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O Shea call for counties to amalgamate

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I doubt if we will ever join up with another county just to win something. Maybe the large counties could share part of their professional back up teams with the smaller neighbours. I am sure these guys would appreciate the extra work. GAA to pay for it.

wonit1time (Westmeath) - Posts: 450 - 27/01/2016 08:21:31    1819589

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Another nonsense suggestion. I'd love to see the reaction from O'Shea to the same suggestion if Mayo were no hopers and asked to join forces with one of their rival counties. Similarly Donal Og if Cork were asked to ditch their county colours to play for a provincial select...you know the way the Railway Cup is sooo widely followed!

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2589 - 27/01/2016 08:59:01    1819594

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Goes against everything the GAA stands for.

Although I would laugh if they amalgamated the teams that haven't won an
All-Ireland in the last 60 years.

Just wonder who Mayo will get put in with ?

carlovia (None) - Posts: 1541 - 27/01/2016 10:09:16    1819612

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It's a radical suggestion but the Championship needs a radical overhaul. Nobody in rugby followed Ulster/Munster/Leinster until the PRO12 was setup, it was all about the club game. I think you'd be surprised how quickly GAA people would get behind the new districts/areas/whatever, especially if a lad from your club was on a team that had a realistic chance of provincial or All-Ireland silverware. The counties are a colonial hangover and should be scrapped in both GAA and local govt.

Mickmick (Dublin) - Posts: 104 - 27/01/2016 10:09:55    1819613

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It's a radical suggestion but the Championship needs a radical overhaul. Nobody in rugby followed Ulster/Munster/Leinster until the PRO12 was setup, it was all about the club game. I think you'd be surprised how quickly GAA people would get behind the new districts/areas/whatever, especially if a lad from your club was on a team that had a realistic chance of provincial or All-Ireland silverware. The counties are a colonial hangover and should be scrapped in both GAA and local govt.

Mickmick (Dublin) - Posts:28 - 27/01/2016 10:09:55
Its wrong to say nobody "followed" the provinces before the pro12 was set up. They simply didn't play that much before it was set up. They played 3 games a year and the odd game against touring international sides up until about 99. Most people went to club games and internationals. What got people going to the provinces was more games and success. Ulster in 99 followed by Munster in 2000. The Celtic League started in 2001.
GAA is different and I don't see how putting regions would work. They shouldn't be scrapped in either GAA or local government.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 27/01/2016 10:17:24    1819620

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I proposed this "radical" idea couple years back on here.I didn't have one poster who agreed.I think it has serious merit but dont think for one minute it will happen.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/01/2016 10:20:01    1819621

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I would not agree with it myself but that's Aidan's opinion and he is entitled to it. The backlash on social media against Aidan and Mayo is predictable.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11690 - 27/01/2016 11:08:06    1819635

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This makes it seem like he's somehow spearheading a campaign for amalgamating counties. It was in a discussion about all the different proposals and he suggested some club amalgamations would've been unheard of 20 years ago, eg Hollymount Carramore, but look at them now so maybe it has merits. Was pretty much agreed that it would never happen though.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12452 - 27/01/2016 11:09:11    1819636

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My local team are Shi7 , I spend more time based on a 12 month period watching teams from my club than I do the Dubs , we won an intermediate championship back when I wore short trousers , we have never won anything of note in hurling that I can recall , we look on enviously at bigger clubs with more resources and dream ,
We do however have pride , fight , grit and identity and if someone asked us to amalgamate with another club or clubs just to increase a small bit a chance of silverware it would be shot down by players , parents and club members unequivocally .
Players and some fans on here are completely out of touch of what our association is meant to stand for , what it was built for , Ive travelled Ireland and never met a fan from a uncompetitive county that would go for this proposal . Blinded by SKY , Blinded by soccer and rugby and dreaming that we can have a similar model , screw club players , screw the ethos of amateurism, screw history , moving on just for the sake of so called progression , and whats amazing is the majority of these so called fans are never to be found on a thread to do with the club game .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 27/01/2016 11:13:03    1819639

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Why would O Shea get abuse for this?He's only trying to give every player a fair chance of success.He knows Mayo will always have a decent chance of winning honours.So do i with Dublin.We are trying to even up the playing field for all.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/01/2016 11:15:04    1819641

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Why amalgamate counties ? why not just split Kerry,Mayo,Cork,Tyrone & Dublin in two

Would have 5 extra counties then competing in a more level playing field - Wonder what Aidan O Shea would think of that ????

lasertech (UK) - Posts: 129 - 27/01/2016 11:30:35    1819644

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I don't agree with amalgamation. A Carlow v Wexford derby means as much to some locals as Cork v Kerry or Armagh v Tyrone. Arguably it means even more as these are counties without much recent success and it's easier to follow your county with a realistic chance of silverware and/or Croke Park.

