cuchulainn35
County: Armagh
Posts: 1020

1607382
this is an interesting post and demonstrates how the GAA hasn't or can't get a footing

In Armagh we have Markethill, Hamiltonsbawn, Richill , and Tangragee ( where Tayto crisps r made) are some of the places where there is no GAA

However County Down have the strongest example of this with no GAA activity:-
Bangor pop 60,000
Newtownards 27,000
Dundonald 14,000
Ballynahinch 6,000
Comber 9,000
Donaghadee 6,000
Ballgowan
Saintfield 3,000
Hillsborough 4,000
Warringstown 2,500
Killyleigh 2,500
Clough
Crawfordsburn
Groomssport
Killough
Killincy
Loughbrickland
Scrava
Millisle
Crossgar

Very good post cuchulainn35 but just to point off a few corrections in terms of places you have mentioned.

Bangor pop 60,000- arguable St Pauls territory
Newtownards 27,000
Dundonald 14,000- arguable St Pauls/Carryduff territory
Ballynahinch 6,000- Drumaness
Comber 9,000
Donaghadee 6,000
Ballgowan- Darragh Cross
Saintfield 3,000- Darragh Cross
Hillsborough 4,000
Warringstown 2,500
Killyleagh 2,500- They actually have a team in Division 3
Clough- Loughinisland/Dundrum
Crawfordsburn
Groomssport
Killough- Bright
Killincy
Loughbrickland- Glenn are based here
Scrava
Millisle
Crossgar- Teconnaught are the team Crossgar people play for.

This is just a general outline of where the different places you have mentioned line up in regards to their closet team. You've actually missed out on East Belfast as well which is part of county down but Bredagh on Ravenhill road could cater for this population. Obviously county Down being majority protestant is the main reason behind these untapped populations but it's nothing to do with one side of the community not talking to the other but more to do with GAA and catholic education in the north going hand in hand in the promotion of gaelic games. The thing that Down football tends to suffer from is that most of the decision makers come from the south of the county so even though you have catholic grammar schools in Downpatrick and Knock you frequently dont get pupils from these schools getting brought through to the senior county team, they are traditionally brought in from the Newry schools.

cheesecake (UK) - Posts: 7 - 24/06/2014 12:19:29    1608208

Ah i thought that alright Royaldunne.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 24/06/2014 12:24:23    1608213

GAA in north Clondalkin is not weak.It is NON EXISTANT.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 24/06/2014 12:30:39    1608218

Cheers bosch - yeah I was aware of Eoghan Rua in Coleraine and that Portstewart was in Derry but included it as Portrush and Portstewart more or less run in to each other but neither are likely to provide many Gaels I would imagine for yourselves.

Offside_Rule (Antrim) - Posts: 4058 - 24/06/2014 12:39:37    1608224

Derek Murray would disagree cue.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 24/06/2014 12:45:53    1608230

OLLIE
County: Louth
Posts: 6656

1608175
Goodman Gleebo. I hope you enjoyed it.

Must say that I did! Still a regular visitor to the area due to family connections. Shame that the locals aren't more into GAA, though.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 24/06/2014 12:52:22    1608235

Offside_Rule
County: Antrim
Posts: 1344

1608224 Cheers bosch - yeah I was aware of Eoghan Rua in Coleraine and that Portstewart was in Derry but included it as Portrush and Portstewart more or less run in to each other but neither are likely to provide many Gaels I would imagine for yourselves.

No problem chap.
Portrush don't provide many, Coleraine don't provide as many as they did in years gone by. Portstewart would provide most of the players these days.
The biggest problem we had for years is that the Catholic Primary Schools in the area, St Josephs High School, Loreto Grammar and Dominican College never really promoted Gaelic sports in any way. This is, however, changing for the good in the Primary schools. Not so much in the 2nd level schools unfortunately, although there are a few individuals who are trying to change that.

There were so many good soccer players in my primary school that were never exposed to Gaelic games, had they have been I believe many would have stuck at it. I am the only person out of my primary school year (say out of 30 boys) that played any Gaelic games after U16 or Minor level. That's mainly down to my family being GAA.

bosch (Derry) - Posts: 873 - 24/06/2014 12:55:23    1608242

Glenquagmire- i think its fair to base strongholds/non strongholds on presence or lack thereof.Success should not come into it.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 24/06/2014 13:23:51    1608260

Cue we've one club for the whole of Clondalkin , we've won basically nothing were more or less always in div 2 we got hammerings off the big guns every championship yet your telling me there's stronghold Gaa parts in Clondalkin ha I'll love to know where?

