gaaboard.com

GAA Discussion => GAA Discussion => Topic started by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 06:49:40 PM

Title: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 06:49:40 PM
(I've asked a moderator's permission to post this per Rule 7, he was okay with it)

This thread is to plug my book, Waiting to Launch, The Untapped Global Potential of Gaelic Games (http://www.waitingtolaunch.com).

Gaelic games have been played outside of Ireland since before there was a GAA to regulate them.  While other games such as soccer, rugby and cricket went on to become globalized sports enjoyed by millions of people and watched by billions, Gaelic games did not.  They remain largely confined to one country with only a small following elsewhere, chiefly among communities of Irish emigrants.  How did this happen?

This book is in three parts.

Part 1 is a personal account of the author's attempt to bring hurling to a broader audience in the United States.

Part 2 is an examination of how today's globalized sports came to their dominant position after having been codified in England, and compares their fortunes to those of Gaelic games.

Part 3 makes the case that the GAA needs to change its approach to the worldwide dispersal of Gaelic games in order to be more ambitious, and includes a series of radical proposals aimed at achieving a more globalized audience that is not limited to small communities of Irish emigrants or their descendants.

It will be available as an eBook from Amazon shortly, and hard copies will be available later.  In the meantime, head on over to the website (http://www.waitingtolaunch.com) where you can read a sample chapter, and gimme a like on the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/waitingtolaunch).
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 07:25:15 PM
Well done on the book...fine achievement.

What I don't get is this - why does it need to have global appeal? Harte harps on about the same but I don't understand why we need a 'globalised audience'.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 07:39:49 PM
Read the book and all will be revealed!  :P

Seriously though, people have raised that question with me before and my response is, why not?  It was okay for the British to export their sports to the rest of the world, why is it not okay for us to do the same with ours?  We're renowned worldwide for our music, song, dance, literature, and our ability to drink, but our sports are unheard of. Even tourists that come to Ireland can go through a whole visit without being exposed to Gaelic games. It's almost like we're ashamed of them.  Why?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: theticklemister on February 27, 2014, 07:40:47 PM
Good luck Eamonn!!!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 27, 2014, 07:52:52 PM
Quote from: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 07:25:15 PM
Well done on the book...fine achievement.

What I don't get is this - why does it need to have global appeal? Harte harps on about the same but I don't understand why we need a 'globalised audience'.

As Eamonn said, why not? Those of us living abroad bring the game with us yet it has remained confined to us when it should be part of our new homes sporting infrastructure. They are great games to watch and play so why shouldn't we make efforts to get others involved?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on February 27, 2014, 08:35:59 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 07:39:49 PM
Read the book and all will be revealed!  :P

Seriously though, people have raised that question with me before and my response is, why not?  It was okay for the British to export their sports to the rest of the world, why is it not okay for us to do the same with ours?  We're renowned worldwide for our music, song, dance, literature, and our ability to drink, but our sports are unheard of. Even tourists that come to Ireland can go through a whole visit without being exposed to Gaelic games. It's almost like we're ashamed of them.  Why?

Best of luck Eamonn. The bit in bold resonates with me too. I cannot understand why Dublin, Shannon and the other ports of entry don't have advertising material on a loop with info about upcoming fixtures. At the very least we might get a few more curious visitors at provincial games or qualifiers. And at best you might get them interested enough to find out more about the games when they go home.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 08:49:51 PM
Spot on.  Croke Park should be packed to the gills with tourists on St Paddy's Day for the club finals.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: IolarCoisCuain on February 27, 2014, 08:50:30 PM
Best of luck with the book, and I agree with AZOffaly. Gaelic games are unique and undersold as tourist attractions. See the amount of features in foreign press about them? They're fascinating to people who haven't seen them before and it's not that big a reach to bring those people in. I doubt they'll go home and set up Stockholm Sarsfields, or whatever, but still. It'd be a great thing to do.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: IolarCoisCuain on February 27, 2014, 08:50:57 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 08:49:51 PM
Spot on.  Croke Park should be packed to the gills with tourists on St Paddy's Day for the club finals.

Shnap. :)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 09:01:02 PM
Mmmm, "why not".....?