With all his endorsements and media work will Aidan O'Shea be our first GAA millionaire ? He's heading Stateside during the league and I can see the headlines 'Breaffy man goes from NFL to NFL'!!!!

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8170 - 27/01/2016 11:32:36    1819646

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Damo,why have many,many parishes amalgamated in every county over the years?Out of neccessity and practicality i imagine.Take Ballyhale Shamrocks for instance;3 small junior clubs with little chance of success decided to amalgamate in the 60s/70(not 100% sure)for the greater good of the area.I'm sure there was strong inter-parish rivalry and some opposition but look what they have achieved;the record for senior club All Irelands.
I would like to see good footballers/hurlers from the weaker counties have an equal chance of winning an All-Ire medal as any other player.As it stands these players have 0% chance of showing off their talent on the biggest stage.Talent alone is not enough.The lottery of place of birth will determine how much recognition and personnel reward a player will receive throughout his career.If DJ Carey was born a few miles across the Carlow border would we even have heard of him.Would he have jacked it in because of the unfairness of it all?I'm sure there are DJ's in every county who have slipped through the net because of this.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/01/2016 11:34:54    1819648

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Lasertech,did you ever hear of club teams splitting in half to give every club a better chance of winning?Did anyone propose Nemo Rangers or Crossmaglen to split?Of course they haven't.Have hundreds of clubs amalgamated over the years to strenghten and compete?In every county up and down the country?Yes they have.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/01/2016 11:39:52    1819650

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Would there be any merit in trialling this and see how in plays out.

What about asking Limerick and Clare if they would be interested in trying to break the stanglehold Cork and Kerry have in Munster, run it as a 4 year experiment and see what happens.

BlastCalyle (Mayo) - Posts: 216 - 27/01/2016 11:46:51    1819653

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If you explore around the country you will find that as a total very few parishes have amalgamated- lot of junior teams in the one parish have amalgamated in many counties. You will find that within some counties the clubs with most senior championships are only part of a parish. However, if you have a large population you do have a better chance of winning given proper management of resources. Dublin is very well managed at present with a population of over 1m. If you were to amalgamate some counties to reach that population then you could have maybe 10 counties combined. Maybe the better solution is divide the large counties and in that way you would be giving more footballers inter county football. There are exceptions to large populations: Offaly is an exception to large population but that is an infrequent occurrence and of course Kerry keep winning- I often wonder what the feed them on!

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 27/01/2016 12:00:05    1819659

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I'm actually bored by this because counties amalgamating is inevitable.

Dublin's financial might and playing population dwarfing all other counties as well as the sport already been played nationwide at a quasi professional level mean amalgamating counties is the only way for interest in Gaelic football not to dwindle away.

Last year we had 8 meaningful competitive games that meant something in the whole season and only about three (one replay) of them were competed in by two teams with any chance of an All Ireland. Its simply not enough.

I would welcome Kildare joining up with Meath as it would mean we wouldn't just be making up the numbers as all but 90% of counties are. All the other counties apart from Dublin should be joining up as well. Laois with carlow and wexford. Louth with Fingal or Armagh and westmeath. Longford with Offaly and possibly Roscommon.

I'd probably do away with the Leinster championship and the league and just have a premier league of amalgamted counties where the players are semi professional. Division 2 and 3 could be made up of the remaining counties competing on their own without their best players who in the amalgamated teams. This would probably be unprofessional.

Anyone who doesn't realise the current system is unsustainable is a stone-ager.

realman2 (Kildare) - Posts: 464 - 27/01/2016 12:08:16    1819662

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Come on browncow,that 1 milliom population argument doesn't hold up.We've gone over this so many times.I dont know the figures but i would guess that GAA participation per head of population is probably lower in Dublin than any other county.Maybe in Kerry 70% of young lads play GAA.In Dublin it could be 20%.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/01/2016 12:09:30    1819663

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They dont feed them on anything different browncow.GAA is just part of their culture.A very important part.
Believe me,in large swathes of Dublin,GAA is non-existant.You would get that in no other county.Out of 1.2 million population you could forget about 1 million for whatever reason.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/01/2016 12:16:19    1819667

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If counties were ever to amalgamate, it should be at their own request and not passed down to them from those on high. Like the proposals for division 4 teams not to progress in the championship unless they reach a provincial final it's the top looking after the top counties first and feck those so-called weaker counties. Amalgamating counties does away with the pride in county tradition passed on through generations. If they want to try and improve standards then scrap the existing league and have 4 divisions of 2 from each division and at least lower league counties get tested in higher standard but are still getting games. Slowly they can improve their standard. Something needs to be done to improve the standard of counties in lower leagues. Amalgamation won't do that, it'll just hide weaker counties and make the top teams stronger.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 8170 - 27/01/2016 12:19:01    1819668

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