Could Ireland be better at world sports if it wasn't for GAA?

healyboi

yes of course....GAA is the biggest waste of time ever i don't understand why people play it theres no even money in it..mickey mouse sport will be extinct in 50 years and good riddance

Mal-Adjusted

Spread wrote: »

If the players and the energy focused on GAA were transferred to Soccer Ireland would have a great team.

is this not indicative not only of how well the GAA is run, but of how badly the FAI is in comparison?

Spread wrote: »

The GAA was an important part of Ireland's fight for identity

true, and in fairness, it still is.

Spread wrote: »

(even if overtly racist)

Thankfully, those early century times are behind us.

Spread wrote: »

but now it is an albatross.

I'll accept that when you provide some proof. otherwise it just seems like wishful thinking.

Spread wrote: »

Am saying this as a Kerryman that is sick and tired of celebrating All Ireland wins

Don't worry, Donegal will make sure you don't have to worry about that for quite a while

geeky

How is this even up for debate?

Lots of sportspeople throw their energy into GAA, because it's dominant and bloody well-run to boot. If they didn't play GAA, most kids who love sports would play something else. Ergo, we'd have more active talent playing sports that other nations also play. More active talent, almost invariably, equals greater success.

For similar reasons, the USA traditionally under-achieve in Rugby and soccer relative to their populations and engagement with sport in general. The country regularly produces perfect rugby players - 6'8 lads who are strong as an ox and move like a cat - but they grow up looking to play in the NFL.

That doesn't mean the GAA is a bad thing. It's part of our cultural identity and, as other posters have said, probably a big factor in controlling our obesity problem. It's just the way it is: we play our own game, and that has an impact.

Pal

geeky wrote: »

It's part of our cultural identity .

Glad you cleared that up. I wonder was Douglas Hyde so enlightened.

Brain Stroking

So tell me what sports Ireland would be better at if there were no GAA? Clue: anyone that says soccer is a moron. Any others?

mackg

iDave wrote: »

Pathetic. Only in Ireland would we slag off our own culture and sports. Sure maybe we should blame Irish dancing for not having more people of Strictly Come Dancing while we’re at it. If you were a St Kilda AFL fan what would you rather, a Premiership or a Badminton Gold Medal. Same question to a New York Giants fan, Superbowl or obscure Olympic sport. People prefer their local teams in home grown sports. Get over it.

Irish self loathing because of Irish self loathing.

:pac:

I've no real interest in the GAA but plenty do including the majority of my family and friends, don't see why anyone would want rid of it.

The second post in this thread was pure magic considering the OP asked an objective question about whether we would win more medals in the absence of the GAA. Then one post later by a known troll and everyone is at each others throats.

c_man

Pal wrote: »

Today's Irish Times tells how the shower snubbed our President back in 1938 because he went to a soccer game.

I can't wait until they break the invasion of Poland next year.

PhlegmyMoses

The GAA is a behemoth that is probably detrimental to all other sports in the country. This is probably more pronounced outside of Dublin where football or hurling is the be-all and end-all in lots of small towns and parishes. You'll get very few people coming out of Kilkenny who were good at hurling who suddenly change to soccer.

That being said, you can't fault how well-run it is in comparison to all other sports in this country. The funding they generate and receive is put to great use relative to the likes of soccer.

As a soccer fan and former player, it was frustrating to see even average GAA teams receive amazing facilities and top quality coaching when all but the elite clubs in Irish soccer had to make do with getting changed in a steel container and being trained by some bloke's overweight dad making you run a few laps on a Tuesday night before playing a match between the lads.

Brain Stroking

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

The GAA is a behemoth that is probably detrimental to all other sports in the country. This is probably more pronounced outside of Dublin where football or hurling is the be-all and end-all in lots of small towns and parishes. You'll get very few people coming out of Kilkenny who were good at hurling who suddenly change to soccer.

That being said, you can't fault how well-run it is in comparison to all other sports in this country. The funding they generate and receive is put to great use relative to the likes of soccer.