Ever think that unlike our music etc, it doesn't have world wide appeal. Plenty have watched and written about our games before like Kenneth Wolstenholme but once seems to be enough.

There are thousands of clips of hurling and football on youtube and you need comments like 'mad game' ad 'crazy Irish' but I don't see a massive demand for more coverage.

Didn't sky flirt with it for a while? Not a seller.

GAA is played in many countries as Jerome Quinn regularly films. Same as Aussie Rules? Does Aussie Rules really have that much appeal outside of Australia and here?

I'm not convinced GAA has global appeal (from non-Irish) much beyond what exists now.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 09:11:38 PM
Well I don't agree with you. I see the reaction of first-time viewers to hurling and they're blown away by it. Plenty of people are intrigued enough by the game that they want to play, once they get to see it. There's plenty of demand for Gaelic games, the only thing holding them back is lack of exposure.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 27, 2014, 09:37:08 PM
Quote from: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 09:01:02 PM
Mmmm, "why not".....?

Ever think that unlike our music etc, it doesn't have world wide appeal. Plenty have watched and written about our games before like Kenneth Wolstenholme but once seems to be enough.

There are thousands of clips of hurling and football on youtube and you need comments like 'mad game' ad 'crazy Irish' but I don't see a massive demand for more coverage.

Didn't sky flirt with it for a while? Not a seller.

GAA is played in many countries as Jerome Quinn regularly films. Same as Aussie Rules? Does Aussie Rules really have that much appeal outside of Australia and here?

I'm not convinced GAA has global appeal (from non-Irish) much beyond what exists now.

There is undoubtedly potential for serious growth. I coach football to almost entirely non-Irish kids and I would say that given the right environment many would stay with the game. I'd be more interested in developing players internationally rather than armchair fans but I think there is genuine potential for both.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 09:50:16 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 09:11:38 PM
Well I don't agree with you. I see the reaction of first-time viewers to hurling and they're blown away by it. Plenty of people are intrigued enough by the game that they want to play, once they get to see it. There's plenty of demand for Gaelic games, the only thing holding them back is lack of exposure.

Yes, we all see that reaction. That really means nothing apart from feeling good about ourselves. When I see an aboriginal man hammer away at a didgeridoo it blows me away. But that's enough for me. Also, hurling at the top level is some sight. Not so much at junior level.

Do 'plenty' non-Irish really want to play it? Apart from little pockets here and there in Europe, I don't see a mad rush. There are (were) plenty of clubs in England. Very few non-Irish played it. The odd one. I remember bringing a few to watch a game in Birmingham...same reaction..."mad game" but no inclination to play it.

We love it because it's our game. I don't think it's an overly attractive game (either code) outside of the top games in summer. Some great college games I know but I'm sure there are some great shinty/bull fighting/lacrosse/curling games too at lower levels.

And sure, you know rightly as soon as themuns across seas and oceans start playing it they'll master it and we'll look like dicks.

But again I ask seriously .....why do we want it to be played globally?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 09:58:58 PM
Quote from: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 09:50:16 PM
But again I ask seriously .....why do we want it to be played globally?

Asked and answered. We're just going to have to agree to disagree on this, I think.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 10:06:50 PM
Your answer was 'why not'.

I'm hoping for a better answer from someone.

I think some people want the 'hey, look at us Irish, aren't we great' feeling. Pride? Maybe, but why need others to confirm that. I cannot see any other reason.

I'll definitely be buying the book as the parts 1&2 seem intriguing. And boarders should stick together.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 10:09:38 PM
The rest of my answer was...

It was okay for the British to export their sports to the rest of the world, why is it not okay for us to do the same with ours?  We're renowned worldwide for our music, song, dance, literature, and our ability to drink, but our sports are unheard of. Even tourists that come to Ireland can go through a whole visit without being exposed to Gaelic games. It's almost like we're ashamed of them.  Why?

But by all means, buy the book!  Should be available within 24 hours.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: sligoman2 on February 27, 2014, 10:11:23 PM
Living in New York there is a lot of progress being made at the underage level. 

There is a gaa coach/promoter here and he is doing a good job.  It's not a hard sell once the kids get on the field, 90% of them love it.

