The G.A.A. - A Good or Bad thing?

Arkady

TheNap wrote: »

Neber really understood why people dont just love the sports they play instead of trying to belittle the sports they dont.

The GAA doesn't stop at sports. If it did it would be a much better and healthier organisation for everyone, inside and outside of the GAA.

That's the issue most people outside the GAA have.

Hayden Pennyfeather

Hulk Hands wrote: »

As always happens in these threads, Hurling gets a great rep but football is slated. Yet Football gets higher attendances, viewers, participants and media coverage than Hurling. Strange that. Its a bit like soccer and rugby, the bigger more established sport will get all the bad press while the other gets lavished with praise, yet they will always stay in the same pecking order of popularity. Ive played both and follow both heavily, the above just annoys me a bit

I agree that football gets a hard time but some of it is justified. Hurling has a better reputation because it's a faster game - that tends to be higher scoring and more exciting. Both hurling and football have become more physical and tactical in recent years, but this has changed the way football is played a lot more. For example the blanket defense and the higher rate of cynical fouling in football have had more of an impact on the way the game is played than the use of a sweeper in hurling.

In terms of attendances and viewers - a lot of this is down to the fact that football is more popular in Dublin. The dubs never leave croke park and can half fill it, at least, every time they play there.

robbiezero

Iang87 wrote: »

By expecting outrageous levels of commitment from unpaid players in terms of games needed to play. These lads have jobs and lives but their intercounty players first apparently. The way its run is funny to watch on and see. Some of the limerick players may have had to play up to 10 games in february when you tack on club and college commitments but come the summer they'll have 4 and 5 weeks between games for what must only be for monetary gain if i'm honest because they prove in jan - march they dont give a **** about game count with stupid competitions.

How things like this can happen and people can justify

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/dublin-claiming-the-bulk-of-gaa-s-development-funds-1.2091641

Lets not forget the days when the mighty dubs play and croke park is given to them with seemingly their fans only given access to hill 16/cheapest tickets.


In isolation these things may seem fine but this kind of behaviour consistently will breed contempt going forward and an air of whats the point will develop in other counties. Player numbers will inevitably dwindle over time and they'll wonder why the club game is lacking then they'll wonder why college is lacking finally it'll dawn its too late we should have realised the country extends beyond dublins borders.


This isn't an anti dublin rant and sorry if it appears so if these things were happening in Limericks favour I'd still be disgusted. Don't pride yourself as an all inclusive/every parish/all in organisation and in your actions spit in the face of all that.

Thought you were going to give me a mindless anti-GAA rant, but I actually agree with most of your points. I think "f**k it up" is a bit strong, but certainly these are significant issues in what you have outlined.
The training levels for amateur players are getting ridiculous and nearly impossible for counties for whom success is very unlikely to maintain.

GerB40

Put up a voting poll, I doubt many will be surprised the result..

timthumbni

In Northern Ireland the GAA has a long way to go to shed its political baggage from the recent past.

The recent guard of honour by bellaghy Wolfe tones gac seen walking a few yards from an INLA guard of honour at the funeral of mad dog mcglinceys son isn't perhaps the sort of outreach to unionists the GAA should be trying.

Paramite Pie

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

It's helped to forge an inward looking national identity.

As someone who grew up having a very american accent, prefered rice to potatoes and followed American politics and pop culture - I really think it's good to look inwards some times.

I know some people who physically live in Ireland but mentally think their in California. I've noticed that people who play any sport in Ireland tend to have stronger Irish accents and are less dismissive of their country.

Arkady

Paramite Pie wrote: »

As someone who grew up having a very american accent, prefered rice to potatoes and followed American politics and pop culture - I really think it's good to look inwards some times.

I know some people who physically live in Ireland but mentally think their in California. I've noticed that people who play any sport in Ireland tend to have stronger Irish accents and are less dismissive of their country.

A point well made. From one extreme to the other. There is always a nice healthy medium, but that often seems to be lacking.

armaghlad

timthumbni wrote: »

In Northern Ireland the GAA has a long way to go to shed its political baggage from the recent past.

The recent guard of honour by bellaghy Wolfe tones gac seen walking a few yards from an INLA guard of honour at the funeral of mad dog mcglinceys son isn't perhaps the sort of outreach to unionists the GAA should be trying.

The primary school had a guard of honour also.

