) can compete with its much bigger neighbours. Therefore, I see the emergence of Dublin as a dominant team, as a reflection of their superior resources (nearly 3 times the population of the next biggest county) and something that is only likely to continue with minor blips here and there.

It might not be a professional sport when it comes to money, but I'm sure the sport has experienced professionalism in improved analysis, technique, scouting etc that has only benefitted the bigger counties.

[The Masked Poster]

I don't know if they still do it (probably so) but one thing I used to see when watching Gaelic football on TV was that people in the crowd would hold up banners saying things like "John 3:19". 

What was the idea behind this? I'm guessing it referred to a score or something. 

[Irish Saint]

With my limited GAA knowledge i'll try to answer  some of the above.

John 3:16 a biblical quote that used to be observed at many sporting events.

The moving of the finals to July was to allow more time for club fixtures to be played. Although on the highlights show last night, one panelist was advocating a return to September. The minor Final would also be played as a prelude however this too has been moved  to a different date much to the disdain of many traditionalists.

[EggFace]

3 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

It was in September but I think it changed over Covid and just hasn't gone back.

I see the emergence of Dublin as a bad thing, and they've now won 9 out of the last 13 after only winning 9 in the previous 90 years.

With professionalism and especially the huge influx of money, most sports have seen the emergence of a group of dominant big clubs that use their superior resources to win. This is most notable in football, but we've seen something similar in RL  with only 4 different league winners in the last 34 years despite a salary cap. In the 20 years prior, there were 13 winners including Widnes, Fev, Leigh, Fax and Dewsbury.

I always saw the GAA as a last bastion of that old sporting way of life, where a small club (in this case county) can compete with its much bigger neighbours. Therefore, I see the emergence of Dublin as a dominant team, as a reflection of their superior resources (nearly 3 times the population of the next biggest county) and something that is only likely to continue with minor blips here and there.

It might not be a professional sport when it comes to money, but I'm sure the sport has experienced professionalism in improved analysis, technique, scouting etc that has only benefitted the bigger counties.

So is Dublin a County comp as I still working out whats whats ?

[Maximus Decimus]

21 hours ago, EggFace said:

So is Dublin a County comp as I still working out whats whats ?

It's a county comp and whilst Dublin is a city it's also a county. One with 1.5 million people on an island of 6.8 million.

When you take away the unionist community of the North who have little to no interest and some southern counties who are almost exclusively into Hurling, it makes it all the more advantageous for them.

On a population level, a lot of counties are a similar size to RL towns/cities but then you double the size of Leeds. 

 

 

[The Masked Poster]

I've just spent a few days in Limerick. It's absolutely insane how the flags and banners are absolutely everywhere regarding the Hurling teams recent success. I don't just  mean in big city centres but remote villages and everywhere in between. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it, even in football in England. It genuinely felt like everyone was on board (although obviously I didn't speak to every single person, I'm sure there are people not interested)

Even at the height of the success of clubs like Bradford or Wigan or maybe Leeds, there was nothing to remotely come close, even in those areas.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by The Masked Poster

[EggFace]

15 hours ago, The Masked Poster said:

I've just spent a few days in Limerick. It's absolutely insane how the flags and banners are absolutely everywhere regarding the Hurling teams recent success. I don't just  mean in big city centres but remote villages and everywhere in between. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it, even in football in England. It genuinely felt like everyone was on board (although obviously I didn't speak to every single person, I'm sure there are people not interested)

Even at the height of the success of clubs like Bradford or Wigan or maybe Leeds, there was nothing to remotely come close, even in those areas.

 

Do the same area's follow te GAA Football as well or is that a diffrent area.

[The Masked Poster]

2 minutes ago, EggFace said:

Do the same area's follow te GAA Football as well or is that a diffrent area.

I think GF was popular too, it's just that the hurling team had just won something so were more prominent. But I didn't go in a single bar or pub that didn't have lots of sporting memorabilia. Chiefly Gaelic sports but RU and football were included too, mainly Munster Rugby 

[EggFace]

27 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I think GF was popular too, it's just that the hurling team had just won something so were more prominent. But I didn't go in a single bar or pub that didn't have lots of sporting memorabilia. Chiefly Gaelic sports but RU and football were included too, mainly Munster Rugby 

Ireland really punches above it's waist with having 4 codes and very smll population....Scotland not so.

[Maximus Decimus]

On 06/08/2023 at 00:05, The Masked Poster said:

I've just spent a few days in Limerick. It's absolutely insane how the flags and banners are absolutely everywhere regarding the Hurling teams recent success. I don't just  mean in big city centres but remote villages and everywhere in between. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it, even in football in England. It genuinely felt like everyone was on board (although obviously I didn't speak to every single person, I'm sure there are people not interested)

Even at the height of the success of clubs like Bradford or Wigan or maybe Leeds, there was nothing to remotely come close, even in those areas.