Good luck with the book, will it be available on apple?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 10:13:04 PM
I'm not that well travelled but in France, Spain, England, Cyprus, Portygal etc I wasn't exposed to any sport unless I went looking for it.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 10:14:02 PM
Kindle, or any device with the (free) Kindle Reader app installed. So you will be able to read it on iPhone/iPad/Mac/Android etc..
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Hardy on February 27, 2014, 10:22:33 PM
Congratulations of the book, Eamonnca1. I admire your initiative. You're a great evangelist for the spread of the games internationally and you put your effort where your mouth is, so to speak. Your introductory videos on hurling and football are the best I've seen and miles ahead of anything the GAA has attempted.

I, too, am ambivalent about the globalisation of the games, though. I mean the desirability of it, apart from the possibility. I know it may seem an insular and old-fashioned view at first consideration (or even at twenty-first) but when all is said and done, what would be the benefit of it? That's a genuine question and if it really is a worthwhile enterprise, it shouldn't be difficult to articulate the case for it.

My biggest fear is that internationalisation, if that's a word, could ruin the games. I have a nightmare vision of global marketing conglomerates taking control and bastardising the games beyond recognition. How would we possibly resist this, if they really did take off globally? It's impossible to imagine the GAA in Ireland remaining as the keeper of the soul of the games in tha situation.

It's an interesting subject for debate and I'm open to convincing.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 27, 2014, 10:27:36 PM
Quote from: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 10:13:04 PM
I'm not that well travelled but in France, Spain, England, Cyprus, Portygal etc I wasn't exposed to any sport unless I went looking for it.

Not sure what point you're trying to make here. I also don't understand your question why do we want to spread the games. If there was a town, or part of a city in Ireland where the GAA was not played I would like to see that change, likewise, now that I live abroad I want to see GAA played here by locals, not just Irish immigrants. I would love to see the GAA here in Britain as strong as it is in Ireland and there is no reason that can't be the case. It would take time of course but work on the ground and greater exposure on national TV would help.

As Eamonn pointed out, soccer took a long time make serious inroads in American and the NFL made attempts to break Europe before but it seems to have a surer footing with a TV audience now. The GAA could definitely make inroads if there was a coordinated plan in place and an idea of an end goal.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on February 27, 2014, 10:27:48 PM
It is an interesting topic alright. Encouraging others to play/enjoy/understand our games I mean. I suppose there are 3 main questions.

1 why? As O'Neill asked. Why bother trying to spread the gospel outside the Irish gene pool so to speak. What's in it for us?

2 have we a good "product"?

If you can answer 1 and 2 positively, then I suppose you are into delivery models. The "how".

For me the answer to 1 is the same as why we spread our other cultural aspects. Why do we promote our music and dance? Why not is a glib answer, but for me I think it's about trying to introduce something to people that I genuinely think they would enjoy. Why do we have movie recommendations, or pass on tips on things to see in Rome. It's human nature to try and share good experiences with others to both reinforce your opinion of it being good, but also to spread the joy. That would be my take on it. Of course the more that play the GAA, or become fans, the greater the market for the GAA to make a few bob on products, advertising and media.

The answer to number 2 is interesting, and we are probably not the best placed to answer it. Do we love GAA for the parochial element to it, or do we really love the games themselves? I love the games, but when I hear some of our analysts on TV etc, you'd have to wonder. Aesthetically, how do our games compare to rugby, soccer, nfl or other games with worldwide appeal? I believe they are at least on a par, but I'm not objective.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 27, 2014, 10:34:20 PM
Quote from: Hardy on February 27, 2014, 10:22:33 PM
Congratulations of the book, Eamonnca1. I admire your initiative. You're a great evangelist for the spread of the games internationally and you put your effort where your mouth is, so to speak. Your introductory videos on hurling and football are the best I've seen and miles ahead of anything the GAA has attempted.

I, too, am ambivalent about the globalisation of the games, though. I mean the desirability of it, apart from the possibility. I know it may seem an insular and old-fashioned view at first consideration (or even at twenty-first) but when all is said and done, what would be the benefit of it? That's a genuine question and if it really is a worthwhile enterprise, it shouldn't be difficult to articulate the case for it.