H3llR4iser

I was one of the "GAA ban" proponents; Now, the thread was supposed to be for fun and everyone, more or less, proposed to ban and/or punish essentially anything and anyone they found annoying; So in my case, the simple fact is that anybody I've ever met that was either directly involved with GAA or an "hardcore" fan, happened to be markedly obnoxious individuals, set in their "traditional" ways, constantly banging on about "GAA this" and "GAA that" and armed with an enormous sense of superiority towards other sports - most likely, it had very little to do with the sport and a lot with their own characters, but that is enough for me in a context of a joke thread to be wanting to "ban" them

Now, if kids all around Ireland get to play GAA sports, well done - any exercise is a great thing to do, especially started at a young age (I'm a converted "couch potato" who started exercising at 27 and fully recognizes, and regrets, the limitations of such a situation).

As a foreigner, I can tell you that most non-Irish people are utterly confused by the whole GAA thing, see the disciplines as a big mishmash of other sports...and a bit of an isolationist exercise. No offense meant, that's just what it looks like seen for "outside"

Other than that, not being really involved I can't tell for sure, maybe it's just a wrong "hunch", but having lived in Cork for a long time I got the distinct impression that the GAA and everything associated, as least outside of Dublin, holds quite a bit of political and economic power - in a much more open and brash way than, say, association football does in England or Italy.

Again folks, it's just what it "feels" to someobody not involved at all. Take it with a pinch of salt.

Rackard

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I was one of the "GAA ban" proponents; Now, the thread was supposed to be for fun and everyone, more or less, proposed to ban and/or punish essentially anything and anyone they found annoying; So in my case, the simple fact is that anybody I've ever met that was either directly involved with GAA or an "hardcore" fan, happened to be markedly obnoxious individuals, set in their "traditional" ways, constantly banging on about "GAA this" and "GAA that" and armed with an enormous sense of superiority towards other sports - most likely, it had very little to do with the sport and a lot with their own characters, but that is enough for me in a context of a joke thread to be wanting to "ban" them

Now, if kids all around Ireland get to play GAA sports, well done - any exercise is a great thing to do, especially started at a young age (I'm a converted "couch potato" who started exercising at 27 and fully recognizes, and regrets, the limitations of such a situation).

As a foreigner, I can tell you that most non-Irish people are utterly confused by the whole GAA thing, see the disciplines as a big mishmash of other sports...and a bit of an isolationist exercise. No offense meant, that's just what it looks like seen for "outside"

Other than that, not being really involved I can't tell for sure, maybe it's just a wrong "hunch", but having lived in Cork for a long time I got the distinct impression that the GAA and everything associated, as least outside of Dublin, holds quite a bit of political and economic power - in a much more open and brash way than, say, association football does in England or Italy.

Again folks, it's just what it "feels" to someobody not involved at all. Take it with a pinch of salt.

Was a bit perplexed at the air of superiority and obnoxiousness until I got to the bit where you live in Cork

Dirty Dingus McGee

bigkocman wrote: »

I agree that football gets a hard time but some of it is justified. Hurling has a better reputation because it's a faster game - that tends to be higher scoring and more exciting. Both hurling and football have become more physical and tactical in recent years, but this has changed the way football is played a lot more. For example the blanket defense and the higher rate of cynical fouling in football have had more of an impact on the way the game is played than the use of a sweeper in hurling.

In terms of attendances and viewers - a lot of this is down to the fact that football is more popular in Dublin. The dubs never leave croke park and can half fill it, at least, every time they play there.

There were 11,000 at the Donegal Mayo league match on Sunday.

Football gets better attendances because it is more popular across the length and breath of the country than hurling is.

More people like saying they love hurling but unfortunately nowhere near as many act on it by playing or attending games.It's the oppsite for football.

munchkin_utd

Rackard wrote: »

Was a bit perplexed at the air of superiority and obnoxiousness until I got to the bit where you live in Cork

+1.

the problem in Cork is not the GAA, and thats coming from someone married to a cork person and see how insular they are .
The GAA in Cork just reflects a lot of how people think down there.
I never heard of the word "blow in" till I was chatting to cork people. That sortof sums up the attitude to be honest.

The stuff that goes on in the GAA in Cork you couldnt make up.
BUT.... you cant label an entire organisation as bad just because theres semi mafia structures (i.e. certain families controlling clubs to the detriment of others) in Cork.

