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Westmeath Football thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Bluelake: "I totally agree. Junior team of the year was the same. Just trying to give a few clubs one to try keep them happy. Just looking at the top scorer in games and putting them in the team." All the teams of the year are pretty harmless fun. The guys on the podcast give an opinion. That's all. Re the Junior Football, the breakdown of clubs on it is accurate enough in my view but you could interchange at least half a dozen players in the team for another batch.
Greengrass1 (National) - 24/11/2025 12:34:06
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Anti GAA Agenda - 2 Like(s)
Replying To ThePowerhouse: "If, and its a big if, your assertion is accurate then rowing, athletics and boxing fall into the same category as rugby in terms of children participating. Three other sports where we punch above our weight.
In terms of athletics, I suspect that some posters here will denigrate our recent improvement on that front.
Plenty of rugby clubs around the country that are far removed from the lazy sterotypes perpetuated by people who are clearly insecure and uncomfortable in their own skin.
Trust me, those involved in Irish rugby are just getting on with building their game. The attitude of some self appointed "true Gaels" will be to the detriment of the Gaa." You need to understand that not every comment which isn't flattering about rugby comes from a place of condescension for the game.
Rugby, like every sport has its issues and chief among them in Ireland is trying to broaden the playing base.
I love watching rugby and I've supported Connacht for years and have been to Irish games. I was looking forward to Saturday's match, but I thought it was a poor game for the reasons I've already outlined. That has nothing to do with a chip on the shoulder, just an objective observation of a game which took almost two hours to play and had far too many stoppages.
As I said before, it is an issue that the vast majority of our Irish system produced players come from a private school background, when only a very small fraction of the population actually attend private schools.
This is to the detriment of the Irish rugby team. Pointing it out isn't taking a shot at rugby, it's something that's factual and has been acknowledged by many in the game as a problem.
Plenty work is being done to address it, but it will take a long time.
Fobbing everything off as 'Gaels' with a chip on their shoulder is just as disingenuous as those who seem to take pleasure in having a go at rugby all the time.
WanPintWin (National) - 24/11/2025 13:17:53
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Anti GAA Agenda - 2 Like(s)
Replying To WanPintWin: "You need to understand that not every comment which isn't flattering about rugby comes from a place of condescension for the game.
Rugby, like every sport has its issues and chief among them in Ireland is trying to broaden the playing base.
I love watching rugby and I've supported Connacht for years and have been to Irish games. I was looking forward to Saturday's match, but I thought it was a poor game for the reasons I've already outlined. That has nothing to do with a chip on the shoulder, just an objective observation of a game which took almost two hours to play and had far too many stoppages.
As I said before, it is an issue that the vast majority of our Irish system produced players come from a private school background, when only a very small fraction of the population actually attend private schools.
This is to the detriment of the Irish rugby team. Pointing it out isn't taking a shot at rugby, it's something that's factual and has been acknowledged by many in the game as a problem.
Plenty work is being done to address it, but it will take a long time.
Fobbing everything off as 'Gaels' with a chip on their shoulder is just as disingenuous as those who seem to take pleasure in having a go at rugby all the time." The title of this particular forum is "Anti GAA Agenda"
Blaming rugby, or any other sport for that matter, for their ills is ridiculous. Does rugby have its issues? Of course it does. Will they try to rectify them? I've no doubt they will. In the same way that Jim Gavin rectified the dross that was called Gaelic football for the past few years.
The IRFU couldn't give two hoots about what the GAA is doing. Why would they?
The "true Gaels" are the problem. Trying to ram it down our throats that there's only one show in town will only drive people away. It doesn't work. There's ample evidence that it doesn't work. The Gaa "Gaels" should stop worrying about other sports and concentrate on fixing their own problems.
ThePowerhouse (National) - 24/11/2025 15:10:17
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Replying To supersub15: "S A, the best in the world they say. They took the game on a score line of 24pts to 13 pts. So we were beaten by the best team in the world by only 11 pts.
We were dished out 4 Yellows and a Red, they still only beat us by 11 pts.
We finished the first half with only 12 players on the field, they still only beat us by 11 pts.
We started the second half with only12 players on the field, they still only beat us by 11 pts.
At the second attempt Tommy O' Brien was taken out of the game, no yellow, no red, they still only beat us by 11 pts.