My biggest fear is that internationalisation, if that's a word, could ruin the games. I have a nightmare vision of global marketing conglomerates taking control and bastardising the games beyond recognition. How would we possibly resist this, if they really did take off globally? It's impossible to imagine the GAA in Ireland remaining as the keeper of the soul of the games in tha situation.

It's an interesting subject for debate and I'm open to convincing.

But soccer or rugby on this island have their own Irish feel (I think). I don't think the GAA would necessarily turn into an American version of itself and I would suggest it would be over a hundreds years before that would become a possibility. Besides, if the GAA took off in America or Europe and was a professional sport I don't see a huge impact on the GAA at home. I don't see any real issue to expanding the GAA and I would certainly not hinder it due to any fear of what it might become.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 10:46:57 PM
I don't think we purposely went out to 'spread our cultural aspects' AZ. There was an appeal/market....and even at that do many non-Irish play the pipes or do the Waves of Tory....or listen/watch even with any level of regularity. Riverdance managed it (I think...I've never spoken to anyone of non-Irish descent about seeing it) I suppose. Dubliners?

I have no doubt our games would have been tapped into long ago if it had international appeal.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on February 27, 2014, 10:48:42 PM
Ah we do. Ads for music and dance are far more prevalent at airports and all. It's a central tenet of the tourism industry. 
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 10:51:19 PM
Well, we advertise castles, alcohol and rocks too. That's the same in every country.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on February 27, 2014, 10:52:11 PM
So I suppose you are answering no to #2 then?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 10:57:04 PM
Sharks would have descended a long time ago. The odd one maybe did (Sky..Channel 4) but found out it was a non-runner. Abramovich/Virgin man not knocking on the door.

Guinness - do many non-Irish really drink it? I mean....really...
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 27, 2014, 11:48:52 PM
Are there any area/parishes in Ireland where GAA is on the wane i.e. barely able to put out a senior side any more in any code, and not just because of employment elsewhere but through apathy?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: macdanger2 on February 28, 2014, 01:29:19 AM
Best of luck with it Eamonn
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: neilthemac on February 28, 2014, 05:43:31 AM
The GAA themselves need to market games to incoming tourists.

Have giant posters and video clips at the airports. Sponsor a plane belonging to see lingus and get the image if hurling on the outside of the plane!

The tourism chiefs in Ireland seem to be obsessed with golfing tourists and high spenders.
I mean pick up a lonely planet book on Ireland. One of the top things to do should be a GAA game, yet they are barely mentioned!

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Ball Hopper on February 28, 2014, 07:21:37 AM
Good luck with this venture, Eamonn.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: deiseach on February 28, 2014, 10:16:32 AM
The sample chapter is excellent. Looks like I'll have to hold back on commenting until after I've read the book!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on February 28, 2014, 10:22:11 AM
I've actually spotted a few tourist guide books that have hurling as one of the top things to see. I think Croke park is no. 1 on trip advisor.

I remember they had a GAA shop briefly in Dublin airport shopping area. It just had a load of jerseys and gloves, crocs and the like. Not much about the games at all so it was a bit of an oddity. Unless someone had been exposed to the games during their stay they were hardly likely to go in and buy something.

I wonder how well rugby and cricket would be doing globally without the help of British empire?
Perhaps we need to start conquering some indigenous tribes in Africa or the Brazilian rain forest and force them at gun point to be like us.

NFLs growth in Europe is largely down to a video game and tv exposure and lately great access for free of highlights and other coverage. It's all about exposure and making it easily accessible. I.e. Not on premier sports pay-per-view and restrictive Island of Ireland only web broadcasting.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jinxy on February 28, 2014, 10:28:52 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on February 27, 2014, 10:09:38 PM
The rest of my answer was...

It was okay for the British to export their sports to the rest of the world, why is it not okay for us to do the same with ours?  We're renowned worldwide for our music, song, dance, literature, and our ability to drink, but our sports are unheard of. Even tourists that come to Ireland can go through a whole visit without being exposed to Gaelic games. It's almost like we're ashamed of them.  Why?

But by all means, buy the book!  Should be available within 24 hours.