My wifes club was traditionally controled by one family which has a presence in the area going back 500+ years, and indeed some of the antics would put you off anything GAA related. The wife actually stopped playing camogie thanks to a spat over her having to go to a funeral, and only started again when she went abroad. Crazy stuff.

diomed

Turfcutter wrote: »

The people citing 'the Ban' (lifted 45 years ago) as their pet dislike about the GAA are like the Japanese soldiers who were holed up the jungle thinking they were still fighting WW2 a few decades after it ended.

I get it.
Anyone who disagrees with the GAA are probably foreign, and mentally deranged.

Yamanoto

munchkin_utd wrote: »

my sister works in a creche in "the nice part" of Dublin and already at that stage the parents have it worked out which primary school their kid needs to go to in order to get into the right secondary school to play school rugby, which is essentially a foot into the old boys club down the line when working in the IFSC or wherever.

I was shocked, but school rugby in Dublin is more of a cult than the GAA will ever be.

That's far more about the opportunities the school provides, than anything to do with Rugby per se.

There are countless Blackrock & St. Michael's past-pupils who wouldn't have played the game beyond junior school, but inevitably beat a path toward Commerce in UCD followed by a move into banking & financial services.

H3llR4iser

munchkin_utd wrote: »

+1.

the problem in Cork is not the GAA, and thats coming from someone married to a cork person and see how insular they are .
The GAA in Cork just reflects a lot of how people think down there.
I never heard of the word "blow in" till I was chatting to cork people. That sortof sums up the attitude to be honest.

The stuff that goes on in the GAA in Cork you couldnt make up.
BUT.... you cant label an entire organisation as bad just because theres semi mafia structures (i.e. certain families controlling clubs to the detriment of others) in Cork.

My wifes club was traditionally controled by one family which has a presence in the area going back 500+ years, and indeed some of the antics would put you off anything GAA related. The wife actually stopped playing camogie thanks to a spat over her having to go to a funeral, and only started again when she went abroad. Crazy stuff.

I've been there nearly seven years, met a lot of very different people - I worked in an environment with plenty of smart, educated and forward thinking people, so I still have some very good Irish friends down there - but, taken as a whole, what you say is what I experienced myself.

I'd be dishonest if I didn't admit that, together with a very good job opportunity and better air links to the EU, the "immobility" mentality is one of the reasons I moved back to Dublin. No offense meant, maybe it's just because I'm originally from a big (~4mln people) city, but the "immobility" mentality was starting to rub off on me.

Sorry for the OT, back to GAA haters!

dont bother

it's AWFUL. it just creates new culchies and we dont need more of them telling us not to smoke weed and all of that lark.

andekwarhola

diomed wrote: »

I get it.
Anyone who disagrees with the GAA are probably foreign, and mentally deranged.

Don't forget 'consumed with self hatred' or a proto Tory as well.

sabat

Rackard wrote: »

Quite obviously no!
Not even part of the GAA - they want to be their own organisation, which is fair enough. Have their own playing rules, administrators etc.
Same goes with Ladies Football.

Obviously? Because they take frees from a different distance and have to wear skirts? That's like saying Serena Williams isn't playing tennis because they only play 3 sets.

beach_walker

fryup wrote: »

The GAA - the sport & leisure wing of Sinn Fein

Disgusting (and complete untrue) attitude tbh. Led to many horrible killings up North. You should be ashamed to come out with such sh!te.

Just...Me

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I was one of the "GAA ban" proponents; Now, the thread was supposed to be for fun and everyone, more or less, proposed to ban and/or punish essentially anything and anyone they found annoying; So in my case, the simple fact is that anybody I've ever met that was either directly involved with GAA or an "hardcore" fan, happened to be markedly obnoxious individuals, set in their "traditional" ways, constantly banging on about "GAA this" and "GAA that" and armed with an enormous sense of superiority towards other sports - most likely, it had very little to do with the sport and a lot with their own characters, but that is enough for me in a context of a joke thread to be wanting to "ban" them

Now, if kids all around Ireland get to play GAA sports, well done - any exercise is a great thing to do, especially started at a young age (I'm a converted "couch potato" who started exercising at 27 and fully recognizes, and regrets, the limitations of such a situation).

As a foreigner, I can tell you that most non-Irish people are utterly confused by the whole GAA thing, see the disciplines as a big mishmash of other sports...and a bit of an isolationist exercise. No offense meant, that's just what it looks like seen for "outside"

Other than that, not being really involved I can't tell for sure, maybe it's just a wrong "hunch", but having lived in Cork for a long time I got the distinct impression that the GAA and everything associated, as least outside of Dublin, holds quite a bit of political and economic power - in a much more open and brash way than, say, association football does in England or Italy.