All the small margins over 72 mins went to S A, they still only beat us by 11 pts.
We couldn't keep up as when Snyman ? Was sent to the sin bin but was called back before Grant Williams became the first South African player to receive a yellow card with 1 minute to go.
Of the small margins and privileged discissions all went to SA.???
I'm not totally blaming anyone, but the laws in the book should be crystal clear or at least above doubt." They still only beat us by 11 pts, when's the DVD out?
iarmhi_an_mhaith (National) - 24/11/2025 12:40:12
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Doylerwex: "In terms of participation I think we've established that it is.
In terms of children's sport according to sport Ireland's data is as follows:
Gaelic football 30%
Soccer 28%
Swimming 14%
Hurling 8%
Basketball 7%
Camogie 7%
Martial arts 5%
Dancing 5%
Personal training 4%
Gymnastics 4%
Rugby is too small to feature.
For adults according to esri by popularity:
Swimming
Personal exercise
Soccer
Golf
Jogging
Cycling
Gaelic football
Hurling
Dancing
Rugby
I will say for Dublin only rugby moves up past hurling and dancing." The thing always about those sort of lists is that there's a difference between engaging in an activity that can also be organised as a competitive sport, and actually participating competitively in that activity on an actual competitive basis. If you know what I mean.
Take swimming, for example. I've no doubt that more people regularly go swimming than regularly play rugby. I go for a swim myself somewhere between once a week and once a fortnight, and have never played rugby in my life. But how many actually do these thing as an actual sport? -
- World Rugby in 2023 said 94.067 registered rugby players in Ireland.
- Swim Ireland, in its 2024 annual report, said "membership numbers rising towards 21,000".
I'd put forward that while swimming may be more widespread as a pastime, rugby has by far the greater involvement as an actual sport.
Pikeman96 (National) - 24/11/2025 12:54:16
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Looking Forward To 2026 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To S1234: "Lol . They should move Kerry into ulster then we will see how many all Irelands you would win . Enough with the cavan game we know already ... don't think you willbe laughing at us next year !" Kerry obliterated every Ulster team this year especially Cavan. Every Ulster team would be looking to leave the province with Kerry in it. Ulster counties only got a foothold in early 90s and early 00's. Aside from that usually Kerry or Dublin dominated from the 70's onwards. Cork, Galway, Meath and Offaly all had short spells of success at national level. Afraid that's it!
winatallcost (National) - 24/11/2025 13:08:57
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ThePowerhouse: "And there's lots playing those other sports that have no place on a rugby pitch. They might have the physical attributes but they lack a key component." Didn't go to private schools?
Bon (National) - 24/11/2025 13:26:01
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Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Bib: "Simply replying to to different posts separately, not sure why that suggests I'm replying using a different username ,
You are correct to suggest it shouldn't take 10 years to adopt modern methods, however you would need the facilities and expertise to do so , not sure they are present in galway at the moment , especially at academy level , it's a common thread through underage teams up to u20 that there is something wrong with the system, it may change this year at u20 level as they have recruited a new S&C team to modernise the approach, but the reality is that over the last number of years at u17/u20 level , opposition teams appear at least to be stronger , faster and fitter , and given that there is no shortage of really talented players in galway ( they have won countless u14/u15/u16 academy competitions over the last few years when S&c isn't as big a differentiator) then that obviously is an issue that needs to be resolved." What struck me about Galway underage teams up to and including minor was how big they were for most if this millennium. For example your minor team of 2019 made ours look like very small chaps. By the time these lads were all u20 they seemed around the same size. Not sure why that is.
Viking66 (National) - 24/11/2025 13:31:52
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Donegal GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To dgcrusader: "So 2 National league games in Ballyshannon and only one in Letterkenny? Thoughts on that? With O Donnell park able to hold 2/3000 more I thought they would've gotten 2 of the 3 home league games. Maybe our record in ODP is a factor as to why we have picked 2 games for Ballyshannon." Donegal have an excellent record in Ballyshannon ODP has a better stand. But the new pitch in Ballyshannon plays better in all kinds of weather
totalrecall (National) - 24/11/2025 13:53:49
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Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Viking66: "What struck me about Galway underage teams up to and including minor was how big they were for most if this millennium. For example your minor team of 2019 made ours look like very small chaps. By the time these lads were all u20 they seemed around the same size. Not sure why that is." I wouldn't be sure about that either. Seems unlikely in fact, especially in the absence of any hard 'tale of the tape' metrics in relation to these specific squads that you observed. One likely fact anyway is that the Galway lads are unlikely to be 'growing smaller' between the ages of 17-20. Perhaps the Wexford lads are just strawberrying up to full size in their 17-20 year range.
