In my hometown its;
5% GAA
25% rugby
70% soccer
Due mainly to the fact that 80/90% of the area is protestant.

bosch (Derry) - Posts: 873 - 09/11/2009 16:43:55    479536

Che finney,
you honestly think only 1 in 20 lads in east tyrone play other sports. Get real, realistically about only 1 in 10 actually play gaa. A squad of 50 (and thats stretching it) in a town the size of dungannon or cookstown play, and there are 100s of lads at playing age in every town.
You think none of these guys play organised sports? Golf rugby and soccer are all well orgainsied in these towns and have big enough numbers.

I'm not sure where you are from but i know alot of players at every club play more than one sport.
As for which the kids actually prefer, if a 11 yr old had the choice the watch a liverpool or united match on tv or most gaa matches, the soccer would win. 80% of kids want to be a soccer player, its when they get older and realise that isnt gonna happen when they take gaa more seriously.
Like someone mentioned earlier, put a load of kids ona pitch on their own with a ball, they'll prob use the gaelic nets as soccer goals.

I dont think this is a good thing or a bad thing but its what happens.

gottabetrue (Tyrone) - Posts: 300 - 09/11/2009 16:52:37    479542

I had the unfortunate experience of seeing firsthand how strong soccer is in Dublin a few years ago in Rinsend park. I went to see my nephew playing under 12 for Clan na Gael Fontenoy. The team was short three players and the manager asked the visiting manager if he would play twelve a side. Of course the man agreed and the match started. Ten minutes into the game three boys, who had been playing a soccer match on another pitch, ran down to the Clan na Gael manager and were handed jerseys to put on. At which point the visiting manager was informed that a full team could be feilded and the game proceeded with fifteen a side. How hard up for players can a team be. If those boys were late for their soccer game they would not be entertained.

Rolex (Dublin) - Posts: 18 - 09/11/2009 17:08:12    479559

Soccer in Wexford town by about 75% then the rest,the culchies play GAA by about 75% in Co.Wexford,that sums it up really

There are culchies in Wexford??? Wha?

jos33 (Dublin) - Posts: 243 - 09/11/2009 17:14:47    479562

Gottabetrue i dont think you understand the concept of organised sport as you keep talking some sort of goalkeepers for jumpers waffle about giving lads a ball and seeing what happens.

I'm talking about lads actively involved in playing for a team in East Tyrone, not drinking three bottles of cider and having a kick about.
95% of the nationalist community in East Tyrone that ACTUALLY play for a team, that is in an official league are Gaelic footballers, fact.

Suggesting that loads of people don't even play sport makes no sense, when talking about which sport has the highest particiaption.

I'm from Ardboe.

CheFinny (UK) - Posts: 1358 - 09/11/2009 17:32:18    479575

che if you only include the nationalist community your stats dont really mean anything.

For example in dublin i would say people who call themselves 'nationalists' would probably mostly play GAA also

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 09/11/2009 17:48:17    479587

havent read all posts yet and dont intend to read all of them either,but alot of you are missing the point.give them a ball and a GAA pitch,most will play soccer,i know i would,and i hate watching soccer,and wouldnt like playing it competitively but id still play it id say.but,now that i think a bit more if i was given a soccer ball on a gaa pitch id play soccer,but if i was given an o'neills on a soccer pitch id say id play gaelic.so for me its more to do with the ball than the pitch,what about you liamo?

Mclovinxxx (Cavan) - Posts: 205 - 09/11/2009 18:05:20    479592

Bosch where are you from?

Orlaith (Derry) - Posts: 4282 - 09/11/2009 18:09:58    479593

decided to read them all.
Che,your the one that is waffling,liam started this thread and made the statement about giving the kids a ball,not gottabetrue.the thing is,you are both arguing different things,your talking organised and hes talking about playing in general.

Mclovinxxx (Cavan) - Posts: 205 - 09/11/2009 18:17:25    479597

64% Gaelic,35%soccer and 1%other sports in and around my area.

beer baron (Cavan) - Posts: 3916 - 09/11/2009 18:49:22    479620

Whats nationalism got to do with it?

What is a nationalist anyway?
Is it anything to do with the Hibs?

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 09/11/2009 18:53:54    479622

I said there was little soccer. 3/4 teams in an entire county would be deemed as little soccer. Every town in donegal, sligo would have a soccer team. Rugby. One team but no other teams in leitrim so you could say there is little or no rugby taking place between leitrim teams.

Melvin Celtic. Those were the days. It started off well but then we started taken lots of lads from ballyshannon , bundoran etc and the interest just waned. Still underage teams. There's a melvin team in the donegal leagues now. Consisting of shams, belleek etc. not sure how many kinlough lads. Anyway it's pitiful to think that gaelic football is really to the fore yet we have nothing to show.

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 09/11/2009 19:24:18    479656

rural parish...all hurling

lowerormond (Tipperary) - Posts: 1267 - 09/11/2009 19:32:44    479667

gaa most popular in tipp but rugby is emerging as a popular sport

bigman2 (Tipperary) - Posts: 1202 - 09/11/2009 19:36:48    479672

Soccer in Wexford town by about 75% then the rest,the culchies play GAA by about 75% in Co.Wexford,that sums it up really

There are culchies in Wexford??? Wha?

Ur culchie in Wexford if you don't live in one of de towns. My club in Wex is 20% soccer and rugby, 40% hurling and 20% football

ricky (None) - Posts: 86 - 09/11/2009 19:59:45    479696

just did a quick suvey, not scientific but might be relevant, in the heart of double county champions territory. As i type there are 11 chaps and 7 girls in a field behind me. its fully light up coutesy of SDCC. 9 are spitting, 4 are picking their own nose, 3 are texting and 2 are playing head ball with a rugby ball.
And peole think AFL is a threat

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 09/11/2009 20:00:41    479699

dhorse
County: Laois
Posts: 3890

479699 just did a quick suvey, not scientific but might be relevant, in the heart of double county champions territory. As i type there are 11 chaps and 7 girls in a field behind me. its fully light up coutesy of SDCC. 9 are spitting, 4 are picking their own nose, 3 are texting and 2 are playing head ball with a rugby ball.
And peole think AFL is a threat

________________


OMG that sounds like my mates and me!!!!

Royal_Girl2k9 (Meath) - Posts: 2107 - 09/11/2009 20:07:06    479705

In Meath theres about 115 teams entered in the GAA championship, about 4 rugby clubs, and 103 soccer teams participate in the Meath and district league(this includes Louth also).
I think one of the best things about the soccer is that you get a game played every week at the same time on the same day, not like in the GAA where you could go the whole summer without a game!!!

Lebowski (Meath) - Posts: 363 - 09/11/2009 20:10:20    479707

my local area i wud say is 95% GAA
5% split between soccer and rugby.
some would play gaa and soccer/rugby

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11540 - 09/11/2009 20:13:05    479711

ha dhorse i got a chuckle out of that.

beer baron (Cavan) - Posts: 3916 - 09/11/2009 20:14:03    479712