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 24/06/2014 14:37:31    1608306

I dont think ur reading me right.I said the GAA has a presence in Clondalkin.Ive already said its nothing about success.Never mentioned it being a stronghold.The Neilstown area has no presence.GAA is non existant.Hence the Neilstown area is a NON GAA stronghold.Ha this is gettin funny now Clondalkundub.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 24/06/2014 15:03:17    1608321

clondalkindub, south clondalkin, cuetherocket is saying, where towers get their players, its not a small club, and its a sight better than the swathes of north clondalkin, neilstown, west ballyer, etc that have nothing. These places arent sporting wastelands either like the inner city or dublin 4, theres a very strong tradition of soccer and boxing there. Its not just because its a poor part of the town either, theres plenty clubs in poorer parts of dublin. There is one difference though, especially in ballyfermot and cherry orchard etc. most people are Dubs since time began, there very few people with any ancestors from the sticks, less than in places like tallaght and ballymun which do have more GAA

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 24/06/2014 15:05:18    1608323

One reason for the low visibility of GAA in parts of Dublin is the disappearance of the street leagues. Do any clubs run these now? When I was a kid there would be hundreds involved, way more than played for club. They turned up some really handy players as well, including a few who played for Dublin.

Of course that requires a lot of labour, and clubs are probably not able to cope with that on top of club teams. And unfortuanately there is very little parental involvment in many urban areas.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 24/06/2014 15:27:02    1608338

Gleebo thats just the way it is. Funny enough if you go a few miles out the road to places like Tullyallen, Collon, Monsterboice, Termonfechin and Clogherhead all mad gaa places.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 24/06/2014 15:51:26    1608352

But we do have players from north Clondalkin but you keep ignoring that.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 24/06/2014 15:56:45    1608357

As an Inishowen man all my life I'll take it on the chin that traditionally Gaelic Games is no where near as strong here as most of the rest of the county. Although there have been huge changes in the past 10-15 years.

Still in terms of local clubs, soccer is far stronger. A few examples;

In Buncrana there is one 1 GAA club fielding 2 adult teams(senior & reserves) for that you have 9 adult soccer teams from 4 different soccer clubs within Buncrana catchment area. Buncrana hearts(2 teams) Dunree fc ( 2teams) Illies fc(2 teams) and a staggering 4 adult teams playing out of cockhill. Similar story in Moville, 1 GAA club with 3 soccer clubs in the catchment area. In total in Inishowen there are 35 soccer teams competing here with 14 GAA teams(7 clubs, withstanding newtown)

Add to that there are many people from a soccer backround with an active dislike to the GAA. Even yesterday when talking to a colleague about the Antrim game, he mentioned how Darrach O'Conner was a 'great waste' and could have had a promising soccer career in the ulster senior league of LOI soccer!!!

There is no doubt that today GAA is in a much better shape, Malin in division 1, more and more players breaking through on to county teams at all levels and facilities are second to none. Inishowen has over a quarter of the population of Donegal however that has never been reflected on the county football team, that will change in the coming years i do believe. Although sadly, in my opinion for most people here soccer is still king.

Antifa (Donegal) - Posts: 143 - 24/06/2014 16:34:21    1608381

North Tipperary has no club Senior Football Championship. Instead its divided in to two teams.

Thomas McDonaghs & Father John Kenyons.

So each divisional team has members from various clubs the best of best and they come together to train and play the one off final.

It has produced some great footballers for Tipp in the last 5 years.

George Hannigan & Peter Acheston are just two of those who have come on strong. Thomas McDonaghs won the county final few years ago beating Moyle Rovers I think.

North Intermediate Football used to have 3 teams Newport , Ballina & Kiladagan and at the best of time Inane Rovers joined in when they could field a team.

I believe now only a Junior Football Championship exists in North Tipperary. Sad to see as they are quite talented underage players from Ballina , Newport , Roscrea on the Tipp minor and U21 teams and if you include young Stephen O'Brien from Ballina who plays midfield for the Seniors as well then it gets more disappointing that football in North Tipp once you go past U.21 is Non Existant at club level and we have to rely on amalgamations to form 2 teams from 15 or 16 clubs.

WildPundit (Tipperary) - Posts: 1709 - 24/06/2014 17:00:49    1608395

It is an interesting topic.

In county donegal, there is a roughly 50/50 split between the popularity of soccer and gaa, basing this on the number of soccer clubs, and soccer leagues in the county. There are some places that are obviously more one than the other. West donegal is probably the most traditionally gaa, ie Glenties, Ardara, Glen, Carrick and Kilcar.

On the other hand, there are areas where you would expect gaa to be the big sport, ie aranmore island, but isnt. They have a soccer club but no gaa team or pitch on the island. Fanad, and innisowen are still more soccer than gaa, but that is not to say that there is not a big interest in gaa in those regions either.

Westport in mayo have a soccer team, and it is a puzzle why they have tried to break the mould in mayo in terms of another game, as it is probably the most gaa county in ireland in terms of other sports not having the same monopoly.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 24/06/2014 17:29:37    1608420

No worries Gleebo' No need for you to apologies' as you Didnt make the original Statement.

InishowenMan (Donegal) - Posts: 216 - 24/06/2014 18:57:06    1608456

Donegalman would Cavan not be the most gaa county?

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 24/06/2014 19:00:32    1608457

What does the most GAA county mean?

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 24/06/2014 20:02:31    1608495