Messages

"I'd say theres a strong proability that it would for kids

esp as they will drink anything they can get , at that age..
because its adult to do so and if you dont drink you are thought of as a bit of a weirdo"

Thats true Lynchboy, but what I am saying is that this is the society we live in.
They will drink anything they can get whether there is sports sponsorhip or not.
If they were going to drink anyway it may encourage them to drink guinness instead of Dutch Gold or the likes but that doesnt make it worse, it doesnt make it better either but certainly doesnt compound the problem.

The whole problem runs much deeper than the GAA sponsorship issue, its a culture thing.
I think blaming the GAA and Rugby for compounding the drink culture is trying to avoid the real issues as to why we have this culture.
Certainly in Ireland I wouldnt say GAA (guinness) and Rugby (heineken) supporting kids drink more than those who follow soccer (eircom).
To summarise I am convinced that people do not drink more because of sports sponsorship.
But I could be wrong!

I would agree with that last statement
but
not so for kids.

The only thing we can do is come out and say that prospective young GAA  (and indeed all sports) players should stay away from drink.
A campaign to make it uncool or just to make it unacceptable to youth that drinking should not happen until you are well into your 20's and consuming large amounts , along with smoking, swearing, fighting, unmannerly behaviour is neither smart nor clever

We have had a big success at our club this year- in the team I am associated with.
However there are a couple who I can see already are borderline ready to fall by the wayside.
Our season is now over and we are keeping the training going for fear of losing these lads to bad habit/bad influences/booze.

I agree, society is to blame, and some here have suggested what can be done - booze advertising is great for cash, but eroding society and families. The Celtic tiger has made Ireland an unfriendly selfish place. Those who fall now, fall further.

It never bothered me prev - as I was happy the GAA got any cash injections, but thinking about it we should ban drinks advertising. Not for influencing adults, but for the kids we are trying to bring up in the GAA way.
Rugby was a national joke until they stopped their boozing and took it seriously.
We have to also move with the times, and plenty of GAA figureheads are setting such examples out there - McGeeney for one.The O'Hailpins also.
For the sake of the children, and not making liars out of ourselves

"I think the huge amount of money that companies like Guinness and Heineken spend on advertising on sporting events alone answers your question. They aren't giving charitable donations as far as I'm aware and I'm sure their marketing people are well aware that a few million euro to sponsor the likes of the AI hurling must be worth it in sales or they wouldn't bother"

Johnnycool, thats not the point.
Guinness / Heineken advertising could well increased their sales, and obviously does. This is not in question.
My point was, is the increase in sales based on people ALREADY DRINKING switching brands. Or does it make people who previously wouldnt drink take up the habit.
I would suggest it influences the brand selected but NOT whether or not people will drink or not.

I'd say theres a strong proability that it would for kids

esp as they will drink anything they can get , at that age..
because its adult to do so and if you dont drink you are thought of as a bit of a weirdo

Dubnut
I think the Gael has added in a C option to your questions and I think the answer is a cracker.

It sums up what we all know.
Kids are boozing too much and even though we are not encouraging it , by not telling them they shouldnt and not actively shielding them from the influence we are in fact encouraging it.
No action -  in this case - encourages it  - imo.

Kids want to act like adults asap, and they will try to booze, and although these images wont make us drink any more (or less) or change brands, it does affect the kids , their opinions and their desire for drink.

In fact, I will be giving a team of u17's a lecture tonight at training on not boozing if they want to become decent future footballers.
Practically all of them were drinking last sun night celebrating a league title. I was asked to join them (and several adults) but declined.

Funny you should say that, I saw Paddy Bradley in the Slieve Russell last Sat night...
Was thinking about starting a rumour - but you never know what his reasons for being there were...

not if they want to win votes it isnt !

how many people would 'waste ' their vote on these candidates if they run with no other mandate or purpose than to get money for GAA players

it could be a very humbling for the GPA if they run on such an isolated ticket.

