The Gaelic Football Thread

[Fox Leary]

kilkenny was payed big money to stay with Dublin got a scholarship and a big brown envelope to help him forget about down under.

CK left and signed with an AFL team, came home at Xmas and couldn't stomach leaving again. Homesickness was the reason he stayed at home not a brown envelope (which if it did exist would have been offered prior to him signing up, not after!)

 

[Ogre Moran]

You're bang on target there @Ogre Moran.

With the falling (dare I say plummeting) birth rate, the future of this country depends on immigrants and how well we all integrate from first, second, and third generations. And we'll need them in the GAA too. And to be honest the GAA can do a lot to make the wider integration a success, so it's a two-way street. It's not going to solve all of the problem you raise Ogre, especially in very rural areas - but we should at least exploit that opportunity better than we are doing (tradition won't be enough, and I know it's not easy).

I'd have a different emphasis, and not just for the sake of the GAA: we need a higher birth rate. You can't rely on immigrants to come in either indefinitely, given how costly it is now to live in this country (and I believe immigrants play a great role in our national life). For the GAA, you can expect to have more stability when there is s continuity from generation to generation. Beyond that, it's great to have a large(ish) family for support as you make your way through life.

 

[peopleluas]

I'd have a different emphasis, and not just for the sake of the GAA: we need a higher birth rate. You can't rely on immigrants to come in either indefinitely, given how costly it is now to live in this country (and I believe immigrants play a great role in our national life). For the GAA, you can expect to have more stability when there is s continuity from generation to generation. Beyond that, it's great to have a large(ish) family for support as you make your way through life.

Agreed we need a higher birth rate, but I fear it's even harder for the GAA can solve that one. I get what you're saying tho. But it doesn't have to be either/or.

 

[Twiceasnice97]

The biggest problem we have is that we badly need infrastructure on the west coast.
Broadband, Roads public transport etc.
However we have a cohort of rural voters who are reliable supporters of ff fg so those parties have no real pressure on them to change resources away from Dublin and the east so there is no counter pull to increase the population in the west and south.

We have Airports , a deep sea port and 3 cities in Cork Limerick galway plus a further big population in Ennis and a major industrial area in shannon. It would be really easy to create policies and invest in this side of the country at the expense of Dublin but there is no reason to because the voters between limerick and cork dont make the road a serious issue and the voters of limerick clare and north tipp dont go insane over The regional hospital and sweep major politicians out of their seats so we get what we deserve which is very little

 

[JimmyBarrySmurph]

I'd have a different emphasis, and not just for the sake of the GAA: we need a higher birth rate. You can't rely on immigrants to come in either indefinitely, given how costly it is now to live in this country (and I believe immigrants play a great role in our national life). For the GAA, you can expect to have more stability when there is s continuity from generation to generation. Beyond that, it's great to have a large(ish) family for support as you make your way through life.

Spot on..the Collapsing fertility and birth rate will have a greater impact on society over the next 50 years than climate change and oil prices combined

 

[JimmyBarrySmurph]

Agreed we need a higher birth rate, but I fear it's even harder for the GAA can solve that one. I get what you're saying tho. But it doesn't have to be either/or.

GAA nationally asleep at the wheel the last 50 years. Left big urban clubs control county GAA politics. As a result we now see a very small number of large city GAA clubs who can’t cater for the population and don’t have and can’t get facilities to cater for their members.. It’s an awful indictment of GAA county, provincial and national leadership over the last 40 years.

 

[fruice]

The GAA will face a playing numbers crisis on current birth rate trends I’ve heard a figure of up to 75% of births being non national.

This leaves the GAA with a huge problem within the next 10 years as these children will gravitate to other sports naturally especially soccer.

If Soccer takes hold in rural communities the GAA will find themselves in a very difficult situation.

With no easy solution.

 

[bluesball]

83 new pupils started national school in south kerry this year 13 schools.IMHO thats 83 to many.

 

[The Highway Man]

83 new pupils started national school in south kerry this year 13 schools.IMHO thats 83 to many.

Same in out West in Dingle as well, doesn't stop them going to the wire and winning Munster.

 

[Lee Bushwacker]

The GAA will face a playing numbers crisis on current birth rate trends I’ve heard a figure of up to 75% of births being non national.

This leaves the GAA with a huge problem within the next 10 years as these children will gravitate to other sports naturally especially soccer.

If Soccer takes hold in rural communities the GAA will find themselves in a very difficult situation.

With no easy solution.

The GAA should start riding for kids instead of for money!