I just read a comment from a Donegal poster concerning a lack of a traditional fanbase for the Donegal county team in the Inishowen peninsula, which got me thinking: are there any parts of your county in which other sports are more popular than GAA? Or where the county team doesn't get much support?

In Mayo, Westport would be regarded, traditionally, as more of a soccer town. That's not to say that the Mayo team doesn't get good support in the town, or that Westport hasn't supplied a decent amount of players to the county side (Lee Keegan and Kevin Keane being present members of the Mayo senior panel). But the local soccer club has probably always had a better following than the local gaelic football side, which is probably reflective of their respective strengths (Westport United are a force in national junior soccer, having won the FAI Junior Cup back in 2005, and consistently winning Connacht Cups and going on national cup runs, whereas Westport GAA were in the intermediate grade for quite a long time).

One could make a similar case for Castlebar, where local gaa club Castlebar Mitchels had quite a poor following up to their All-Ireland club run this year. The local soccer side, Castlebar Celtic, were quite well-supported for similar reasons to Westport.

Even in Ballina, which tasted All-Ireland senior club success in 2005 and is Mayo's most decorated club, there is strong competition from basketball, where the local club won national titles back in the 1990s. Mayo footballers such as Liam McHale and Ronan McGarrity also played basketball to a high level.

I know that in some areas such as Sligo town and Derry, gaelic games plays second fiddle to soccer. Any other such areas in your counties?

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 22/06/2014 13:14:01    1607081

Limerick City, Soccer and Rugby.

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 22/06/2014 13:17:23    1607084

Dundalk and Drogheda are hugh soccer towns. Ironically the most successful gaa club in Louth the Newtown Blues are based in Drogheda.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 22/06/2014 14:08:44    1607104

I would say adults playing the games Hoover that Limerick city falls behind but a lot of townies follow the senior hurlers when they get on a run and you can see the support all over the city for a successful team

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 899 - 22/06/2014 14:17:47    1607110

South East Dublin, the rugby heartlands. Only two or three GAA clubs for a population of some 250,000.
Tallaght on the Western side wouldn't be known for GAA either, definitely a soccer stronghold.

daithidub (Dublin) - Posts: 4 - 22/06/2014 14:24:04    1607113

Louth in general

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 22/06/2014 14:27:46    1607114

Oh i would agree with that UpDaWell, Limerick City support most sports but and When Limerick are going well Hurling would be well up there.

Hoover78 (Limerick) - Posts: 865 - 22/06/2014 14:35:45    1607116

In Roscommon you have Athlone/Monksland - soccer orientated and with rural based clubs barely scratching the huge potential in terms of playing numbers.
then you have Ballaghaderreen, which is in Co. Roscommon, but for some mad reason their players play for a foreign team

manfromdelmonte (UK) - Posts: 541 - 22/06/2014 14:42:57    1607118

I'd imagine a lot of northern counties would be 50% Protestant and therefore not play gaa.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 22/06/2014 14:45:20    1607119

Unfortunately there are parts of all urban areas where very few kids play any sport. Traditionally strong Dublin working class clubs like Isles, Ciarans, Davis are in serious decline.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 22/06/2014 14:58:03    1607129

Fivemiletown in Tyrone wouldn't exactly be a GAA stronghold!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 22/06/2014 15:07:38    1607135

west dublins pretty bad, west ballyfermot, neilstown, bluebell, cherryorchard, very little gaa there, Liffey gaels and good counsel have gone backward a lot. Then on the other side of dublin, foxrock, dublin 4 is the same, although these days youd be more likely to find a player there than in the aforementioned

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 22/06/2014 15:56:19    1607153

Kind a makes a mockery of any notion of splitting Dublin, aside from Boden and Crokes most of the the Dubs still hail from the Northside. Splitting us wont do very much good!