As a soccer fan and former player, it was frustrating to see even average GAA teams receive amazing facilities and top quality coaching when all but the elite clubs in Irish soccer had to make do with getting changed in a steel container and being trained by some bloke's overweight dad making you run a few laps on a Tuesday night before playing a match between the lads.

But there is no metaphorical gun put to the heads of anyone who wishes to play GAA. You cant decry something for merely being more popular than what you would prefer things to be like. A middle tier GAA club championship match would dwarf the attendance of even a relatively high level soccer match (at Junior level). All that tells me is that people prefer to watch live GAA than live amateur soccer. I can understand their decision as live amateur soccer is woeful stuff. Am a big fan of soccer but when played at anything but the top professional level it can be a difficult watch.

Fitzo

Without reading to the thread, without question we would be better in other sports if it wasn't for the GAA and in particular the backward mentality of many of the older guard that run it.


GAA is a good sport and enjoyable to watch, but the attitude to it and that stems from it absolutely reeks.


Not so long ago that they sent spies round to catch fella's playing or watching football...

PhlegmyMoses

Brain Stroking wrote: »

But there is no metaphorical gun put to the heads of anyone who wishes to play GAA. You cant decry something for merely being more popular than what you would prefer things to be like. A middle tier GAA club championship match would dwarf the attendance of even a relatively high level soccer match (at Junior level). All that tells me is that people prefer to watch live GAA than live amateur soccer. I can understand their decision as live amateur soccer is woeful stuff. Am a big fan of soccer but when played at anything but the top professional level it can be a difficult watch.

I haven't really given out about the GAA in my post. It's more a lament that my favourite sport isn't as well run or as well-supported at a local level. Still though, it's impossible to argue against the fact that other sports would benefit hugely from the GAA somehow never existing in this country. The football and hurling no longer exist, people take their kids to other sports and put their money and energy into other sports.

c_man

Fitzo wrote: »

Not so long ago that they sent spies round to catch fella's playing or watching football...

41 years since that rule is gone... And even then, it was dying for years.

Not that long ago eh?

*awaits article from 1946 to prove GAA is an out of date, nationalistic monster*

Fitzo

c_man wrote: »

41 years since that rule is gone... And even then, it was dying for years.

Not that long ago eh?

*awaits article from 1946 to prove GAA is an out of date, nationalistic monster*

41 years is not a whole pile, and believe it or not (put your head in the sand maybe) there's still plenty of bigots in the GAA who hold similarly hostile views towards association footballers.

Small-mindedness such as arranging underage (and senior) GAA trainings to coincide with football trainings etc so as to make kids choose and chastise them should they dare not pick GAA.

Happens more than plenty in this day and age.

c_man

Fitzo wrote: »

41 years is not a whole pile, and believe it or not (put your head in the sand maybe) there's still plenty of bigots in the GAA who hold similarly hostile views towards association footballers.

I'm sure there are, just as you have mirror images of that in soccer too. I've encountered both.

Still, 41 years as recent. Lol. You're having a laugh.

Small-mindedness such as arranging underage (and senior) GAA trainings to coincide with football trainings etc so as to make kids choose and chastise them should they dare not pick GAA.

Happens more than plenty in this day and age.

Can honestly say I've never seen this (actually only ever between adjoining underage Gaelic teams!)

Mal-Adjusted

Fitzo wrote: »

41 years is not a whole pile, and believe it or not (put your head in the sand maybe) there's still plenty of bigots in the GAA who hold similarly hostile views towards association footballers.

I could say the exact same thing is true of the FAI and the IRFU. but it would be just as unprovable.

Fitzo wrote: »

Small-mindedness such as arranging underage (and senior) GAA trainings to coincide with football trainings etc so as to make kids choose and chastise them should they dare not pick GAA.

Happens more than plenty in this day and age.

got some evidence to back that up? i suspect it's the exception rather than the rule.

Spread

noodler wrote: »

That is a ridiculous statement.

The GAA is anything but an albatross.

