hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 5203
I'm a rugby supporter. Always have ever since I played and will continue to be for my life. But (shock and awe here) I love hurling jsut as much and probabaly more now that I'm paying that more. Most of the lads I went to the match were rugby heads. But they had all played underage hurlign up as far as 21s and picked rugby due to commitments and the fact that its on in the winter so they go on J1'S AND THE like in the summer. They could tell you every player on that limerick team and probably played against them numerous times. Havent got a clue what is wrong with them goin to that match. they were great supporters. The dubs are great suppoerts but I can guarantee you 50% of yeer crowed have never played football and are mostly soccer heads out for the banter and nothing wrong with that either. This thread I hard to read as there is no "best supporters" there is the hard core and the guys who follow for the banter.

Fishermantom (Limerick) - Posts: 569 - 18/07/2013 21:19:29    1435649

Fisher man tom

Exactly i agree with you and that's the point I was trying to make that it was in relation to the whole Best supporters thing that people think just just coz they turned out for a final in big numbers that a county supporters are the best I was saying the same thing last year when people where saying Donegal supporters were the best just for the same reason.
I am in Limerick a lot I have nothing against the place whatsoever

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 19/07/2013 11:13:54    1435793

Cork are the best hurling supporters in the land, and the best sporting people in general. I know at least 7 lads from Limerick who wouldn't know a sliotar from a stone who were on the bandwagon last weekend. The same lads will get tickets for the All-Ireland too if Limerick get that far.

Cute_Kerry_Hoor (Kerry) - Posts: 2518 - 19/07/2013 11:25:59    1435805

i think waterford have the best most passionate supporters. i agree with a point made by another poster than limericks "supporters" are massive bandwagon jumpers. just the die hard fans before the tipp game, then after that it increased to most hurling people being back on their side and since they won the munster final every limerick person you meet is their biggest fan. after they lose the semi final we'll see the support drop until the next bandwagon comes by and they will go back to their soccer or rugby.

hurlingexpert (Clare) - Posts: 1941 - 19/07/2013 11:36:17    1435822

I don't know what's all this talk about Munster rugby supporters and limerick hurling supporters. The vast majority of these supporters support both teams and the bigger the profile of these games the the bigger numbers that will turn out. Most teams in Ireland be they GAA rugby or soccer have only a small core support and we must consider the likes of Munster rugby can draw on the whole province. If all supporters stuck rigidly to one sport as they do in England for example crowds would be much smaller at the big games here.

kerryhound (Kerry) - Posts: 37 - 19/07/2013 12:54:14    1435896

I remember being in Thurles last year and the Limerick fans were singing "The fields of Athenry", I think the reaction from all around me was "Why exactly are they singing that at a GAA match"?

And even though they were playing Clare and it was a knockout game, they werent exactly out in their droves!

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 19/07/2013 12:56:33    1435899

From matches i've been at...i'd say Cork. Great banter and generally good natured people!
Best atmosphere and by some distance was in Thurles in 1998, the 3rd game between Offaly and Clare. Noise was deafening that day. 2010 when Tipp beat KK was some atmosphere to but still not close to that match in 1998. Having said that Cork best supporters imo in Hurling anyway

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 19/07/2013 13:42:34    1435927

Little note, 6,500 at Thurles tonight, by all reports no more than 1,000 Waterford fans. That says it all lads.

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 23/07/2013 20:52:51    1440514

Tiobrad, don't ever mention 1998 without prior warning - it still gives me the chills followed by a bout of uncontrollable wailing.

banner_boy (Clare) - Posts: 1285 - 23/07/2013 21:02:57    1440535

Mes amis cheers for the clarification. At least i was on the ball knowing the great Seanie had some role in that goal.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 23/07/2013 21:27:07    1440578

Limerick after tonight. Nuf said there kid......

