Still no place for gaelic games in NI state school sector

[Main Street]

You have not thought this through at all. First of all, it is not the right of a kid to play the "sport of their choice" at a school. What if the sport of their choice cannot be provided for entirely practical reasons. There are many other popular sports out there that get little or no support from the schools - cycling, tennis or golf for example.

As GAA is the biggest sport of them all I would expect it to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey
Is there any sport bigger than the GAA?

s regards your blinkered comments about snobbery/bigotry/intolerance, if the nearby RC school in question already has a Gaelic pitch, and a teacher who is competent enough to coach the game when the state school perhaps doesn't would it not make more sense to share facilities? Or should the state school perhaps sack the PE teacher so they can take on someone with GAA experience if it is not there already?

Ah a so called rational argument for separation in the guise of practicality.
Students in Limavady have no so called alternative.
Limavady students want to play GAA.
Limavady students can already play rugby and soccer.
The GAA offered to come into the Limavady school themselves.
Big deal, easy for youngsters  to play gaelic on a rugby pitch
Where there is a will there is a way.

The decision to prevent the GAA from access to willing students has all the hallmarks of snobbery even bigotry.
In how many schools around NI has this experience been repeated for Soccer as well as as Gaelic?

[nifan]

As GAA is the biggest sport of them all I would expect it to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey
Is there any sport bigger than the GAA?

GAA should automatically get PRIORITY over other sports as it has a larger fanbase in general?
I agree that it should have been allowed in Limavady, but is this not another type of snobbery?

Is GAA bigger in terms of partition than soccer - im not sure?
Is it a bigger sport in every school than tennis or basketball? In foyle in my time there would have been more people keen to play basketball than GAA (we actually did get basketball going at one stage) but perhaps that is a city thing.

Is there any sport bigger than the GAA?

In some places no, in others yes. You cant talk about choice then come out with this sort of pap.

[Main Street]

As GAA is the biggest sport of them all I would expect it to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey
Is there any sport bigger than the GAA?

GAA should automatically get PRIORITY over other sports as it has a larger fanbase in general?
I agree that it should have been allowed in Limavady, but is this not another type of snobbery?

Are you feckin blind as well as creative Nifan?
Where did I write automatically?
and I specified the sports that were mentioned by SK
Read what I was replying to.

Is GAA bigger in terms of partition than soccer - im not sure?

Is it a bigger sport in every school than tennis or basketball? In foyle in my time there would have been more people keen to play basketball than GAA (we actually did get basketball going at one stage) but perhaps that is a city thing.

Is there any sport bigger than the GAA?

In some places no, in others yes. You cant talk about choice then come out with this sort of pap.

If unsure  one shouldn´t reply
I posted the links for sport participation earlier so I am aware what happens at school level

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/educ/school10.htm
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/educ/school9.htm
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/educ/school8.htm

You wil note that Protestant kids dont play gaelic sports
Catholic kids embrace all sports
You will note that all sports (´cept cricket) are played by catholic kids

Despite the sneering attitude exemplified by Limavady to Gaelic games and the lack of facilities in the schools, available for playing Gaelic,  still Gaelic Sports have a very high profile.

After school, Gaelic sport participants are proven much more likely to become club members.
As well as demonstrable match attendance superiortity from club to county level.

Basketball/Netball popularity might just be a school thing as most schools have a gym.
After school it isn't as popular as Gaelic sports. Is that not obvious?

[dublinfella]

MS, would you have the same attitude if GAA playing schools were forced to accomodate rugby?

It seems we have two debates happening here.

Firstly, the school in question and whether there is bigotry involved in the reason not to have GAA in the school. Probably.

Secondly, do kids have some sort of right to play whatever sports they want in school. I don't think they do, and as has been said before, if playing Gaelic games in school matters that much to a kid, don't go to a rugby school.

[nifan]

Are you feckin blind as well as creative Nifan?
Where did I write automatically?
and I specified the sports that were mentioned by SK
Read what I was replying to.

Im neither blind nor stupid thanks.
You said you assumed the GAA should get priority over the sports you listed based on its size, then ask if any sport is bigger than the GAA.
You did specify the sports, but then questioned whether any sport was bigger. If you think size implies priority there is an inference here.

If unsure  one shouldn´t reply

seems to me I asked a question as I wasnt sure, rather than coming out with a particular argument here, so no need for the snideness.

The figures are interesting, particularly the tennis figures, whoch seems to have higher participation than either gaelic or football (though will have boys and girls unlike many of the other sports).
Still the figures dont really show what kids would want to play.
I had to play rubgy, plenty of kids have to play football, or Gaelic. The may hate them.

[nifan]

That "schools apart" report was published in 1977 by the way.
Hard to say how accurate it might currently be.

[Main Street]

MS, would you have the same attitude if GAA playing schools were forced to accomodate rugby?

It seems we have two debates happening here.

Firstly, the school in question and whether there is bigotry involved in the reason not to have GAA in the school. Probably.

Secondly, do kids have some sort of right to play whatever sports they want in school. I don't think they do, and as has been said before, if playing Gaelic games in school matters that much to a kid, don't go to a rugby school.