I played for my local club for 8 years before eventually leaving to play soccer.

The facilities, sense of comradery amongst your teammates, sacrifices by coachs etc was something to behold.

Nobody denying that. It's just, if there was full participation in an internationally competitive game then Ireland would do well.

If the government threw money at Soccer, it too would have good facilities in small clubs. But times are changing and in the not-too-distant future the youths will decide that a game played world wide is more appealing than this parochial kickabout.

starlit

Doubt its part of our Irish culture and heritage!

starlit

Where's a sliotar when you need one! Which the invention originated from Canada due to hockey being invented over there so think that how hurling came about and Gaelic football came about due to soccer but they just changed the rules a bit I think. That;s how the games started here in Ireland they wanted to invent their own type of sport that no other country had I suppose to make Irish people unique and have their own sport.

Red Hand

doovdela wrote: »

Where's a sliotar when you need one! Which the invention originated from Canada due to hockey being invented over there so think that how hurling came about and Gaelic football came about due to soccer but they just changed the rules a bit I think. That;s how the games started here in Ireland they wanted to invent their own type of sport that no other country had I suppose to make Irish people unique and have their own sport.

Many countries had/have their own ball/ball and stick games. Most of these were formalised in the 19th centuary. Hurling, or at least the ball and stick game played in Ireland has been around for thousands or years...again it's rules only being set down in the 19th centuary. Just like rugby or soccor or hockey.

False Prophet

Alot of trolls appearing on the thread, please deal with facts otherwise dont bother.
I play and have interest in most sports and the gaa deserve nothing but praise for running their organization so well.
Anyone that thinks differently is free to join/setup other organizations and invest the time there rather than trolling as there are plenty of kids not playing gaa.

Cookie_Monster

LordSutch wrote: »

I guess New Zealand also suffers (if thats the right word) from shining in other sports because of the dominance of Rugby.

nope.

volleyball and netball are huge in schools and there are casual leagues everywhere - I was looking to book an indoor pitch locally for 5 a side but couldn't there were so many evening league in various sports at 3 of New Plymouth's main event centres (basketball, netball, volleyball etc)
cricket is pretty popular and I see games about every weekend during the summer.
rowing, sailing, surfing, kite surfing and kayaking are all extremely popular too
bowls is also exceptionally popular with the older folk - there are a stupid number of greens in New Plymouth, only 70k people and I've come across at least 12. Dun Laoghaire has a population of 25k odd and only 1 (or2)
The rugby pretty much stops for the summer so a lot of time to fill with other sports before it's back in season.

Just look at their return of medals in the Olympics to see how they produce plenty of great athletes across a broad range of sports. Maybe not the best example but for a country with the same population as Ireland they outshine the Irish in medal count hugely and at most sports in general too.

False Prophet

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

nope.
volleyball and netball are huge in schools and there are casual leagues everywhere -

soccer and rugby are huge in schools here and there are casual leagues everywhere;)

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

rowing, sailing, surfing, kite surfing and kayaking are all extremely popular too

And that is where they win most of there soft medals(meaning most countries cannot compete financially at these sports).Gaa has nothing to do with our lack of love for water sports

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

bowls is also exceptionally popular with the older folk - there are a stupid number of greens in New Plymouth, only 70k people and I've come across at least 12. Dun Laoghaire has a population of 25k odd and only 1 (or2)

Our older folk are passing there wisdom down to the younger folk via training teams but otherwise again this is nothing to do with the gaa(nothing is stopping anyone organizing another sport for the older folk.)

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

The rugby pretty much stops for the summer so a lot of time to fill with other sports before it's back in season.

in ireland gaa stops in the winter where other sports can have a go.In fact again there are a large number of people who are not involved in the gaa anytime that other sporting organization could use.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Just look at their return of medals in the Olympics to see how they produce plenty of great athletes across a broad range of sports. Maybe not the best example but for a country with the same population as Ireland they outshine the Irish in medal count hugely and at most sports in general too.

if gaa football=rugby, who do new zealand have for hurling or soccer,golf at a world stage etc etc

WesternZulu

doovdela wrote: »

Where's a sliotar when you need one! Which the invention originated from Canada due to hockey being invented over there so think that how hurling came about and Gaelic football came about due to soccer but they just changed the rules a bit I think. That;s how the games started here in Ireland they wanted to invent their own type of sport that no other country had I suppose to make Irish people unique and have their own sport.

