Your shout : Gaelic Grounds for Munster ?

Liam Byrne

Just want to get an opinion from everyone here as to whether they'd be in favour of the Gaelic Grounds being made available to Munster in the event that they win today.

I know it won't happen, for numerous reasons (the GAA rules, the timing, the chicken/egg ask/allow routine) but I'd love to see people's opinions.

Personally, I think it'd be a disgrace to have to go play a "home" game in another country, but it's also true that the IRFU should be shot for allowing the 2 main rugby stadiums to be closed simultaneously.

So what's the opinion ? Yay or Nay ?

1huge1

well we lost... we didnt play up to standard today (wish o connel let o gara took the kick)

bad planning by the IRFU letting the 2 stadiums close at the same time
the gaa would never of allowed gaelic ground to be used for sports other than gaa

stepbar

Def yes. I dont see any reason why not (apart from politics from within the GAA). Lets face it I can safely say the vast majority of GAA fans in Limerick support munster, so I really dont see the problem.

soldering iron

def yes munster rugby should be played in its home town Limerick

cmurph

of course they should.....pity we lost today,

GAA will never let it happen though....politics:rolleyes:

Blackjack

I wonder would Munster ask the GAA to use the ground?.

1huge1

they did already sure
it was a big no from the gaa

ellenmelon

why are the GAA so petty about not letting other codes use their stadiums?

1huge1

because they are one of the most conservative organisations in the country

Liam Byrne

Be fair, lads - it's a bit like TV3 asking to use the RTE studios.....

True, there's more emotion and goodwill involved, and there's the Government grants that have helped build 'em, but you have to realise that there is an element of competition for players, even if the supporters are happy to support more than one code.

That said, I think it would have been a huge PR opportunity for the GAA.....pity that Munster didn't manage to engineer the circumstances where it would have been required

Whatever about the "home" game question, pity that Munster couldn't have kept the record in the "old" Thomond Park intact.....

golden

As 1Huge1 pointed out it is bad planning to have two stadiums out of commission at the same time.

If the GAA accepted government grants which they have done, they should let other organisation rent out the stadiums. This would also generate extra income for the GAA as well and also utilises the grounds more efficiently.

Karmafaerie

ellenmelon wrote:

why are the GAA so petty about not letting other codes use their stadiums?

Football and Rugby are considered imported, English sports. Which they really are.
The GAA was set up to counter the spread of English sports through Ireland, and that's one of it's mandates.
The only reason that they allow games to be played in Croke Park is because of behind the scenes government pressure.
The GAA will never allow foreign Sports to be played on their pitches.
It would be like Ian Paisley bringing an Orange Order band to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis next Sunday!
While the rest of the country is starting to move on, the GAA still feels like it was only yesterday that British soldiers were shooting their players and fans in the middle of a match!

dv

95FM are reporting that the new Thomond Park could have to be renamed after a sponsor 'cos of the cost of redevelopment. Anyone fancy going to a match at Toyota Park?

Karmafaerie

dv wrote:

95FM are reporting that the new Thomond Park could have to be renamed after a sponsor 'cos of the cost of redevelopment. Anyone fancy going to a match at Toyota Park?

God this better be more of the usual 95fm crap!:mad:

golden

Well if foreign sport should not be played what about aussie rules and american football!!!.

GAA should move on from 1916. Yes, it happened but thats history. They should look to the future.

1huge1

not quiet as catchy as emirates stadium is it

wingnut

I think with the history thats there people would still call it Thomond Park. Only punits and official mentions would use the sponser name.

Liam Byrne

Football and Rugby are considered imported, English sports. Which they really are.

I don't agree with that observation; both are played worldwide. The only truly foreign sports are cricket and American Football. And, if other countries followed the GAA stance, the GAA would be banned from playing in London or the U.S.

It would be like Ian Paisley bringing an Orange Order band to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis next Sunday!

Not really; the only people that support Sinn Féin or Ian Paisley are the bigots and fanatics from the respective sides of that divide; most sports fans are perfectly happy to watch and support both sports, plus the two never "compete" on the same pitch.....the only sport that follows that example is the GAA's own Compromise Rules, where it's almost tribal and both sides are more interested in beating the crap out of each other.

