Do we not also currently have the fastest white man in the world? (or close enough to it)
I’ll need somebody else to confirm my horse racing point as I don’t have much knowledge on it. Getting back to root causes - Fianna Fáil / Gombeen culture pervades nearly all parts of Irish society, including sporting bodies and funding organisations. Wait for the big, sweeping generalisation…most of those at high levels in these organisations are more interested in politicking, back slapping and personal gain than promoting the areas they’re charged with overseeing.
It was left up to the GAA to provide a sporting outlet to Irish people since the foundation of the free state. The gov have done little or nothing to change this in the intervening years.
That and drink.
Hard to disagree. I read an article one day even comparing the age profile and actual qualifications of comparable sports heads from Ireland to other successful sporting nations likethe Aussies, Germans, Spanish etc. There was a big difference. And also the way they are appointed is ridiculous.
Elections voted by members have worked well in other sporting organisations.
The GGA take all the grant money.
BOLOOKINGAJARABBAJADEEEY!
I’m laughing at him saying we’re shit at GAA even though we’re the only ones who play it.
For a nation of 4 million we probably over achieve at most sports Golf, Boxing, Cricket, Soccer, Rowing, Sailing, Hockey, Handball all international sports at which we exceed beyond our station. And the county of Roscommon beat the largest city in Europe on its own this year in the GAA.
I think the title is “The fastest White man who is bothered to try even though he has no chance of international success”.
Reference the IABA trying to screw Billy Walsh after his achievements with the Olympic squad. I think the Sports Council have actually intervened on this occasion and he’s going to be formally appointed as High Performance Director.
Ya, that was some farce, glad to hear its being sorted, Billy is a legend.
Golf we’re better than most certainly.
Boxing - we’re good at amateur level and reasonable at the professional stuff.
Soccer - we’re ok but not brilliant. Playing numbers and interest levels would suggest we should be a bit better. We also draw on the diaspora a fair bit here so our pool of players is quite large. When we have picked players only born in Ireland we’ve been poor.
Rowing - good at non-Olympics events. A fair chunk of our small pool of medals in recent years were won in disciplines that aren’t in the Olympics which might explain why there’s not much competition.
Sailing - as with rowing.
Hockey - fuck knows.
Handball - not much international competition outside of the US I’d have thought but I don’t really know.
There was an article on the front page of TFK a few years ago making the point that we’re not very good at sport. We like to think of ourselves as a sporting nation but if you think of any country of a similar size they all excel in one sport. Our Olympics medal table is miserable and we can really only rely on golf and horse racing as sports where we produce high numbers of top class professionals.
Of those countries of similar size Rocko, how many of them have a national sport that would be the equivalent of the GAA. The presence of the GAA has to a very big factor in why we don’t excel at more internationally recognised sports.
Its “The” factor, no doubt.
very true- the thing i always find amazing is that the aussies that dont even play it can practicse it for a week & destroy the gga players at it
:lol: Even in racing circles the Melbourne Cup is considered a joke :lol:
If you want a fucking shit sporting nation, try Australia. Talk about over rating yourselves.
the reality is though that fuck all people play gga , especially hurling(600 dubs play it ffs)
in regards to football the amount playing football per head of population in Ireland is one of the best in the world (think we are 16th) & if you take away small islands we are near enough 5th
eh, cause we are fooking tiny population wise
the gga is a rural game with absolute no following in normal areas
countries with simlar populations are much better at sports- croatia, norway etc etc
GAA saved this country over the decades.
Drink ruined it, ruined it.
Ergo, drink is to blame.