Again folks, it's just what it "feels" to somebody not involved at all. Take it with a pinch of salt.

This makes a lot of sense. I am not trying to say that Gaelic games are brilliant and all other sports are terrible.

Honestly I like nearly every sport but that's just me. I have a lot of friends that don't like sport at all and that's cool with me. Everyone's different.

I just found the dislike of the G.A.A. very surprising.

Your explanation is very good.

beach_walker

I think the GAA is a fantastic organisation and it really is one of the main things I miss about home. I grew up in a... well let's just say it wasn't a well off area and had lots of undesirables. The GAA provided an invaluable service and I can't even begin to imagine kept how many kids out of trouble. I mean we even had some travellers on our team, the only case I'd ever actually got to talk to them properly (and indeed became friends with). As well as this it set the groundwork for a sense of community replicated in most clubs across the country.

I played a bit of hurling now and then but main sport was football. I look back and have such huge respect for the people involved, training, driving us to matches and treat day trips to Croker or the likes. To think of all the people involved in the club giving up their own time from u-7's right up to senior. Most lads would play soccer or something else too (worth saying that there was no rugby presence whatsoever back then) and there was no clash sh!te that people are coming out with in this thread. Actually the main time coaches would tell lads not to play was in the case of say someone planning on playing an u-12 match the day before planning to tog out for an u-14 game

In the Summer they provided coaching camps which might last a week or so pretty much free. During school, it was always a treat when an intercounty player would come to do some general exercises with the class not to mention if Sam was coming along :pac: Never did get to see Liam...

The bitterness of some towards the organisation is laughable in my book. Of course with nearly a million members you're gonna run across a c*nt but imo there's no denying the positive continuing impact of the GAA.

I cannot fathom how its a bad thing. I rarely watch it. I've barely played it. It's not my cup of tea but how in any way, shape or form is it objectively a bad thing???

LordSutch

Just...Me wrote: »

Long time lurker, first time protagonist here!

After reading the thread on things you would love to outlaw or ban I found the G.A.A. came up a lot.

I left the country 2 years ago and I have always found that when people ask me "What is really Irish?" I generally answer with Gaelic sports.

I was surprised to find that there are so many people that don't like it.

I have always found it to promote Irish Identity and community.

I could ask this question in the G.A.A. forum but I am looking for a more general view so I am posting it here.

So I suppose my question is have you found Gaelic Games to have a positive or negative impact on Irish society?

Growing up on the South side of Dublin I was never aquainted with GAA games until I was in my 20s. Our family would be an Athletics, Rugby, Tennis, Hockey & cycling kind of family, and the GAA has never figured with us (on both sides of the family) . . . .

Some people follow GAA, some of us don't, ergo it has no connection to one's nationality.

No interest in the GAA what so ever.

Sh1tbag OToole

If it's drink you want and plenty of feeding
And you like the bed as well
Grab the wife, throw the kids in the Datsun
Make for Inch and the Strand hotel
If talk of turf drives you crazy
And you can't face a bale of hay
Make for Foley's work the topshelf talk puck, pints and the GAA

armaghlad

LordSutch wrote: »

Growing up on the South side of Dublin I was never aquainted with GAA games until I was in my 20s. Our family would be an Athletics, Rugby, Tennis, Hockey & cycling kind of family, and the GAA has never figured with us (on both sides of the family) . . . .

Some people follow GAA, some of us don't, ergo it has no connection to one's nationality.

No interest in the GAA what so ever.

Shock.

Stojkovic

I get a great laugh out of telling GAH/RA heads that their BogBall Final trophy is named after a Protestant.

Duckworth_Luas

Stojkovic wrote: »

I get a great laugh out of telling GAH/RA heads that their BogBall Final trophy is named after a Protestant.

We've got a foaming at the mouth one here!

Dirty Dingus McGee

Stojkovic wrote: »

I get a great laugh out of telling GAH/RA heads that their BogBall Final trophy is named after a Protestant.

Ah god you're not serious are you.I mean I thought the association had some principles, I just don't know what to think anymore. I used to believe in it but **** that if there going to be naming cups after protestants then it just isn't intolerant enough for my liking. I thought we stood for something.