daithidub (Dublin) - Posts: 4 - 22/06/2014 16:23:05    1607166

GAA is pretty much supported from all corners of Kildare with Newbridge being a particularly strong GAA town with two successful senior clubs and two junior clubs to the east and west of the town. A few years ago there was a league of Ireland soccer team based in Newbridge, known as Kildare County in an effort to attract support countywide but it folded due to lack of support. The vast number of soccer supporters in Kildare as elswhere are of the bar stool variety whose only interest is in the top premiership teams or when Ireland are playing.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 3027 - 22/06/2014 17:17:45    1607186

Right now' Lets Clear up the ridiculous Statement made by some Muppet of a Donegal poster' Who obviously does not get out and about much and must have never Turned left at the Manor roundabout. To suggest Inishowen has not got a strong Fan base for the County Team or GAA sports is not popular in Inishowen' is nothing more than Bullshit.

As far back as I was a young teenager' our club and many others always had a bus traveling to the games' thats not counting the many that went on their own steam. We have a local paper that covers all the local GAA sports plus gives full previews-reviews of all Donegal matches wither it be Football or Hurling. Clubs of the top of my Head that you will encounter on your trip around Inishowen include,Buncrana, Malin,Burt, Naomh colmcille,urris,naomh padraig...

For years the main stray of the County Hurling team where all Inishowen based namely one Club Burt.
In 2012 like most of the county you wouldnt drive a mile without encountering a Donegal flag includeding the most remote parts of Inishowen. I guarantee even today or anytime the county team is playing there are flags a plenty flying.
It is also worth pointing out that the present Doneagal Football teams favourite training ground is infact in Inishowen .
I could go on but will say no more other than to suggest what one poster Said about Inishowen and how he came to this conclusion or where he fabricated his statement from is mind baffling.

GAA and supporters are alive and Well in Inishowen.

InishowenMan (Donegal) - Posts: 216 - 22/06/2014 17:50:13    1607221

thats what i thought too, Inishowenman. thanks for clearing that up

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 22/06/2014 18:02:11    1607233

Vast areas of Dublin have very little GAA activity-Ballyfermot,Bluebell,Neilstown,Walkinstown,Greenhills,Rathmines,Ranelagh,Rathgar,Milltown,Sth Inner city,Mount Merrion,Blackrock,Dun Laoghire,Foxrock,Deansgrange,Killiney,Leopardstown,Carrickmines,Goatstown,Clonskeagh,Ballsbridge,Terenure-all south of the Liffey.No Gaa in North Inner city bar some small club on Seville Place.Not much in Sutton,Bayside or Howth.One wonders how we compete at all.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 22/06/2014 18:14:20    1607242

cuetherocket,
both saint james gaels and clanna gael are in the south inner city. St jameses are on their last legs though

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 22/06/2014 18:33:26    1607255

Clanna Gael in Ringsend obviously,fare enough that includes the Pearse Street area.I was thinking the whole James Street,Thomas Street,Cork Street,Tenters,Clanbrassil Street,Christchurch,Harolds Cross,South Circular Road area.Kevins are close to Dolphins Barn but the area in general has very little GAA participation.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 22/06/2014 18:48:57    1607264

Interesting reading about Dublin GAA, still a lot of work to do in the capital!

Alot of Protestant areas in Tyrone like Fivemiletown, Sandholes, Bredy, Mountjoy aren't strong GAA places obviously as the majority of the people in those areas are Protestant and don't associate with the GAA. However those areas do have minority Catholic populations that do have an interest in the GAA and play for neighbouring clubs like Clogher, Rock, Clan a Gael and Dregish.

But not including those areas there are not many strong GAA areas. Most of the major towns Omagh, Strabane, Cookstown & Dungannon are probably now majority GAA, although traditionally soccer was probably the main sport in the towns. GAA is probably the least strong in Strabane.

Castlederg has always performed poorly in competitions considering its size and they do have a big soccer team although I am not sure which is the biggest sport here?

omaghjoe (Tyrone) - Posts: 1191 - 22/06/2014 19:01:32    1607272