How ignorant can you possibly be! What century are you living in? Are there time warps at work in this country? I mean I know times are hard...but is Frank McCourt 11 again? Is Dev back in the Aras and Sean Le Mass back in Leinster House? Have Celtic still not won the European Cup? Are England still playing their home games in Goodison Park. This absolute and total tripe about "Foreign games" and giving our competitors a stage to perform on...what time zone are you people actually living in? Irish Mean Time? How are soccer and rugby our competitors? And who are "we" for that matter?? GAA is amateur, remember! It doesn't have competitors!! GAA is a sport, designed to keep the young men and women of Ireland fit and well, instil local pride and give auld fellas something to talk about! Its not a commercial entity designed to make profit for the jack and jill who play and watch it! Young people should be encouraged to play ALL sports, and take pleasure from ALL games, not just GAA!! And when an Irish team do well in any sport on a global basis, it should be celebrated and congratulated by all. Not looked at suspiciously because its Irish lads playing a non Irish sport. What kinda rubbish is that. How many nations did Britain plunder and rule? And none of the rest of them have a chip on their shoulder about "foreign" games. You don't hear the Maoris or native aussies giving out about people playing Rugby, the South Africans or Indians screaming blue murder about people playing cricket, or the Americans giving out rubbish about people playing soccer! This is uniquely Irish, and sure where else would u expect it! The Irish Language is more a part of our culture and heritage than anything, but how many of you "Gaels" can speak that fluently? If Irish kids want to watch/play soccer, rugby, even cricket, that's brilliant. We should have enough confidence in our own product to be confident they will still want to watch and play GAA also. And if they don't, thats the GAA's own fault. Not because we "let them" use Croke Park.! But because the product it offers, doesn't match up. There's no bigot, like an Irish Bigot! Now get up the yard, Bishop John Charles McQuaid wants his sliothar back!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 28/01/2009 11:42:00    191856

Laim, great post and well said. I back you views completely.

Bald Eagle (None) - Posts: 1009 - 28/01/2009 12:15:13    191896

Ah Liam - fair play - a voice of sense in a sometimes sickening ocean of bigotry and narrow mindedness!

Dubinmeath (Dublin) - Posts: 1123 - 28/01/2009 12:20:08    191900

Here, here

Sisco87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 759 - 28/01/2009 12:22:32    191904

First things first Liam - Do you actually mean what you are saying in that post? You're not gonna come back 5/6 pages into this thread saying you didn't mean it, it was a wind-up and you actually hate foreign sports?

Assuming you do mean it, I agree totally, although people are entitled to have their opinions on these matters.

Anyway, McQuaid was from Cootehill so he'd want his ball back rather than his sliotar!

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12291 - 28/01/2009 12:28:09    191917

couldn't have said it better liam. i believe some people on this board though are probably just talking the talk to somehow seem more irish and gael but to be honest there probably sitting there typing in there united jersey!!!! who gives a feck if ya also like football/rugby/tennis/golf. do ya think if ya went on to a golf board they'll be giving out cause your a gaa fan, NO. just shows how sad some people are

lino_de_legend (Dublin) - Posts: 816 - 28/01/2009 12:29:36    191918

Well said Liam. The Exiles thread features many people who have done well on 'foreign' shores. Have been welcomed and have integrated into communities. Many have set up their own GAA clubs etc to acknowledge/remember their heritage and to keep in contact with their countrymen etc. If we were to translate the thinking of some 'half wits' here to foreign shores then maybe they should be banned from playing 'foreign' games in their new homes - eg England, USA etc.

Quite rightly kids should be encouraged to play all sports. Any if they excel at rugby or soccer or gymnastics - so be it - as long as they enjoy it and are happy and healthy. Padraig Harrington played for Ballyboden. When he won his three Majors in the last 2 years, I wasn't screaming at the TV 'Dammit, Paddy - you should be playing for the Dubs!' For every guy that is 'lost' to the GAA you will find plenty of lads playing intercounty football and hurling who decided to concentrate on our games instead of soccer, rugby etc or other sports they may have also excelled at. We never hear the bigots citing these cases. Also it seems if someone does well at athletics or boxing its not half as bad as doing well at rugby or soccer. Dress it up whatever way you like - its narrow minded bigotry - end of story.

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 28/01/2009 12:35:35    191934

Stop trying to make a false case for yourself ye mouthy Dub! Only a muppet would say that they were against "foreign games" in the tone that you are alluding to. The other point (the one you tried to SNEAK in under the cover of "FOREIGN GAMES" is a very valid one) Croker is a key marketing tool for the GAA and it should never be let out willy nilly no matter what the price. Organisations who take their marketing and strategy seriously would never sell their key marketing tool so freely as the GAA have. Remember the English RFU told the English FA to get lost when they aksed for Twickenham. I don't remember that particular debate turning nasty in the England or even happening at all. And it covers a very nasty side of the English socio-economic make up that they would prefer stay hidden. There is tremendouos snobbery towards soccer from rugby types in England. At least we have a debate! So wise up to yourself Liamie and stop trying to twist the debate with lies in your favour!!

Real Louth fan (Louth) - Posts: 3157 - 28/01/2009 12:41:06    191946

Fair play Liam... There's many a poster on this site that could do with learing a thing or two from your post.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 28/01/2009 12:44:59    191952

Good post Liam. What really rags me is people who always claim to have no interest in so called foreign games but as soon as Ireland qualify for a world cup, they are in the pub watching every game wearing the new irish jersey with an Irish flag wrapped around themselves.

