There's a big challenge for the GAA.

As a traditionally rural sport the GAA is really at risk of being hit hard by rural to urban migration.

For me the current inter county model that the GAA isn't going to be well suited going forward 20+ years into the future.

Right now we're in a bit of a halfway house where players from rural counties are still representing their home counties despite living and working in Dublin.

What happens the next generation though, who have been born in Dublin. They won't be representing the likes of Mayo and Tipperary.

Where does that leave the GAA? It's very hard to see beyond a continued strengthening of Dublin GAA and a decline in the rest of the country.

Its very hard to see the current intercounty model surviving into the future. What could replace it?

If it could become financially viable could a professional GAA league help rural Ireland economically? Tap into the huge interest and help create jobs in these areas.

The GAA is a hugely important body in rural Ireland could it's potential be a boon to the rural economy.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4212 - 06/05/2017 11:15:41    1984795

Man hoganstand has become one depressing place lately
it's just threads after threads about whinging complaining to the gaa won't survive this that or the other.
yet 130 odd years it has survived terrorism to civil wars to other sports to the now media negativity and through it all the games are whisper it probably more in demand now than ever before.
a competition that gets no promoting and put down in media circles just had its largest ever attendance last year and another 55 thousand showed up for the final this year way up on anything before it in the last 20 years. As the song says im still standing

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 06/05/2017 17:28:15    1984847

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 06/05/2017 17:50:05    1984851

Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1016 - 06/05/2017 18:14:23    1984854

As a traditionally rural sport the GAA ...

Firstly, the GAA is not a sport; what do you think GAA stands for?

Secondly, it is not traditionally rural. There have been GAA clubs in towns and cities all around Ireland since it's inception.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2454 - 06/05/2017 20:04:17    1984869

The GAA is losing the war against rugby....

salvador (Roscommon) - Posts: 439 - 06/05/2017 22:08:36    1984883

The future isn't particularly bright for either code in my opinion.

Poor organization of fixtures at club level is screwing the player and football is far too defensive and eventually it's popularity will be seriously affected by the type of football most teams play combined with the rubbish championship structure make it nowhere near as enjoyable as it should be.

I've never cared less about football as I do right now, Dublin are the only team really worth watching any more as at least they have an attack first mentality bu their games aren't great until the AI stages as they are too good for most of their opposition.The big problem is there is far too much arrogance within the GAA to accept this and try and spice things up.The rules of football simply have to be changed, this "phase" of defensive play has gone on for over 10 years and it is not going away.

Any other sport and changes would have been made along time ago but this is the GAA so I suspect changes won't ever be made or if they are it will by the time the horse has already bolted and a generation of fans will be lost.

I;m probably going to get a whole load of responses saying if you don't like it then watch something else but that's exactly the point as that is what people are going to do if changes aren't made to the rules.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 06/05/2017 22:17:15    1984885

GameOfTyrones (Tyrone) - Posts: 469 - 06/05/2017 22:19:18    1984886

"People moving to Dublin are generally middle class..." People who don't move to Dublin are generally middle class too! Most GAA people are university educated and live in nice houses, regardless of where they come from. On average they may earn less than on the eastern seaboard but they're still middle class!

Regarding the urban sprawl, it doesn't automatically follow that just because the populations in the counties surrounding Dublin is increasing rapidly that this will lead to the GAA getting stronger in these counties too. Look at Wicklow for instance. I live in a town in one of those counties. The population here has increased more that 20% in the last 10 years and is increasing at an even more rapid rate now, but in terms of participation and on field activity, the local club could hardly be weaker. (Doing very well in terms of its social club though). 50 years ago when the population was nothing they were winning county senior football titles, now they're an also ran at intermediate level. And as for hurling. there isn't a snowballs chance that an increase in population in the satellite counties will see them rise up to, and be competitive at, McCarthy Cup level, You can forget it in terms of Wicklow, Kildare, and Louth anyway because the structures and the tradition and the mindset isn't there to enable them to make those kinds of strides. You would need a complete sea-change in attitude towards hurling within those football-oriented counties to open the possibility of that kind of progress -- and that's not going to happen. I would give Meath a sporting chance in that regard because they do have pockets of traditional hurling areas and at least appear to be open to promoting both codes equally ( though I'm not sure if that is the actual situation on the ground).

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 07/05/2017 03:38:31    1984900

Connacht, Munster and Leinster football championships are all going to be more competitive than a few years ago. Ulster football is always competitive. If it's not the defensive tactics, it's referees, the media, the championship structure, Sky coverage, RTE coverage,or the amount of money some counties spend on GAA that some people aren't happy with. There are glass half-full and glass half-empty people. 2017 is shaping up to be a great championships.

Maigh Eo Abú!

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7342 - 07/05/2017 08:38:37    1984911

leinster competitive??!!? really? dublin are 1/20 munster kerry are 1/3(a good price by the way!) so thats 2 out of the way.connacht is mayo or galway.so theres 4 for 3 provincial crowns. and it competitive?

kavvie (Clare) - Posts: 505 - 07/05/2017 09:46:31    1984917

I still think there is a better standard of living in the west of Ireland IF you can't employment here. Better sense of community, better place to bring up children and less stress as regards committe time etc.

When your young you don't think of those things though and you want bright lights which is totally understandable. My own county is probably the most emigrant county in Ireland. The census proves it with a falling population along with Donegal....the only two counties in Ireland

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11229 - 07/05/2017 09:50:31    1984919

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7342 - 07/05/2017 10:38:47    1984928

I didn't mean to be depressing with regards the future of the GAA.

Of course it will survive.

I'm just questioning if the intercounty model is particularly suited to modern Ireland.

The GAA dominates rural Ireland more than any other sporting organisation.

The intercounty model was particularly good for rural Ireland.

Soccer and Rugby are club based at the top level. The top clubs are going to be based in the cities with free movement of players, urban teams have a larger catchment area than rural teams.

In GAA though small clubs can still hold onto their players as the small clubs come together.

The GAA has responded to the urban migration in how it is targeting development money to the growing population counties on the east coast.

I think that's a sensible approach but it has probably made the intercounty lack competitiveness.

There are calls for tiered championships which I feel may not be the way to go. It could have a really big impact on the game in weaker counties.

I also wondered if a professional GAA were feasible, could it help the economic situation of rural Ireland.

I don't think that's depressing, I just thought it an interesting discussion.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4212 - 09/05/2017 20:50:34    1985540

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/05/2017 20:56:00    1985542

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/05/2017 21:00:12    1985544