That's the 1st time I have ever heard of that reasoning about how football and hurling came about.

Cab you back that up or did you dream up their formation?

4zn76tysfajdxp

doovdela wrote: »

Where's a sliotar when you need one! Which the invention originated from Canada due to hockey being invented over there so think that how hurling came about and Gaelic football came about due to soccer but they just changed the rules a bit I think. That;s how the games started here in Ireland they wanted to invent their own type of sport that no other country had I suppose to make Irish people unique and have their own sport.

Hockey was invented in Britain. Hurling's been around for thousands of years.

geeky

Brain Stroking wrote: »

So tell me what sports Ireland would be better at if there were no GAA? Clue: anyone that says soccer is a moron. Any others?

Erm... how come?

hoodwinked

Brain Stroking wrote: »

But there is no metaphorical gun put to the heads of anyone who wishes to play GAA. .

again not true! coming with two different personal experiences (different areas) i can only give our experience of it,

but in Primary school our PE was Gaa, (as it also was in the other 3 local schools (city schools) we were NOT allowed to play soccer and like the other schools were given extra homework if we did so even at lunch. The local Gaa Club ran this PE.


like wise in my Husbands school many miles away there was a likewise set up, where if you didn't play Gaa or show an interest in it, you were bullied by not only the local pupils (and Gaa playing 'hero's' in the school) but by the Gaa loving Teachers also who looked the other way because if the guy administering the beatings got in trouble he "wouldn't be able to play the next match",

once they found out his dad had played rugby it got so bad he was forced to move to a city (non Gaa enforcing) school. and this was in the late 90's.

c_man wrote: »

41 years since that rule is gone... And even then, it was dying for years.

this rule may have been eradicated then but its been un-officially enforced since then, i know it happened to people who played in the 80's and the 90's.

my 26 year old cousin was benched despite keeping clean sheets (goal wise obv not points) in almost every game because he was seen playing for his schools soccer club, the team lost considerable amounts of games after he was benched but they chose to lose rather than let him play. (he was in goal and damn good at it going by the fact they used win all round them with him in)

he was made quit shortly after being benched.

for those claiming they don't time matches to co-incide with other sports

My husbands Aunt (who would also love Rugby and soccer) is big into the Gaa, they are forever missing sports events because if Munster are playing there is a Gaa match, if CCFC are playing, there is a Gaa match,


again these are my experiences but once you ask around especially here in Cork you'll find they are commonly found attitudes and actions, and its holding back imo many possible athletes who could be worthy of winning Gold, because they will be ostracized from their communities if they show an interest in anything but gaa.

Whether or not it intends to, it does hold people in certain areas to ransom.

Reindeer

I'm an American. I like baseball. I even play it in Ireland any chance I get. When abroad, I am often chided about my favorite sport; about how it's just basically 'rounders' or a lesser form of 'cricket' - how boring it is, how silly it is, how no one else plays it, and why can't America get it right and have soccer more popular like the rest of the world do.

I tell these folks that I play baseball because it is not cricket, or soccer, or what have you. I play it, and I follow it, because I appreciate it's nuances, it's strategy, it's history, and it's traditions. I love the crack of the bat on a well-hit ball. I love the smell of my leather baseball glove. I like standing in a field of grass, I like wearing silly uniforms and a baseball cap. These are part of who I am and where I'm from, and I have never needed anyone else to tell me what baseball is, or should be.

I never became a wealthy baseball player. And I never wanted to be a wealthy soccer player. I almost never get to banter about how well my favorite team did while in Pub in Ireland. I almost never get to see it on TV in Ireland. I almost never get to talk about it with anyone else in Ireland. And I would never want it any other way; because I'm an American, and I love my American past time.