Eamonn, I regularly watch your hurling and football videos on youtube where the rules are explained etc. and I always get a kick out of seeing the international reaction (particularly to hurling).
The one thing I was struck by recently however was how physically different hurlers and footballers look now, relative to the footage in those (excellent) videos.
Please feel free to tell me to F off but is there anything to be said for doing an updated version of one or both?
The general levels of athleticism now would probably shock a lot of those 'virgin' international fans.
If you could show them some of the Dublin-Kerry (football) or Cork-Dublin, Clare-Cork (hurling) action from last year in particular they would eat it up.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on February 28, 2014, 10:40:23 AM
Jinxy, f**k off and leave Offaly alone!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: deiseach on February 28, 2014, 11:56:42 AM
It may seem obvious that the tourism authorities should be selling the native sports abroad, particularly the unusual and ancient one, and I recall Peter McKenna lamenting how Dublin was awash with Ryder Cup hoopla yet the sports that were bringing over 160,000 people to the capital in the same month were ignored by the city mandarins. But can you imagine the reaction from those for whom the GAA is the devil incarnate? No, any promotion of the GAA will have to be done by the GAA.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on February 28, 2014, 12:09:10 PM
Yes, but anyone can buy an advertising slot in the Airports. I think the GAA are at the very least missing a marketing trick here.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: johnneycool on February 28, 2014, 12:36:29 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on February 28, 2014, 12:09:10 PM
Yes, but anyone can buy an advertising slot in the Airports. I think the GAA are at the very least missing a marketing trick here.

The GAA marketing team are beyond useless.. They seem to leave it up to the sponsors to promote any events.

What would it cost to run buses from St Stephens green to Croke park after the parades are over and advertise it a bit?

The additional revenue at the gates would cover the cost.

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 28, 2014, 04:55:45 PM
Appealing to tourists is one thing (and should be done) but there is a real possibility that the GAA can be a success internationally. I don't understand anyone asking why we would do it, there are no negatives to developing the GAA internationally - none. There are only positives and I can assure you if it was as easy to join a GAA club in many cities around the world as it is a soccer club then many of those lauding the games would actually play.

There are major issues in transferring interest in the games into active involvement and that is why it is far more important to get kids playing than it is to get the games widely exposed on TV, though that too is important. A well structured underage development plan with easier access to the games on TV would result in significant international growth.

An important point to remember is, we don't need to compete with soccer as an international sport, we should be aiming to get to the level of that rugby, basketball, hockey, net ball etc. are at* in many countries.

* I know rugby and basketball have a very high profile in some countries but in others they are reasonably popular while still being very much minority sports.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 28, 2014, 05:07:45 PM
Book now available! (http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Launch-Untapped-Global-Potential-ebook/dp/B00IOWN9T0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393574689&sr=1-1&keywords=waiting+to+launch)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 28, 2014, 05:11:25 PM
Quote from: thejuice on February 28, 2014, 10:22:11 AM
I wonder how well rugby and cricket would be doing globally without the help of British empire?
Perhaps we need to start conquering some indigenous tribes in Africa or the Brazilian rain forest and force them at gun point to be like us.

I used to think that was how British sports spread, but in researching for the book I discovered that oddly enough it's not quite how it happened. The British didn't conquer much of South America but soccer and rugby still made huge in-roads there. Ditto for the European continent.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 28, 2014, 05:17:35 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on February 28, 2014, 10:28:52 AM
Please feel free to tell me to F off but is there anything to be said for doing an updated version of one or both?
The general levels of athleticism now would probably shock a lot of those 'virgin' international fans.
If you could show them some of the Dublin-Kerry (football) or Cork-Dublin, Clare-Cork (hurling) action from last year in particular they would eat it up.

I definitely need a better version of the football one.  It got so many negative comments (mostly from idiots complaining about the tune being on so many youtube videos, as if it's my fault they spend all day watching youtube) and from a lot of people actually saying they thought it looked like a stupid game. I never had that problem with the hurling video. Sad but true.  It bears out what I've always found, that hurling is an easier sell than football.