Up the Ra,Brits Out,No to foreign games!

beach_walker

Stojkovic wrote: »

I get a great laugh out of telling GAH/RA heads that their BogBall Final trophy is named after a Protestant.

Can't say I've ever met anyone with an interest in the games who didn't know that. I mean facts like that and the formation of the GAA/Gaelic revival is pretty standard stuff for even 4th class history. Not to mention that general sh!te-talk/factoid knowledge is something endemic to all sports, something smells..

Besides, well you don't actual do that do you.

robbiezero

Stojkovic wrote: »

I get a great laugh out of telling GAH/RA heads that their BogBall Final trophy is named after a Protestant.

Whatever you do, don't tell them Wolfe Tone was a Protestant.

Stojkovic

robbiezero wrote: »

Whatever you do, don't tell them Wolfe Tone was a Protestant.

Oh I did and Robert Emmet.

Aongus Von Bismarck

I will fly home regularly during the summer to watch Galway play in the hurling championship. I'm hoping there will be a more positive outcome when I fly home this September to watch them in the All-Ireland final.

My workload means I'm no longer actively involved in the GAA club here in Frankfurt. I do know it's a wonderful way of meeting people, socialising and - if you want - playing some sport. Recent expats find it a tremendous comfort during those difficult opening months. It's also very popular with people who aren't Irish. The overseas GAA structure is a credit to the organisation.

Say Your Number

So they were all dirty prods

That's it, all my GAA stuff is going into the fire :mad:

Duckworth_Luas

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I will fly home regularly during the summer to watch Galway play in the hurling championship. I'm hoping there will be a more positive outcome when I fly home this September to watch them in the All-Ireland final.

My workload means I'm no longer actively involved in the GAA club here in Frankfurt. I do know it's a wonderful way of meeting people, socialising and - if you want - playing some sport. Recent expats find it a tremendous comfort during those difficult opening months. It's also very popular with people who aren't Irish. The overseas GAA structure is a credit to the organisation.

I was going to thank this post but von Bismarck has a whiff of Lutheranism about it!

Bulbous Salutation

Say Your Number wrote: »

So they were all dirty prods

That's it, all my GAA stuff is going into the fire :mad:

Sam Maguire as well.

Jack Boothman was a CoI man and the president of the GAA during the 90's.

Thankfully the GAA don't ask about religious affiliation, but there is at least one CoI man with an All-Ireland medal that I know of. I suspect if people could be bothered to ask, then they'd find many more amongst the Kilkenny All-Ireland winners. That isn't the point though.

It's about the sport.

pgj2015

ClovenHoof wrote: »

It has been a very powerful pathological manipulation tool for politics in that it destroys a sense of national identity and replaces it with a county colours mindset. This is one of the reasons we are doomed as a nation as we are a collection of 32 little ****hole rivalries and not a nation of Irish people. Every culchie puts his parish ahead of his nation. Jackeens tend to be the only group in Ireland who are actually aware of what nation they are citizens of.

yes they do, Britain, as they are west brits who care more about man united than dublin gaa.

beach_walker

Bulbous Salutation wrote: »

I suspect if people could be bothered to ask, then they'd find many more

Exactly, it's not a big deal. Offhand I know of one Down and one Tipp AI winners. Nobody cares!

Up North of course it's more sensitive but the GAA (in association with other sporting bodies) is doing great work up north to integrate the communities. Some interesting reading.

teddykrueger

So much hate...for a sporting organisation? I know the GAA haven't endeared themselves in the past, but let it go. Times have changed.

I've absolutely no interest in hoofball or hurling (the latter which I actually respect) and come from a big soccer background, but how could such an entity be a bad thing? Gets kids involved in sport and brings people together.

It's like people can't like one thing without hating something else.

PressRun

I don't know what generation all these people who think the GAA is anti-other sports are, but I have a niece and a nephew from different ends of the country both involved in gaelic games who have never been discouraged from picking up other sports. The young girl is playing underage for the Dublin ladies (albeit under the LGFA) and also represents her school in basketball. The little lad has just started playing gaelic football at school last year, but still plays soccer too. He's as mad about Messi as he is about Aiden O'Shea. I've not heard of either of them being told that they can't play other sports or anything of the sort. Granted, I would say my niece will lean more towards the football long-term and the LGFA really look after the girls, but I don't think either of them are being told what to do. It's more a case that gaelic games in general are (understandably) quite well-organised at a grassroots level than most other sports in the country, and the whole set-up is more conducive to building successful underage structures and getting young people involved.

