4KHDoneill….your sentiment is mostly correct but more reflective of the 6 counties than all of Ulster. There are plenty of GAA playing protestants in Monaghan.

To the few with a trivial dislike of rugby (Mes et al) The facts are, the game is growing in popularity at an exponential rate since it went professional. We have an Irish team that is actually one of the top international sides. We are much more likely to win a rugby WC than a soccer one….ergo people leap on the bandwagon (and there is nothing wrong with that). We have regularly enjoyed success in the last decade and it lifts the nation during these horrible times. Growing up (late 80's and 90's) I rarely followed the game. I got in to it at college and learned to love it and play it. It compliments GAA nicely. Some may think our Irish rugby lads are toffs but how many of them also played GAA? I wager the majority. It's a pity the game clashes tomorrow but I will go to McHale pk and cease communications with the outside world to watch the rugby tomorrow night.

As for the game being one for the elite, I think that notion does not travel outside of north Dublin.

seanfinn (Monaghan) - Posts: 360 - 28/02/2015 17:19:53    1697676

eanfinn
County: Monaghan
Posts: 66


To the few with a trivial dislike of rugby (Mes et al) The facts are, the game is growing in popularity at an exponential rate since it went professional. We have an Irish team that is actually one of the top international sides. We are much more likely to win a rugby WC than a soccer one

When you are one of the small handfulof countries that bothers wth the sport of course Ireland are always going to be a top "international" side!

I don't particularily have a dislike for rugby at all. Just find it strange that with all it's popularity with people of all classes up and down the country the majority of the players come from very priveleged backgrounds. If it is only in Dublin (not only in North Dublin) that we see this divide why isn't the Ireland team reflective of society in general and dominated by the priveleged?

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13792 - 28/02/2015 17:31:29    1697683

RoyalDunne, I was referring to protestants in northern ireland who don't play gaelic sports, they have little in common with protestants across the border, sure many of the protestants down south are actually from Irish Gaelic descent whereas up here they are Ulster-Scot

4KHDoneill (Derry) - Posts: 182 - 28/02/2015 17:40:20    1697687

That's it mess its not as class divided as it appears to be in Dublin. Its a game played by all parts of society. I personally seldom played it as i preferred and was better at football, but plenty of my club teammates did, and i can guarantee majority of them weren't well off and none were ever in private education. So i think the toff things comes from mainly Dublin area, and its not reflective of the rest of country

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/02/2015 18:33:52    1697696

The GAA should stick to basics. The irish language, the clubs, good medical treatment and so on. Here in West Dublin football is king. Rugby is making a lot of inroads. But soccer is king.
Here are some ideas for GAA:
1. ask to train at Aviva/Tallaght stadium or play underage matches.
2. In the upcoming election back politicians who are GAA friendly. So when the money is doled out they get their share.
3. Keep looking at ways of helping local people who live in their areas.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2602 - 28/02/2015 18:57:24    1697702

God abve, some people have a real chip on their shoulder about the whole class thing!!!

None of these players had any say about the families they were born into or, I dare say, the schools they were sent to, but to tell me that any of the players representing Ireland tomorrow are any less Irish than any of the rest of us is ludicrous.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 28/02/2015 19:11:30    1697706

Where will Gavin Duffy be??

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 28/02/2015 19:26:17    1697713

Its not just in Dublin that Rugbys for toffs, all the country players/ most of the fans would be well off/university-educated etc. I suppose that doesnt mean too much these days, now that half the country has a degree, bvut in any corner of the country, thge richer one is, the more likely it is that one plays/ likes rugby. To say otherwise is disingenuous. nothing against poshos by the way, as someone said theres a few on the dublin teams, but rugby always was and will be essentially a sport of the rich establishment, which doesnt interest vast swathes of the country

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 28/02/2015 19:27:00    1697714

Well to put all the gaa, rugby, soccer in context.......will their be a set of intercounty games on Paddys day for the club finals?