Allied to another political party though , this could bring them into contention...

there are so many bad male referees , then a half decent female ref will surely be better

anyhow, most fellas would be mannerly enough not to even think about hitting a female ref
plus a lot of these lads will be killing themselves showing off so they can ask the female ref on a date after the game if shes any way decent looking.
Having said that, female refs will cause the games to rescind into farce with teams too busy showing off to play any good football..


in reality
a couple of female refs may make the grade, but essentially female refs & females in general do not 'get it' in terms of the nuances of male Gaelic football.
None that I have seen or met yet anyhow

if that makes me sexist, then its just another trait to add to the list of bad attributes I have.....

Lynchboy, I think you are mixing up Rory and Raymie
Raymie wouldn't be the best trainer, Rory trains extremely hard, and is always in good shape.

Thats obv a new changes rory.
I know him Pre-brigids days where he was worse than Raymie - and along with a few other ex Fermanagh players (who were team mates of mine in Dublin) they made a mockery of the Fermangh training regieme.

To be honest, and as a blow in myself, I am not against blow ins coming into Brigids - we have way enough young talent coming through so we can jettison some of these older lads back into the lower teams.

Did you see my young team won their league yesterday? There are a few lads on that who I will be recommending for the senior side this time next year.
Some of the senior panel should be downgraded, they have been up there long enough and made no impact.
Others are just not good enough imo.

Dungiven were too laboured in their hurling, rising the ball was a slow exercise for some of their players and were easily blocked or hooked by their opponents. Big Geoffrey was unlucky with his kicked effort in the first half then berated poor Deccy for not giving him a free. He may of had a point but Deccy would of been the worst in the world if he'd of blown a free for Dungiven with the bold Geoffry goal bound. A no win situation for Deccy.

Where to now for Dungiven: A spell in a competitive Antrim ACHL would tidy their hurling up no end, the will seems to be there but I doubt if the structures in Derry are conducive to allow the likes of Banagher and the Lynches compete in Antrim and football fixtures not be affected.

Completely agree with you JC
KL seem to be way behind the likes of Cushendall in terms of getting the ball lifted and control of it .

Also , playing in the Antrim league would hugely benefit KL & Banagher.

I dont think the football fixtures would prove to be too much of a problem for KL as most of their dual players have more or less given up the big ball game now to concentrate on Hurling.
Only Liam Hinphey and Cathal McKeever will be looking like they might be on the footbal panel, and I am not sure whether Hinphey wants to stay on it.

He's the kind of forward you fellows need - a good free taker too.

Is famous for his poor training ethic.

Nice lad but lazy as sin.

Cant blame the ref though
he wasnt great but Cushendall were worthy winners yesterday.
I just take exception to the margin of victory (though it could have been more)
and as you say - some of those decisions were mind boggling !

Thanks for the info - you will have noticed that KL team didnt fight or get involved nearly as much as the previous day -
they were warned from someone about the ref and then checked him out !

I actually met the ref on his way out of the park , driving his car with a few other Ulster tracksuited 'officials' I'd say they were.
I said hello and rather than abuse him (which gets no one nowhere- esp as this guy is a volunteer like the rest of us), I asked him how did he think Down would do next season.
Think his muttered answer was ' dont know'.

Best of luck to the Cushendall side in the AI semi

Cushendall 1-15 Kevin Lynch's 1-7

Cushendall deserving winners in a somewhat flattering scoreline, but they were obviously the better side.
KL started brightly and went 4 points to 1 up.
After that though they seemed to get stage fright and Cushendall came roaring back.
Losing Liam Hinphey before half time ruined any chances KL had.

Have to say that there were 5 points that I would think are disputable - frees gifted to Cushendall - who didnt need the help!
Ref was poor, and he was lucky that there were no flashpoints and it was a free flowing enough game.

I can imagine if he was in charge the previous week, both sides would have ended up with just the keepers playing.

More interested in booking guys for questioning his decisions than knoing the actual rules.
This guy cannot be high in the Down refereeing charts ?

I would have thought Paul Galvin was Kerrys best player this year.
He was superb.
If not in the running (and I am obv in the minority again) then Dara O Se has always been the man behind recent Kerry greatness.