Perhaps sometimes the Irish need to sit back, look around and take a deep breath. What you are breathing in is Ireland. And there is nothing wrong with living and breathing Ireland. If you ask me, when it comes to Ireland, the grass is very rarely greener on the other side.

getz

Reindeer wrote: »

I'm an American. I like baseball. I even play it in Ireland any chance I get. When abroad, I am often chided about my favorite sport; about how it's just basically 'rounders' or a lesser form of 'cricket' - how boring it is, how silly it is, how no one else plays it, and why can't America get it right and have soccer more popular like the rest of the world do.

I tell these folks that I play baseball because it is not cricket, or soccer, or what have you. I play it, and I follow it, because I appreciate it's nuances, it's strategy, it's history, and it's traditions. I love the crack of the bat on a well-hit ball. I love the smell of my leather baseball glove. I like standing in a field of grass, I like wearing silly uniforms and a baseball cap. These are part of who I am and where I'm from, and I have never needed anyone else to tell me what baseball is, or should be.

I never became a wealthy baseball player. And I never wanted to be a wealthy soccer player. I almost never get to banter about how well my favorite team did while in Pub in Ireland. I almost never get to see it on TV in Ireland. I almost never get to talk about it with anyone else in Ireland. And I would never want it any other way; because I'm an American, and I love my American past time.

Perhaps sometimes the Irish need to sit back, look around and take a deep breath. What you are breathing in is Ireland. And there is nothing wrong with living and breathing Ireland. If you ask me, when it comes to Ireland, the grass is very rarely greener on the other side.

BASEBALL,national summer game of the USA,derived in the 19th century from the english game of rounders,baseball is a bat-and- ball game,played between two teams,each of nine players,on a pitch[field] marked out in the form of a diamond. but please dont tell the GAA ,they still believe they invented the game.

Dyr

hoodwinked wrote: »

again these are my experiences but once you ask around especially here in Cork you'll find they are commonly found attitudes and actions, and its holding back imo many possible athletes who could be worthy of winning Gold, because they will be ostracized from their communities if they show an interest in anything but gaa.

Whether or not it intends to, it does hold people in certain areas to ransom.

Well what happens in Cork is really not the concern of Irish people. Although with so many all irelands to boast I say yee should continue on in your discriminating ways regardless of the human cost, it obviously gets results

Cookie_Monster

False Prophet wrote: »

...

my only point was that NZ is not restricted in other sports by its obsession with rugby in response to the posters query.

And that is where they win most of there soft medals(meaning most countries cannot compete financially at these sports).

:rolleyes: soft medals... if they're so soft why don't you go out and win some, should be easy eh?
rowing/ kayaking are hardly expensive sports in the grand scheme of things.

in ireland gaa stops in the winter where other sports can have a go

hardly ideal though, cold wet and dark as opposed to during the summer when people are more naturally out later as it's warmer and brighter longer.

kippy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

nope.

volleyball and netball are huge in schools and there are casual leagues everywhere - I was looking to book an indoor pitch locally for 5 a side but couldn't there were so many evening league in various sports at 3 of New Plymouth's main event centres (basketball, netball, volleyball etc)
cricket is pretty popular and I see games about every weekend during the summer.
rowing, sailing, surfing, kite surfing and kayaking are all extremely popular too
bowls is also exceptionally popular with the older folk - there are a stupid number of greens in New Plymouth, only 70k people and I've come across at least 12. Dun Laoghaire has a population of 25k odd and only 1 (or2)
The rugby pretty much stops for the summer so a lot of time to fill with other sports before it's back in season.

Just look at their return of medals in the Olympics to see how they produce plenty of great athletes across a broad range of sports. Maybe not the best example but for a country with the same population as Ireland they outshine the Irish in medal count hugely and at most sports in general too.

Anyone who thinks that Ireland is all GAA GAA, has never looked around the place.