Because the height of disrespect is shown to the camogie AI Club Finals that are on in CP tomorrow.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 28/02/2015 19:31:04    1697716

Connolly
County: Dublin
Posts: 129

1697672
Flack -- one GAA club in Dublin South East and they are really struggling.

What is the name of that club? Is there a GAA club in the D4 postcode as a matter of interest?

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 28/02/2015 19:43:36    1697723

false popularity mesamis...its big for the events and so on which it always was....still well lagging behind the major sports

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 28/02/2015 19:56:55    1697730

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 3299

but to tell me that any of the players representing Ireland tomorrow are any less Irish than any of the rest of us is ludicrous.

Has anyone actually said that though Muck?

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13792 - 28/02/2015 20:17:56    1697738

nobody said that muck in fairness..people just said that the majority of people represent us in rugby generally came from private schools and affluent backgrounds...this is just straight forward stuff..upsets some people though

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 28/02/2015 21:44:33    1697773

28/02/2015 19:43:36
bennybunny
County: Cork
Posts: 2711

1697723
Connolly
County: Dublin
Posts: 129

1697672
Flack -- one GAA club in Dublin South East and they are really struggling.

What is the name of that club? Is there a GAA club in the D4 postcode as a matter of interest?

assume he talking about kilmacud crokes. No GAA club in D4 benny, no GAA clubs in large parts of South East Dublin - Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Monkstown..etc

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 28/02/2015 21:56:26    1697781

Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA club are in Ringsend/ Irishtown,Dublin 4. Their website is worth a look to read the club history. It names a whole host of clubs that used to exist at various times over the years. Many of them folded after the Parnell split.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 2009 - 01/03/2015 09:48:36    1697801

Rugby has largely been an upper class sport in most of Ireland but maybe it is changing - but I dont know if it is changing much.
In Ulster the game is largely played in predominantly Protestant schools. Undoubtedly the top rugby schools are all private but I am not sure if BRA(Belfast Royal Academy) is. I believe rugby is played by schools like Model and Orangefield which can hardly be described as private.

In certain areas too the game is not exclusively Protestant. After all the likes of Adrian McGuckin, Larry Diamond, Brian McIvor(the Derry manager) and Frank McGuigan all attended Rainey ES, a rugby school, at one time or another. Many a GAA player from Lavey, Bellaghy, Magherafelt, Loup,Castledawson, Cargin, Newbridge, Ballymaguigan, Cookstown, Moortown, Ballinderry and Ardboe also played rugby, some even representing Uladh.

BIG SACKS (Tyrone) - Posts: 1681 - 01/03/2015 09:51:28    1697803

if rugby is so snobby and upper class can any body give me any examples of any Irish rugby club who has excluded anybody from playing or being a member simply because they were not post enough,rich enough or of a certain social class..... i challenge anybody with a preconcieved notion to go to a club game and they will most likely be delightfully surprised -

I played club rugby, hurling,footbal in both limerick and dublin and played/attended games all over the country . never had an issue with background from any club anywhere in any of these sports and i come from a working class normal part of limerick city, in fact esp in dublin i was alway made feel most welcome. i even played in one club-

this thread should now be entitled The rugby haters thread as it has drifted from the original title

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 01/03/2015 11:41:55    1697828

dont seapoint rfc and cabinteely gaa have shared facilities - am i correct in saying there is a soccer club there -- think cooperation between all codes is a great idea

janesboro (Limerick) - Posts: 1502 - 01/03/2015 11:43:13    1697830

the question was put janesboro that the rugby team doesnt represent irish society as a whole aka the majority..the facts are that it doesnt as practically all the players in the irish 23 are from private or fee paying schools...rugby is a lot better down the country but certainly in leinster especially its terrible as those in the schools get such a preference and such exposure through the media in the leinster schools cup compared to everybody else

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 01/03/2015 14:19:30    1697902

MesAmis
County: Dublin
Posts: 8329

1697738
MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 3299

but to tell me that any of the players representing Ireland tomorrow are any less Irish than any of the rest of us is ludicrous.

Has anyone actually said that though Muck?

Not in so many words Mes Amis, but the sub text is there. Otherwise why mention it?

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 01/03/2015 14:33:51    1697912