 

This is very common in GAA. 

In many ways, Ireland is more traditional than the UK. I suspect that when Widnes used to make the final in the 1960s it was similar. 

There are elements of GAA I've always been envious of. It still retains that civic pride, because it is local amateurs playing for their county. Professional sport has lost that IMO. People support a team passionately but the connection with the local community is much reduced. It is one of the reasons I don't welcome the Dublin dominance, because it will only see a decline in this traditional sense in the long run.

The one time it does happen in England is big football tournaments and tbh it is a similar experience. The vast majority only follow the big All-Ireland games and have very limited interest in the regular season. If a team goes on a run, the flags come out just like when England start doing well.

 

 

 

[The Masked Poster]

47 minutes ago, Maximus Decimus said:

This is very common in GAA. 

In many ways, Ireland is more traditional than the UK. I suspect that when Widnes used to make the final in the 1960s it was similar. 

There are elements of GAA I've always been envious of. It still retains that civic pride, because it is local amateurs playing for their county. Professional sport has lost that IMO. People support a team passionately but the connection with the local community is much reduced. It is one of the reasons I don't welcome the Dublin dominance, because it will only see a decline in this traditional sense in the long run.

The one time it does happen in England is big football tournaments and tbh it is a similar experience. The vast majority only follow the big All-Ireland games and have very limited interest in the regular season. If a team goes on a run, the flags come out just like when England start doing well.

 

 

 

Yes that's all true but from what I saw it even eclipses when England do well in a WC or Euros, actually by some distance from what I saw. I mean, there are a lot of England flags that appear when they are in a tournament but this was way more. 

I liked how players who were from a certain area, generally had a banner for themselves or maybe with another local team mate. As you say, I think it's something to be envied, that whole blanket of support. 

[Griff]

On 31/07/2023 at 13:03, The Masked Poster said:

I don't know if they still do it (probably so) but one thing I used to see when watching Gaelic football on TV was that people in the crowd would hold up banners saying things like "John 3:19". 

Ah - old John 3:16. He was a character.  Changed his name by deed poll to John 3:7.  He died a few years ago, which is why you don't see him any more.

[Griff]

On 06/08/2023 at 15:07, EggFace said:

Do the same area's follow te GAA Football as well or is that a diffrent area.

Counties tend to concentrate on one code or the other at inter-county level.   Only a handful are reasonably competent at both - Cork, Dublin and Galway spring to mind.  That said, at club level, you can probably play hurling or football in pretty much every county.

[Irish Saint]

15 minutes ago, Griff said:

Ah - old John 3:16. He was a character.  Changed his name by deed poll to John 3:7.  He died a few years ago, which is why you don't see him any more.

Yes John 3 :7 was on show at the Camogie Final on Sunday

[Griff]

38 minutes ago, Irish Saint said:

Yes John 3 :7 was on show at the Camogie Final on Sunday

That's worrying.  He's been the subject of identity theft.

[OnStrike]

On 06/08/2023 at 15:07, EggFace said:

Do the same area's follow te GAA Football as well or is that a diffrent area.

Yeah as others have said certain counties would he known as a hurling county or a Gaelic Football county with one or two competitive at both. Hurling (at the top level) is pretty much the counties Wexford in the east in a band taking in Kilkenny and encompassing Munster apart from South Kerry

[OnStrike]

On 06/08/2023 at 00:05, The Masked Poster said:

I've just spent a few days in Limerick. It's absolutely insane how the flags and banners are absolutely everywhere regarding the Hurling teams recent success. I don't just  mean in big city centres but remote villages and everywhere in between. I'm not sure I've seen anything like it, even in football in England. It genuinely felt like everyone was on board (although obviously I didn't speak to every single person, I'm sure there are people not interested)

Even at the height of the success of clubs like Bradford or Wigan or maybe Leeds, there was nothing to remotely come close, even in those areas.

 

Just back from Limerick too. Went to the final in Dublin and then a couple of days with family in Limerick. I agree there isn't really an equivalent of the way a whole county can get behind a team and the whole.place be decked out with flags, bunting etc. Although would be happy to be proved wrong. 

Sounds like you enjoyed your trip mate. 

[OnStrike]

On 06/08/2023 at 15:12, The Masked Poster said:

I think GF was popular too, it's just that the hurling team had just won something so were more prominent. But I didn't go in a single bar or pub that didn't have lots of sporting memorabilia. Chiefly Gaelic sports but RU and football were included too, mainly Munster Rugby 

Gaelic Football is played throughout Limerick but would only have a big following the west of the county really. Limerick is one of the classic examples of a 'hurling county'.

They'd just won the All Ireland Championship for the 4th time in a row and the 5th time in 6 years. An amazing achievement for Limerick who had last won it in '73 and then before that a couple in the 30s and 40s. It's an amazing story