Fredthered (Donegal) - Posts: 1144 - 28/01/2009 12:48:20    191957

Typical free state rant

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 28/01/2009 12:55:56    191969

liamwalkinstown = kevin myers

will say anything just to get attention

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 28/01/2009 12:57:10    191972

Real Louth Fan
The difference there is in England they have about a dozen soccer stadiums capable of hosting big matches, we however do not. The only other option for us is to play the games in Thomond Park or the RDS and leave thousands disappointed.

Sisco87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 759 - 28/01/2009 12:59:19    191977

Answers to Liam's points below: How are soccer and rugby our competitors? Er, they are competitors if you actually try to play or manage at any level. Any coach of either code will tell you that they are COMPETING for the same players. And who are "we" for that matter?? GAA is amateur, remember! I'm Slayer from Limerick, but you're the guy who applauded the Cork hurlers 'striking'. How can amateurs go on stike? GAA is a sport, designed to keep the young men and women of Ireland fit and well, instil local pride and give auld fellas something to talk about! Its not a commercial entity designed to make profit for the jack and jill who play and watch it! Really? So how did the GAA re-finance Croke Park? Why did soccer & rugby only want Crok Park? Think 'Commercial Entity' Liam .... Young people should be encouraged to play ALL sports Fair enough, but do you want to kill them and force burn out? Because if you play all sports, that can happen. You don't hear the Maoris or native aussies giving out about people playing Rugby, the South Africans or Indians screaming blue murder about people playing cricket, or the Americans giving out rubbish about people playing soccer! No, but do those countries have a sport unique to their culture that is also a viable commercial entity, making a profit? Maybe those countries native inhabitants see the money they can make because Cricket, Soccer & Rugby are all professional. Do those countries play games that require the level of fitness & skill of hurling or Gaelic football? If they had those games would they still give their all like most GAA players? This is uniquely Irish, and sure where else would u expect it! If it's uniquely Irish, then I guess I'd expect it in Ireland. The Irish Language is more a part of our culture and heritage than anything, but how many of you "Gaels" can speak that fluently? I don't see the link: Do you need Irish to play GAA? No. I thought the debate was on Foreign games? We should have enough confidence in our own product to be confident they will still want to watch and play GAA also Hmm, now you're calling GAA a 'product' having earlier stated it was not a 'commercial entity'. Confusing. And if they don't (play GAA), thats the GAA's own fault. Not because we "let them" use Croke Park.! When Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Finals are under the constant threat of not being played in Croke Park while soccer & rugby games are played there, which will young kids aged 5-12 want to play in order to be seen at Croker? Play for a Christy Ring hurling team and at best play in front of 5,000 people in a less well known Stadium, or play soccer/rugby and if you do well play in Croker? Also, as you pointed out the GAA is amatuer, so if you're getting no money to play a more physical sport in smaller stadia to smaller audiences, compared to the chance of good money, playing a less physical sport in one of Europe's best stadiums? It's a no-brainer and it can be seen as the GAA's fault. There's no bigot, like an Irish Bigot! Not once has any of my arguments shown any form of bigotry. I have played soccer, I love it but I think Crok Park should have been kept for GAA only and other stadia opened up to other sports. And you know why? I think those Christy Ring & Nicky Rackard cup hurlers deserve their place in Croker more than anyone playing soccer or rugby, not because I've anything against those sports, but some things are more important than money, but right now the GAA is telling youngsters it's more important to make cash than them play in Croker. Now get up the yard, Bishop John Charles McQuaid wants his sliothar back! no idea what this means, but I'll end by saying that sometimes giving a soap box to the wrong person can encourage hysteria.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 28/01/2009 13:01:00    191979

Have to agree with Liam 100% on this one, theres still far too many bigots there.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 28/01/2009 13:04:01    191986

This just seems like a rant for the sake of a rant.

Some people on here love ranting to try and appeal to majority and are more worried about there popularity than anything else.

I agree Croker should be opened up for the Heineken cup but also everyone is entitled to their opinion and don't need to be preached to in a condescending manner.

Yop (Wexford) - Posts: 362 - 28/01/2009 13:04:35    191987

Liam my son plays rugby soccer handball gaelic football.he loves all sports i would'nt discourage him from playing any. he's a good rugby player and he comes from houseing estate on northside with no rugby near him.He found is own way to a rugby club and has been on rugby development squads

dublin007 (Dublin) - Posts: 39 - 28/01/2009 13:09:43    191992

Great post Liam. How many of us could truly say that they have never watched or participated in other codes? I'm a fan of sport , Gaelic football just happens to be my favourite. I would also consider myself very proud to be Irish , like many others who post here so please , none of this pathetic ''free state attitude'' rubbish. Do the people I see in the Bogside or the Falls or Andytown or Poleglass wearing Man U , Liverpool or Celtic jersies also have a ''free state attitude??''

dubupnorth (Dublin) - Posts: 1897 - 28/01/2009 13:10:20    191993

Real Louth Fan, what planet do you inhabit? First there are no shortage of stadia in London to stage games. It doesn't compare to Dublin or Ireland. And how can you tell someone's 'tone' from a post. Have you some new technology? And the irony of you referring to someone as mouthy! If you look at GAA accounts I don't think Croke Park was let out 'freely' at all and certainly not willy nilly.

Your patriotism and Irishness is to be admired however. Maybe you could preach a bit more of your gospel in your own locality up there. Seems a lot of people in your neck of the woods have no difficulty with anything foreign if recent job losses there are anything to go by. Bloody foreigners, eh!

Dubinmeath (Dublin) - Posts: 1123 - 28/01/2009 13:11:05    191995

In tyrone the thinking is you have to play 1 sport now gaa .If you player soccer bad if you play rugby traitor to the cause.I thought these days of that thinking were gone.But there on there way back.I come from part tyrone where all sports are strong.

olivers (Tyrone) - Posts: 283 - 28/01/2009 13:19:28    192011