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Only 4 GAA Clubs In Derry City

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Derry are a team that have fallen by the wayside. They have a city of over 100k and only 4 GAA clubs. IMO there's potential for 7 or 8 GAA clubs. Why don't the GAA put together a big financial plan and look to set up more clubs and grow the numbers playing. Like Belfast I feel Derry is not a big concern for the GAA anymore. I county like Derry would dramatically improve if they made the most out of their city. Likewise for Antrim and Belfast. Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 12/08/2019 15:38:08 2224714 Link
Replying To Jack_Goff: "Derry are a team that have fallen by the wayside. They have a city of over 100k and only 4 GAA clubs. IMO there's potential for 7 or 8 GAA clubs. Why don't the GAA put together a big financial plan and look to set up more clubs and grow the numbers playing. Like Belfast I feel Derry is not a big concern for the GAA anymore. I county like Derry would dramatically improve if they made the most out of their city. Likewise for Antrim and Belfast." I live in donegal derry border and it's a lot more complicated than u think a lot more ....soccer cricket aand more soccer are the daddy in derry/londonderry and that's before u discuss areas politics .....It's a completely different animal to Antrim Hitnhurl (Cork) - Posts: 92 - 12/08/2019 15:58:13 2224725 Link
Part of the problem is they are in a different jurisdiction and all matters financial will soon be more difficult cross border. Are these 4 clubs sharing a GPO? Again the way these are paid is County pay half clubs pay rest. But is there an appetite for GAA sport in city? That is unfortunately where it is going to have to start and it is a slow process. Surely the county board can draft an action plan and then they can seek backing. They should be supported. arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 12/08/2019 16:14:01 2224735 Link
Replying To arock: "Part of the problem is they are in a different jurisdiction and all matters financial will soon be more difficult cross border. Are these 4 clubs sharing a GPO? Again the way these are paid is County pay half clubs pay rest. But is there an appetite for GAA sport in city? That is unfortunately where it is going to have to start and it is a slow process. Surely the county board can draft an action plan and then they can seek backing. They should be supported." I think this pay half yourself model is grand for the rich Dublin clubs but in places like Derry they should be fully funded by the GAA. The poster above is highlighting how soccer is the undisputed King in the city. Why are the GAA not falling over themselves to compete with it in Derry like they have done in Dublin? Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 12/08/2019 17:03:24 2224761 Link
Derry is a soccer town - always has been and always will be. The four Gaelic Football clubs that are in the city have huge areas to draw their players from (geographically and numbers-wise) - but even at that, they have had little or no success. Derry Colmcille, Sean Dolans and Doire Trasna have been Junior clubs for as long as I can remember. Steelstown have been by far the most successful club - they are generally an Intermediate team but they did play Senior football a few seasons back if memory serves correctly. As regards Na Megha hurling club, I'm not in any position to comment - but I believe they contribute quite a few players to the Derry Senior Hurling team which has been relatively successful in recent years. hashtag (Donegal) - Posts: 37 - 12/08/2019 17:10:39 2224766 Link
I sat beside Brian McIver at a club c/ship game in Newry about 4 years ago (Paul McIver was managing Kilcoo) and we discussed youth recruitment. I was visiting 4 junior schools on behalf of my club in Dublin twice a year, encouraging Junior & Senior infants to our academy, as support to our GPO who's actively engaged in these schools. Brian was amazed, as the clubs in Derry City struggled to get permission from the schools to even talk to the kids, never mind getting GPO involved on a weekly basis Burnsey (Down) - Posts: 561 - 12/08/2019 17:19:41 2224771 Link
The same situation in many big towns e.g. Newry in Co Down, population ~30K, only 3 clubs, all of them 3rd or 4th division. This is where the money should be going befair (Down) - Posts: 237 - 12/08/2019 17:25:15 2224775 Link
Replying To Jack_Goff: "I think this pay half yourself model is grand for the rich Dublin clubs but in places like Derry they should be fully funded by the GAA. The poster above is highlighting how soccer is the undisputed King in the city. Why are the GAA not falling over themselves to compete with it in Derry like they have done in Dublin?" Many clubs across country can certainly afford to pay half a development officer role through club funds, local sponsors to help. If many rugby clubs can do it then gaa can as well. We are not talking about very large sums KillingFields (Limerick) - Posts: 3504 - 12/08/2019 17:33:42 2224783 Link
Cuala - Dun Laoghaire, Shankill, Glenageary, Sallynoggin, Ballybrack, Dalkey, Loughlinstown, Glasthule, Monkstown, Killiney, Sandycove, East of N11 Cabinteely. One club. I expect its got a potential base similar to my own entire county. Gator (Monaghan) - Posts: 238 - 12/08/2019 17:48:08 2224795 Link
Replying To Gator: "Cuala - Dun Laoghaire, Shankill, Glenageary, Sallynoggin, Ballybrack, Dalkey, Loughlinstown, Glasthule, Monkstown, Killiney, Sandycove, East of N11 Cabinteely. One club. I expect its got a potential base similar to my own entire county." Clondalkin the very same, approx 50 k and only one club who barely register outside the village area. ctowers (Dublin) - Posts: 99 - 12/08/2019 19:44:04 2224857 Link
Replying To hashtag: "Derry is a soccer town - always has been and always will be. The four Gaelic Football clubs that are in the city have huge areas to draw their players from (geographically and numbers-wise) - but even at that, they have had little or no success. Derry Colmcille, Sean Dolans and Doire Trasna have been Junior clubs for as long as I can remember. Steelstown have been by far the most successful club - they are generally an Intermediate team but they did play Senior football a few seasons back if memory serves correctly. As regards Na Megha hurling club, I'm not in any position to comment - but I believe they contribute quite a few players to the Derry Senior Hurling team which has been relatively successful in recent years." Soccer was undisputed King in Dublin once and the GAA threw the kitchen sink at the county. Soccer is still massively popular but more importantly the GAA is now huge there too. I can't understand why in a city of 100k with only 4 clubs that are actually struggling. Why can't they do a Dublin type plan on it and get these 4 clubs over flowing with underage players for hurling and football. Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 12/08/2019 19:47:39 2224861 Link
People can't always use the GAA / Cooke park to blame as an excuse . It's about time some of these county boards and local clubs were more proactive in promoting the games . ctowers (Dublin) - Posts: 99 - 12/08/2019 19:49:20 2224864 Link