What a night of internetting from the boys 
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There was a good piece in the Indo yesterday about Cuala. Someone might throw it up. Theyāve a massive catchment area but donāt have any pitch of their own. They were renting facilities in Bray for a lot of the year. Huge expense renting floodlit facilities.
Their chairman (think it was chairman anyway) was on saying that their clubhouse is in Dalkey but theyāve very few kids in their underage set up from that area because āwho can afford to live in Dalkey!ā. The only time everyone from the club is together is after matches or funerals. Kind of an alien scenario to most rural clubs where everyone would know everyone.
I think the GAA is moving full circle now. The days of rural clubs being the bedrock of the GAA are dying out due to the sheer lack of numbers and changing demographics with smaller families being the norm. The urban super clubs who are organised will make hay, like Kilmacud Crokes, Na Piarsaigh etc. They have the facilities, the finance and the playing numbers.
Great achievement by Cuala all the same. Best team in the country by a mile in 2016/2017.
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St. Patrickās Day 2017 was @maroonandwhiteās biggest night on the INTERNET since New Yearās Eve 2015.
Iām trying to figure out if thereās a common theme running through New Yearās Eve and St. Patrickās Day that might connect them.
There could be, but I canāt quite think of what it is right now.
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The infamous was on the turps all day Iād say
Bizarre shit all night on this thread. If the debate had been going on in a pub someone would have got the fat end of a pint bottle id say
This has always been the case.
The likes of St. Finbarrās, Nemo Rangers and Blackrock in Cork were effectively āsuper-clubsā.
St. Vincentās were a āsuper-clubā as far back as the 1950s when they provided effectively the entire Dublin football team.
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They had a deal done to share facilities with Blackrock rugby club but it fell apart because (apparently)
- The GAA wouldnāt fund up front any of the 2. M plus required
- Blackrock college RFC woukd have been granted a lifetime lease over facilities (similar to IRFU and FAI) and the GAA refused to sanction it.
Cuala had raised over 1 m quid from members which they refunded in full.
So I can see above why arseboxin was particularly miffed at this success being put down to the GAA
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So Cuala have won the biggest prize in hurling despite the GGA trying to fuck them up. Thanks for clearing that up mate.
Itās an awful shame the GGA donāt have more progressive people in positions of power.
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Tough to purchase a few acres of land in probably the most sought after area of the country! The cost would be Euromillions type stuff. Crazy how they donāt have their own pitch/es. Must be a monumental effort being put in behind the scenes by countless volunteers to keep the show on the road.
Did any clubs in any part of the country get land or facilities off NAMA?
A huge pity. Even worse now with the incoming cunt.
Im sure some did at market value in rural locations and i think the GAA were lobbying NAMA about it but not sure if they got anywhere.
Off top of my head the Spawell complex was one they pushed hard about but deal fell away a few years ago but heard recently the GAA nearly had it bought again for another stadium and centre of excellence.
The Cuala deal would have been ideal for both clubs because Blackrock were sitting on a mountain of debt and a very valuable asset. They had bit the bullet and conceded they couldnāt retain ownership but this would have put club on solid footing for the future. Albeit as a tenant. Ridiculous from the GAA really when they could have facilitated a clearly progressive club
The GAA needed that money to bail out Portlaoise, Thomas Davis, Clara, etc etc. Fuck Cuala and their notions.
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Funny thing being if they were a soccer club or s rugby club the lottery would have give them the cash Iām sure on basis they had raised half themselves.
Does the lottery deal with individual GAA clubs or just the GAA as an entity?
Sports Capital Grant applications are made by the individual clubs, not sure if that scheme would cover what Cuala were trying to do though.
Thereās a max of 150k for Clubs I believe. 200 for regional developments.
How have soccer and rugby clubs in the same area as cuala got their land and grounds?
Cabinteely - a league of Ireland first division club - play their home games in Blackrock Rugby Football Club.
Wouldnāt say thereās many other soccer clubs in the vicinity, actually thereās one up the road in Deansgrange who play in the Leinster senior league. The name escapes me.
Itās pretty much a rugby football stronghold around there I think. Massive catchment area and the GAA really should have much stronger facilities and presence in that part of Dublin.
Seapoint rugby based out in Cabinteely on what I believe are council owned lands.
I know of one long standing Leinster senior league football team who had to merge with lower ranked side to secure a grounds after long standing tenancy was cancelled.
In short, how do they manage it, with great difficulty Iād say. Except for likes of Blackrock who owned the grounds before they were worth so much. They pissed it away though
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Looks like council land leased for sports recreation would be the best solution for the area
Would require joined up thinking and develop far more residential closer to city centre. Separate council authorities too I assume
Here was I looking at an additional 100 posts in the 2017 Club Champ thread and expecting to read about Co League games this weekend & whoās looking good for Patties Day 2018.
@maroonandwhite is a wonderful man 