There are soccer pitches all over the shop, Astroturf in almost every second village now, Golf courses every few miles, Tennis courts in a lot of places, two or three 50 metre pools in the country and many more smaller ones.

You've never gone near places like Achill, Lahinch, Bundoran etc if you don't think theres an avid watersports scene in the country.
Kayaking, Canooing, Sailing, Surfing, windsurfing are all over the shop.

A lot of these GAA players are play and partake in much more than GAA and the fitness levels lend well to other sports.

getz

kippy wrote: »

Anyone who thinks that Ireland is all GAA GAA, has never looked around the place.

There are soccer pitches all over the shop, Astroturf in almost every second village now, Golf courses every few miles, Tennis courts in a lot of places, two or three 50 metre pools in the country and many more smaller ones.

You've never gone near places like Achill, Lahinch, Bundoran etc if you don't think theres an avid watersports scene in the country.
Kayaking, Canooing, Sailing, Surfing, windsurfing are all over the shop.

A lot of these GAA players are play and partake in much more than GAA and the fitness levels lend well to other sports.

i am very surprised that ireland dident pick up a gold medal in fencing,patrick did a brilliant job on my garden

Brain Stroking

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

I haven't really given out about the GAA in my post. It's more a lament that my favourite sport isn't as well run or as well-supported at a local level. Still though, it's impossible to argue against the fact that other sports would benefit hugely from the GAA somehow never existing in this country. The football and hurling no longer exist, people take their kids to other sports and put their money and energy into other sports.

I think the Canadians could have seriously done better in track and field over the years if it wasnt for ice hockey.
I think the Americans could have really made an impression on soccer if it werent for American Football.
I think Spain could have been a way better performer at cycling if it wasnt for soccer.
And so on.....

preddy

Would Hurlers make good Baseball players? Untapped market me thinks.

It all goes back to schools, Im sure i could of made it in some sport out there just my school did GAA or Soccer that was it.

kippy

preddy wrote: »

Would Hurlers make good Baseball players? Untapped market me thinks.

It all goes back to schools, Im sure i could of made it in some sport out there just my school did GAA or Soccer that was it.

It's not very feasible for schools to "do" more than a couple of the most popular sports though?

Spread

getz wrote: »

BASEBALL,national summer game of the USA,derived in the 19th century from the english game of rounders,baseball is a bat-and- ball game,played between two teams,each of nine players,on a pitch[field] marked out in the form of a diamond. but please dont tell the GAA ,they still believe they invented the game.

As usual getz, geometric shapes are not your forte. "In the form of a diamond", you say ........... no GAA game AFAIK is played on such a kite shape or rhomboid. Parallelogram with one 90*angle is the pitch

super_furry

If Ireland put all of their sporting resources into just one sport, we could be a sporting power. New Zealand has a similar sized population and dominates rugby union because, as a nation, they are entirely focused on one sport.

Duckworth_Luas

super_furry wrote: »

If Ireland put all of their sporting resources into just one sport, we could be a sporting power. New Zealand has a similar sized population and dominates rugby union because, as a nation, they are entirely focused on one sport.

According to the IRB Ireland and New Zealand have practically the exact same number of junior and senior rugby players. Source.

super_furry

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

According to the IRB Ireland and New Zealand have practically the exact same number of junior and senior rugby players. Source.

Sure, but are the same financial resources put into the sport? Does it enjoy the same universal community support?

starlit

I am not actually saying that the sports originated from those countries but the concept/idea did and mainly what balls/sliotar was used. I read it in a book but that was years ago so cannot formally back it up.

Hurling is going back to the time of the celts.....though only first played formally back in the 1800's.

munsterlegend

super_furry wrote: »

If Ireland put all of their sporting resources into just one sport, we could be a sporting power. New Zealand has a similar sized population and dominates rugby union because, as a nation, they are entirely focused on one sport.

And they also take the best players from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga - we don't have islands quite like that around these parts. thankfully I haven't seen a game in any sport this year that had the skill and excitement of galway and kilkenny. most rugby games would bore you to tears with the majority of the game spent in re-organising collapsing scrums.

losthorizon

Diego Maradona wrote: »

Really?