What GAA playing schools are you talking about?
If 40% of the students wanted to play rugby in any school and were fully supported by the parents, I would expect the school board to do its upmost.
Not to act like snobs.
In Limavady the GAA were allowed to come in but the school principal or school board reversed the decision.
40% of the kids there want to play Gaelic sports.

What nonsense is this about going to schools that only have your sports.
In NI schools, only catholics play Gaelic
but Catholics play all sports.
So if you are saying that catholics should go to catholic schools in order to play Gaelic sports then you are perpetuating the religious divisions of kids at school level.

[dublinfella]

No, I am saying that certain schools play certain sports and that is not necessarily for sectarian reasons. I went to rugby playing school and played football for my local club. Whats the problem? 

Unless it is some form of symbolic act of the GAA getting access (for free as well from your posts) to 'Protestant' schools against the wishes of school administrators.

[nifan]

MS - where did you get the figure that 40% of the pupils want to play gaelic?
Genuine question - i may just have missed something

[Main Street]

Im neither blind nor stupid thanks.
You said you assumed the GAA should get priority over the sports you listed based on its size, then ask if any sport is bigger than the GAA.
You did specify the sports, but then questioned whether any sport was bigger. If you think size implies priority there is an inference here.

Now you allude that I inferred stupidity.
Keep it up though

I wrote
"I would expect it (GAA) to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey"
In reply to SK asking should GAA have priority over golf tennis etc

I did not write automatic priority over all sports. OKAY
You do get that point.

You invented the automatic priority over all sports thing.

s

eems to me I asked a question as I wasnt sure, rather than coming out with a particular argument here, so no need for the snideness.
The figures are interesting, particularly the tennis figures, whoch seems to have higher participation than either gaelic or football (though will have boys and girls unlike many of the other sports).
Still the figures dont really show what kids would want to play.
I had to play rubgy, plenty of kids have to play football, or Gaelic. The may hate them"

The point here is that catholic kids are attending schools alongside protestant kids.
I Limavady we have 40% catholic kids want to play Gaelic in their school and represent their school in Gaelic school competitions around Co Derry and possible Ulster, if they are good enough.
It is a great occasion of pride for parents as well as the kids to represent their school in sports.
Especially Gaelic games, the most popular attended sport in NI. the most committed member based field sport in NI.

I don't buy the school ethos thing or choose another school argument.
It is saying, that catholic kids should not go to a protestant school because they wont allow you to play gaelic sports.

Or if you do go to a protestant school, even in huge numbers like 40 or 50%, do not expect anybody to provide facilities for you to play gaelic, you can either travel another 10 miles or go to the next village where they have some sort of a facility.
There are no busses there  you can walk or cycle.
The privilege of using the school dressing rooms, showers and sport fields are just for those children who play rugby or soccer.

[nifan]

MS,

when you quote yourself there you cut it short

As GAA is the biggest sport of them all I would expect it to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey

You give the reason that it should take priority - ie that it is bigger - and should therefore have priority based on size.
Your point then that it is the biggest implies that it should have priority over all other sports.

If that isnt what you meant fair enough, but do me a favour and dont go on like how I read it isnt a perfectly logical reading.

[Main Street]

No, I am saying that certain schools play certain sports and that is not necessarily for sectarian reasons. I went to rugby playing school and played football for my local club. Whats the problem? 

Did I not answer your question?

I don´t know your circumstances or the choices you had or the area you lived in.
Certain schools and certain reasons are one thing.
If you choose to sent your kid to a Steiner school don't expect there to be a big sports ethos.

Unless it is some form of symbolic act of the GAA getting access (for free as well from your posts) to 'Protestant' schools against the wishes of school administrators

Yes Dublinfella, is it not shocking
Protestant schools allowing the nationalist kids to play gaelic, I hear the civilization foundations cracking up once again
Those croppies are getting uppity again, why don´t they just accept that we don´t want to adjust to changing times.

[Main Street]

MS,

when you quote yourself there you cut it short

As GAA is the biggest sport of them all I would expect it to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey

You give the reason that it should take priority - ie that it is bigger - and should therefore have priority based on size.
Your point then that it is the biggest implies that it should have priority over all other sports.

If that isnt what you meant fair enough, but do me a favour and dont go on like how I read it isnt a perfectly logical reading.

Obviously your interpretation was not  perfectly logical.

[nifan]

Can you tell me why it is illogical.

As GAA is the biggest sport of them all I would expect it to have a priority, above cycling tenis or golf badminton basketball ice hockey

can you explain if this line means that you would expect it to have priority over these sports based on being "the biggest sport of them all", or are the 2 points in the same sentence disconnected in some way?

[dublinfella]

Did I not answer your question?

I don´t know your circumstances or the choices you had or the area you lived in.
Certain schools and certain reasons are one thing.
If you choose to sent your kid to a Steiner school don't expect there to be a big sports ethos.

So what are you arguing then?

Yes Dublinfella, is it not shocking
Protestant schools allowing the nationalist kids to play gaelic, I hear the civilization foundations cracking up once again
Those croppies are getting uppity again, why don´t they just accept that we don´t want to adjust to changing times..

Jesus wept. You are arguing for the sake of it. You have no logical or rational reason to argue why schools should be obliged to lay on these extre curricular activities, but see a huge plot to surpress nationalists.

Stop sniffing glue MS, its bad for you













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