Pope_Benedict (National) - 24/11/2025 14:07:46
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Leitrim GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To foreveryoung: "He missed only two, which isn't a lot. I doubt that he left them out deliberately. Neither seems to be a prominent club, so probably easy enough for them to slip the mind." I'm sure the two clubs with 21 senior titles between them would be delighted to hear you don't think they are prominent.
alalalalalum (National) - 24/11/2025 14:29:29
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Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To veterngaa: "The issue too is that when David McCague asked JMcQ after the game had he inspected it before the game he said he hadn't. Then you have Michael Geoghegan preaching after the game how experienced he is … but not that experienced how to assess the pitch before.
If it was a dry day I think Scotstown would wipe them easily. Scotstown went man to man on defence and Newbridge had the wind first half. Expect a 5/6 point victory next weekend" Obviously you were sitting on the highstool again or you would have seen the ref inspecting the pitch before the game. Also the pitch was safe to play on at that stage. Again if you were at the game you would have noticed the the incessant rain that fell in the first half making the pitch unsafe to continue on. You, along with the other guys coming on here spoofing about fixtures and split seasons are a laugh. If you want all football played in Summer months then the only answer is for clubs to play without their county players. Good luck with getting that over the line.
ORIELMAN85 (National) - 24/11/2025 14:30:20
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Lads there's an International Honour in Rugby called the Wooden Spoon, awarded to the team that finished last in the 4/5/6 Nations competition. Ireland are out front on their own as the "winner" of this title the most times. While some lads seem to get great pleasure running down the country's achievements in the sport this millennium it is worth bearing in mind we are a very small country in the history of the sport, and what has been achieved by the country's rugby players in the recent past has been more exceptional than in most other international sports, and achieved with mostly Irish born and raised teams at that.
Viking66 (National) - 24/11/2025 19:00:21
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Donegal GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Scenicparish: "There should be no matches in Ballyshannon because of the lack of a Stand there. Rediculas that a so called County ground has no Stand with all the past County Board officers from that area." Jim on record as preferring Ballyshannon and our record there is impressive compared to Letterkenny. You can be sure Jim was consulted on this and will have had considerable influence.
There is more comfort for supporters in Letterkenny but you can't argue with the records in both
PeterQ92 (National) - 24/11/2025 21:28:42
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Anti GAA Agenda - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ThePowerhouse: "The title of this particular forum is "Anti GAA Agenda"
Blaming rugby, or any other sport for that matter, for their ills is ridiculous. Does rugby have its issues? Of course it does. Will they try to rectify them? I've no doubt they will. In the same way that Jim Gavin rectified the dross that was called Gaelic football for the past few years.
The IRFU couldn't give two hoots about what the GAA is doing. Why would they?
The "true Gaels" are the problem. Trying to ram it down our throats that there's only one show in town will only drive people away. It doesn't work. There's ample evidence that it doesn't work. The Gaa "Gaels" should stop worrying about other sports and concentrate on fixing their own problems." For anyone involved in a sport to say they are anti another sport shows they don't belong in sport to begin with. Saying you have zero interest in the sport, to me is ok and while there are few sports I would have on that list I am sure there are some. At the top levels in the GAA, they are well aware of what other sports are doing and how they are growing however what that knowledge allows them to do is potentially change the product they are offering and to make it more appealing to the parents and children who are the real targets. There is not one sport in this country that is running perfectly and I would say that is the same for any sport anywhere - who has the perfect model? Rugby and Soccer have an international exposure that a lot of people in the GAA envy and therefore try their best to ridicule or diminish their achievements, GAA has its unique identity tied to Irish culture and history which is something the other sports will never be able to take away from it.
Its not a zero sum game and that is why there still is a lot of cooperation between sports organizations, yes they are competitors and will always learn from each other to improve their own product at the margins but as you say the vast majority of the issues are withing their own organizations and can only be resolved by their organizations focusing on what their product is.
zinny (National) - 25/11/2025 01:41:09
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