IRB World rankings


1(1) NEW ZEALAND 91.43
2(2) AUSTRALIA 87.05
3(3) SOUTH AFRICA 84.87
4(4) ENGLAND 83.09
5(5) FRANCE 83.03
6(6) WALES 82.26
7(7) IRELAND 79.85
8(8) ARGENTINA 79.25
9(9) SCOTLAND 77.97
10(10) SAMOA 76.23
11(11) ITALY 76.03
12(12) TONGA 74.79
13(13) CANADA 72.30
14(14) FIJI 70.60
15(15) GEORGIA 67.95
16(16) JAPAN 67.93
17(17) USA 66.61
18(18) ROMANIA 64.54
19(19) RUSSIA 62.05
20(20) SPAIN 61.63
21(21) URUGUAY 61.13
22(22) NAMIBIA 59.24
23(23) BELGIUM 59.17
24(24) CHILE 58.32
25(25) KOREA 56.72
26(26) PORTUGAL 56.58
27(27) HONG KONG 55.49
28(28) POLAND 55.19
29(29) ZIMBABWE 54.70
30(30) UKRAINE 53.95
31(31) GERMANY 53.33
32(32) MOROCCO 52.35
33(33) BRAZIL 51.57
34(34) MOLDOVA 51.28
35(35) KAZAKHSTAN 51.28
36(36) LITHUANIA 50.90
37(37) SWEDEN 50.41
38(38) KENYA 50.28
39(39) CZECH REPUBLIC 50.16
40(40) PARAGUAY 48.84
41(41) UGANDA 48.76
42(42) MADAGASCAR 48.19
43(43) TUNISIA 48.18
44(44) CROATIA 48.06
45(45) MALTA 47.97
46(46) IVORY COAST 47.67
47(47) NETHERLANDS 47.66
48(48) SRI LANKA 47.60
49(49) BERMUDA 47.17
50(50) SENEGAL 47.14
51(51) PAPUA NEW GUINEA 46.55
52(52) SWITZERLAND 45.88
53(53) VENEZUELA 45.36
54(54) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 44.68
55(55) COOK ISLANDS 44.61
56(56) PHILIPPINES 44.34
57(57) ISRAEL 43.90
58(58) GUYANA 43.56
59(59) THAILAND 43.44
60(60) CHINESE TAIPEI 43.19
61(61) DENMARK 42.28
62(62) ANDORRA 42.21
63(63) PERU 41.64
64(64) MALAYSIA 41.37
65(65) CAYMAN 41.27
66(66) SINGAPORE 41.19
67(67) BARBADOS 41.01
68(68) INDIA 40.81
69(69) CHINA 40.73
70(70) SOLOMON ISLANDS 40.70
71(71) NIUE ISLANDS 40.45
72(72) LATVIA 40.16
73(73) SERBIA 40.14
74(74) COLOMBIA 39.59
75(75) MEXICO 39.38
76(76) ZAMBIA 38.87
77(77) BOTSWANA 38.65
78(78) PAKISTAN 38.38
79(79) BULGARIA 38.34
80(80) CAMEROON 38.33
81(81) SLOVENIA 37.76
82(82) JAMAICA 37.08
83(83) ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES 36.84
84(84) AUSTRIA 36.84
85(85) HUNGARY 36.81
86(86) TAHITI 36.25
87(87) BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA 36.18
88(88) GUAM 35.70
89(89) BAHAMAS 35.68
90(90) SWAZILAND 35.63
91(91) NIGERIA 35.29
92(92) MONACO 35.17
93(93) NORWAY 34.55
94(94) VANUATU 33.45
95(95) LUXEMBOURG 32.62
96(96) FINLAND 27.03

Just because they have a team doesnt mean its an established sport. I see Spain are in 20th place. My cousins are Spanish (Catalonian
actually) they saw a rugby game on TV when they were over here. They asked me was it Gaelic football! They had never seen it before.

losthorizon

super_furry wrote: »

If Ireland put all of their sporting resources into just one sport, we could be a sporting power. New Zealand has a similar sized population and dominates rugby union because, as a nation, they are entirely focused on one sport.