The GAA has its problems, most definitely, but I don't see why it should be faulted for doing its absolute best to promote its games and encouraging young people to participate. Why shouldn't they? Perhaps there are other sporting organisations within the country that could learn a thing or two from how the GAA does things on a grassroots level.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Stojkovic wrote: »

Oh I did and Robert Emmet.

Why would anyone care? You might hate them up north but down here we don't. The CC and COI are very close in our country.

signostic

There are alot of sports played in GAA facilities such as basketball, squash, racquetball, badminton, roller hockey etc but the GAA seem to have just 2 sports in their sights that cannot be tolerated i.e soccer and to a lesser extent rugby. I suppose they see these two sports as their main competition.

I remember starting a soccer club with a few other lads in a rural town in Co Galway in the early 80`s. We acquired permission from the local farmers to use the town commonage for a pitch and all except one agreed. The individual who objected was big in the local GAA club would regularly drive his livestock into the pitch a day or two before our matches making sure that the ground was well fertilised. After that I was never actively involved in GAA again.

Thankfully the club I helped to start is thriving and now has more teams and juvenile players than the GAA club. Soccer clubs too can be the focal point in a community as well.

Stojkovic

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Why would anyone care? You might hate them up north but down here we don't. The CC and COI are very close in our country.

Who said Im from up North ?

togaselected

Worst thing about being in a heavily influenced GAA area is that you are seen as "weird" or "unusual" if you don`t play it, I don`t have a problem with it but I don`t see why it matters if one plays it or not.

CrabRevolution

I don't think anyone aware of any GAA history doesn't know that Sam Maguire was a protestant. Even then you've lots of clubs and grounds named after Thomas Davis, Parnell, Emmet, Wolfe Tone, Douglas Hyde etc.

Stories of any GAA heads (especially in he 21st century) being sickened at the idea of a protestant are almost certainly fabricated.

Torricelli

The GAA has it's flaws but overall it's a fantastic organisation. It keeps hundreds of thousands of people fit and healthy, it gives people a purpose and it's a great social outlet.

This crap of GAA heads loathing their players playing soccer is a myth, I've never heard of anyone being told they're not allowed play soccer. I played soccer and football, and never had any issues with juggling the two sports. It's utter bullsh1t from people who haven't a clue what they're talking about.

Our kids are getting fatter, where would we be with the GAA?

osarusan

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Stories of any GAA heads (especially in he 21st century) being sickened at the idea of a protestant are almost certainly fabricated.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/protestant-gaa-star-hounded-out-by-vile-taunts-26308621.html

DavidLyons_

Torricelli wrote: »

The GAA has it's flaws but overall it's a fantastic organisation. It keeps hundreds of thousands of people fit and healthy, it gives people a purpose and it's a great social outlet.

This crap of GAA heads loathing their players playing soccer is a myth, I've never heard of anyone being told they're not allowed play soccer. I played soccer and football, and never had any issues with juggling the two sports. It's utter bullsh1t from people who haven't a clue what they're talking about.

Our kids are getting fatter, where would we be with the GAA?

Maybe some people's experiences are different to yours. I know mine were and are and I plyed both soccer and gaelic football too.

CrabRevolution

osarusan wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/protestant-gaa-star-hounded-out-by-vile-taunts-26308621.html

Alright. I've to give you that. I'll qualify my statement with "down here". Obviously things must be different up north...

PressRun

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Alright. I've to give you that. I'll qualify my statement with "down here". Obviously things must be different up north...

I think the Wiley brothers who play for Monaghan are Protestant. Don't know if they've ever been on the receiving any of any religion-based abuse, but I haven't heard of it if they were.

To be fair though, players get sledged on all sorts of ****e these days. You do hear the "horror stories" from time to time regarding the abuse some players have supposedly gotten, but tbh, I think, for the most part, it's fairly harmless stuff and most people are well able to handle themselves in the face of such nonsense. Sledging can be hard enough for refs to police as well. Players would be cute enough in making sure they aren't heard.

signostic

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Alright. I've to give you that. I'll qualify my statement with "down here". Obviously things must be different up north...

Would Cavan and Monaghan not be "down here" ?

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/gaa-player-apologises-to-protestant-over-sectarian-abuse-1-6543587