As for the name, it's a crazy proposal.....corporate interests should not be allowed to interfere to this extent. Placenames should be sacrosanct. And what happens if/when the sponsor changes ? Do we have to redo all the signs and confuse all of the supporters looking for directions if they don't know that the sponsor has changed ?

ellenmelon

Liam Byrne wrote:

As for the name, it's a crazy proposal.....corporate interests should not be allowed to interfere to this extent. Placenames should be sacrosanct. And what happens if/when the sponsor changes ? Do we have to redo all the signs and confuse all of the supporters looking for directions if they don't know that the sponsor has changed ?

isnt it better that a sponsor be brought in, rather than the council or whoever bearing the brunt of the big bill? you say place names should be sacrosanct, thats a bit OTT dont you think? happens eeeeverywhere..here when they redeveloped the multicode stadium, they renamed it from jade stadium. on the news etc its called that but out of habit most call it lancaster park, its original name.it has historically protected bits of it, so there was a bit of a furor but now its not even an issue. and yes, when the sponsorship changes, cause that happens, i dont think the poor wee supporters are going to get lost or confused. they can say "im looking for the rugby grounds" or "im looking for the gaa grounds". simple. and the signs will get redone. fact of boring old, everythinghasacorporateinterest life. but usually once a big sponsor is in, theyre tied in for a while,especially if they've bank rolled a good bit of it.

ellenmelon

Karmafaerie wrote:

Football and Rugby are considered imported, English sports. Which they really are.
The GAA was set up to counter the spread of English sports through Ireland, and that's one of it's mandates.
The only reason that they allow games to be played in Croke Park is because of behind the scenes government pressure.
The GAA will never allow foreign Sports to be played on their pitches.
It would be like Ian Paisley bringing an Orange Order band to the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis next Sunday!
While the rest of the country is starting to move on, the GAA still feels like it was only yesterday that British soldiers were shooting their players and fans in the middle of a match!

i knew all that isnt it interesting how parts of irish society will move into the future, only if it suits them. it suits the gaa at the moment to be bullheaded over rules written during the english occupation. i think if they accept government help, they should do what theyre told and let other codes play! its not like theyre going to lose fans over it..wouldnt you say most gaa supporters support theyre local rugby team too? maybe not to the extent that they'd support the gaa but they can spread their loyalties so to speak. wouldnt the income generated help towards it becoming more of a professional sport? i could be completely wrong (my knowledge of the game is basic) but dont a majority of players have to work a day job as well as play the sport? for such a popular game, this suprises me.. it could also be spread around the smaller pitches around the country so they could upgrade their gear or stadium or whatever.
i honestly just dont get it aye..they dont have to keep reliving the past (which most of them wouldnt have been alive for) whilst stunting the future. you can still respect and remember things that happen but whilst being open to change. rugby wont take over gaa supporters wise..thats what all their worries and bullheadedness boils down to i reckon! lol

Karmafaerie

Guy's, I'm not saying this is my own opinion, just the GAA's.
As EllenMellon pointed out, these GAA laws were written during the occupation. The only two sports that were being strongly imported here then were football, and rugby.
The GAA was set up to counter the influence of these sports, and because there hasn't been a major rules change, that's the way they still are today.
The GAA choose to stick with these rules now, as it helps to keep them on top.
They say it's oput of tradition more as an excuse than anything else.

rorymagory

Its possible that the IRFU purposely closed Landsdowne and Thomond simultaneously, to try put pressure on the GAA to allow them to use more GAA grounds. "Sob sob we're the irfu and we've no grounds to play in and nowhere else to go sob sob" etc. In my opinion, I wouldnt want Munster to play in the Gaelic Grounds, Thurles, or Pairc Ui Chaoimh anyway. Munster play rugby matches at Thomond and Musgrave, and thats it. They're rugby grounds. Personally, I'd feel unwelcome in GAA grounds.