They won 6 gold medals at the 2012 olympics plus a good few other medals

wow sierra

It's an interesting question.

If there was no such thing as GAA then of course Irish people would be better at other sports because they would still want to play sports.

In theory the League of Ireland would then be brilliant, having people selling their Grannies to get tickets to the FAI cup final at €80 a go instead of being bribed into going by getting in for €10. The big problem is I reckon all the better players would still go abroad to England or Spain etc. Karl Lacey wouldn't be playing for Finn Harps or Derry City - he'd be playing for Man Utd.

That's what's so wonderful about the GAA - because it is only Irish you don't lose your best players to overseas teams.

Grayson

Brain Stroking wrote: »

I think the Canadians could have seriously done better in track and field over the years if it wasnt for ice hockey.
I think the Americans could have really made an impression on soccer if it werent for American Football.
I think Spain could have been a way better performer at cycling if it wasnt for soccer.
And so on.....

Re: the Americans and their "football". I read an article by an american who was trying to figure out why all US kids play soccer until they get to high school. At that point the focus is on american football. He said he'd asked his football coach in high school. He was told that Americans play sports with their hands, commies play sports with their feet.

When I was in primary/secondary school (and it wasn't too long ago), there was no option to play any sport except Gaelic and hurling.

There was a Gaelic pitch near my primary school. We were told we were only allowed play Irish sports on the grass there. I grew up just outside a mid sized town in the middle of the country. Maybe it was different in Dublin, but for 90% of this country all that exists is Gaelic.

False Prophet

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

my only point was that NZ is not restricted in other sports by its obsession with rugby in response to the posters query.

Agree and neither is Ireland.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:rolleyes: soft medals... if they're so soft why don't you go out and win some, should be easy eh?
rowing/ kayaking are hardly expensive sports in the grand scheme of things.

My point is that there are softer medals to win due to less competition from other countries. I agree that ireland should do better at these but nothing to do with the gaa but the olympic council (or whoever is in charge of those sports)

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

hardly ideal though, cold wet and dark as opposed to during the summer when people are more naturally out later as it's warmer and brighter longer.

Agree again but lots of sports that can played during them months anyway (indoor sports etc)

If there was no gaa we would have more soccer players and maybe cricket players. We would probably have better standard soccer national league but we would not have as many kids/adults playing sports every week.We certaintly would not have decent facilities in most villages like we have now.

False Prophet

losthorizon wrote: »

They won 6 gold medals at the 2012 olympics plus a good few other medals

Hows there soccer team doing:D Or there golfers? or there jockeys? or there boxers?

False Prophet

getz wrote: »

BASEBALL,national summer game of the USA,derived in the 19th century from the english game of rounders,baseball is a bat-and- ball game,played between two teams,each of nine players,on a pitch[field] marked out in the form of a diamond. but please dont tell the GAA ,they still believe they invented the game.

Nobody knows who invented baseball, but considering that gaa rounders is the one most like modern baseball they well could be right;)

Reindeer

False Prophet wrote: »

Nobody knows who invented baseball, but considering that gaa rounders is the one most like modern baseball they well could be right;)

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=Ireland

I would think it's unlikely earlier rounders players did not have a large influence on baseball.

getz

Reindeer wrote: »

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=Ireland

I would think it's unlikely earlier rounders players did not have a large influence on baseball.

the first referance to rounders is in 1744,being in a little pretty pocket book ,where it is called base-ball by john newbury, in 1828 william clark in london published the second edition of the boys own book which included the rules of rounders and which contained the first printed discription in english of a bat and ball game played on a diamand,the following year that book was published in boston massachusetts,the first formalised rules were drawn up by the GAA in ireland in 1884,every year england and ireland play rounders against each other,one under GAA rules and one under english rules,