Fishermantom (Limerick) - Posts: 569 - 23/07/2013 21:51:23    1440616

Limerick fans are great as are Kilkenny ones, but always great craic with the Waterford fans.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4895 - 23/07/2013 21:54:55    1440625

The auld Limerick folk seem to be great at overestimating the breakdown of a crowd. Someone said they outnumbered Wexford in 2001 by 7-8 to 1....not my recollection! Now someone saying it was 6-1 last night...Waterford have great support too lads.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 24/07/2013 11:20:33    1440823

so what if a good proportion of the limerick support follow munster - I personally am a rugby fan first and a gaa fan second but follow both with equal fervour - why is it that SOME (thankfully not all) consider following other soprts to be some sort of evil unpure unpatriotic pastime

back to the main topic -I think limerick hurling fans are as up there with cork as being the best fans -yes we support in bigger numbers when things going well (as do all counties-clare/offaly/wexford had huge crowds in 90s but not now and even Waterford support has dipped since 2008) but how many hurling teams could bring 4500 to 5000 fans to an away minor final over 60ks away or 20k to under 21 finals- ok we are success starved and that's brings more support to minor and 21 finals- but give credit where its due

now when it comes to football we aint so good ..... only handful of fans went to portlaoise for Kildare qualifers last year

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 24/07/2013 11:49:07    1440870

24/07/2013 11:49:07
janesboro
County: Limerick
Posts: 1

1440870
I personally am a rugby fan first and a gaa fan second but follow both with equal fervour

That's a contradiction in terms. If you're a rugby fan first, by definition you follow it with more fervour.

Too much success spoils fans. The crowd around me in the Canal End for the hurling replay last year turned me off Cill Chainnigh for ever. It was a source of mystery how they derived such immense pleasure from the acquisition of yet another title. I've seen my own crowd screaming hysterically for the fourth goal in 2006, with about 5 minutes left, to increase our margin of victory from 354,937 points to the magic 354,940. I wondered where the joy came from, compared to say, 2000 or 2009. However, at least they didn't taunt and jeer the Maigh Eo supporters who were slouching out to the familiar sentiment of disappointment. Yet that is what was going on last October in the Canal End. Insults of Gaillimh hurling, screams of glee for each of their wides. I was always a fan of the underdog, but by God I hope (though I don't expect) that they get sent home trophyless this year at least.

One also has to take into account population size and distance. For instance, Corcaigh has a famously terrible football following. They can't blame population, but since it's mainly Iarthar Chorcaí, they can point the finger at how far they have to travel more than anyone else.

PS I'm sure most followers of the Cats are genuine, would never behave like so, and that I fell in with the wrong crowd last year! Still hope you lose, though. Nothing personal. If I wasn't from Ciarraí, I'd hate us!

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 24/07/2013 12:06:35    1440905

yeah because the bandwagon is up in limerick big time now thats why they are turning out.
i was there a few days last week and all the pubs that the previous week had munster flags like the locke bar and the orchard now replaced them with limerick colours and the city centre at last has replaced the munster flags with limerick ones.
while great to see for a change, i guarantee you though if munster where playing at the moment it would be still all munster colours and the numbers would be going to thomond park and not the gaelic grounds

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/07/2013 12:12:23    1440911

I think in general antseabhac, that Cats supporters are great. Only ones I've come across that were unpleasant were younger ones drunk at finals and you get that from every county. Kilkenny supporters I was talking to or near at the Portlaoise games, and met in pub afterwards, were grand. Always like going to Nowlan Park for league games and having a pint and a chat in the Park Inn or O'Loughlins. Couldn't really say a bad word against them in fairness, and we've played them 3/4 times a year in recent times, and in a fair few important underage games.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 24/07/2013 12:19:43    1440928

I would say same about your own crowd antseabhac in football. Rarely meet an unpleasant Kerry supporter.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 24/07/2013 12:21:46    1440934

an tseabhac

i had differant experiance with cats supporters this year after the whistle went when we beat them at least 30 differant cats came up to me and could see how thrilled we were and shook hands and said i hope ye go on and win leinster now

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 24/07/2013 12:23:19    1440936

hill16no1man
and obviously that is such a bad thing that we support munster here in limerick - we must be corrupted or something

the reality is that most limerick people follow both sports - rugby is stronger in the city - but in the county rugby is nowhere near on a par with hurling

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 24/07/2013 12:23:21    1440937