I did an updated hurling movie a few years ago, mainly because I wanted to get the pitch down to two minutes rather than five.  The reason is because from my youtube analytics it seems like audience attention has a tendency to drop off after two minutes, and when I was showing people the five-minute video on a handheld device I found myself skipping ahead a little to get to the point quicker. Also, the five-minute movie was made before anyone was viewing the web through mobile devices, and it turns out that the copyright restrictions on the soundtrack prevent it from being played on mobile, so I used a tune on the short version that I knew was going to be allowed on mobile platforms.  So nowadays I pass out the link to the two-minute movie instead of the five-minute one because something like 30% of its viewers are on mobile devices.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 28, 2014, 05:27:11 PM
QuoteIt bears out what I've always found, that hurling is an easier sell than football.

I've found the opposite myself.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on February 28, 2014, 05:41:42 PM
There's advantages and disadvantages to both codes.  I find that hurling takes a bit longer to teach, but it's easier to get people interested in it.  Football is harder to promote, but it's easier for newcomers to pick up.  Maybe that's an American quirk.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on February 28, 2014, 05:44:51 PM
I'm mostly involved with underage but everyone I've shown football to has loved it while hurling reviews have been mixed and the kids certainly enjoy playing football though they've had less experience with hurling to be fair.

Either way, it's the promotion of them internationally that is the goal and I agree with you, there is massive potential.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on February 28, 2014, 09:10:10 PM
Bought it a few hours ago. Read first and last and skimmed middle for now.

I'm a sieve-head on this board and don't really remember anything about anyone. I should pay more attention. But now I'm almost in awe of the effort you have put in over the water. Spent a while there watching your videos and it puts more meat on the bones.

Enjoyed reading about your early years over. You make a good case in the final chapter but I totally disagree!!

Well done, and a great achievement putting that fine publication out. A bucket-lister.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: stew on February 28, 2014, 09:49:41 PM
I tried to get a club going here but was asked to back off for a couple of years as there is a fledgling Hurling Club in Appleton, 30 mile up the road from Green Bay and they thought starting a Gaelic playing club would hurt them.

On January 3rd next year Green bay will have it's first Gaelic football practice at Synergy field in Ashwaubenon village, it is a state of the art facility and I train all my sawker students there all year round, so far 23 kids have signed up and paid the initial training fee so they are vested already, we are hoping to quadruple that number by then and I have games set up in Chicago in June, August & September of this year for two different age brackets.

It is not much but it is a start and it gives the Hurlers a chance to grow, after that they are on their own.

I will be buying the book in the hopes of picking up some pointers that will help me grow Green Bay Harps GFC!

Good luck with the book and fair play to you ye heathen amadan!  :)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: BennyHarp on February 28, 2014, 10:48:22 PM
I've been involved at all levels from schools and underage to senior club and county in Britain and have spent a year playing in San Fran myself so I'll be interested to read the book Eamonn. Congratulations on getting it published and I wish you great success with it.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: rrhf on March 01, 2014, 07:05:14 AM
The gas themselves aren't happy with what they do.  Hence the constant rule changing and free license to the media to deride the games...how the hell can such a non confident body take these games further.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Oraisteach on March 01, 2014, 05:30:20 PM
I've nothing but the highest regard for you, Eamonn.  You've done tremendous work promoting Gaelic games, especially hurling.  I've watched and rewatched your hurling video and shown it to my high school classes (Irish Lit) in Cleveland and they were mesmerized.  I've also enjoyed your high-quality video highlights of the US college hurling championships.

Just read the intro to your book on Amazon—great stuff and disappointed when I was not able to read any more.  Also enjoyed reading about Davitt Park and Clann Eireann. Played there myself as a Cuchulainn back when Cuchulainn himself played midfield for Armagh. 
Remember, too, bringing a couple of hurling sticks and ball to the high school football field for a puck-around with a friend—drew a crowd of intrigued onlookers.  Wanted to have a go themselves.

Can't wait to get a hold of the book.

Vis-à-vis promoting the games overseas.  My own experience was probably unique.  Back in the 70's when I came here, I called the local club and got a real sense that I was being vetted.  When I confessed to being from Armagh, I got a "we'll be getting in touch with you."  Despite a number of subsequent calls from my end, no welcome was forthcoming.  And, though I was neither a Paddy Moriarty nor an Eddie Keher, both clubs could have used me.  I don't imagine most clubs have such a parochial outlook, especially these days.

Anyway, Eamonn, the best of luck with your new book.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jinxy on March 01, 2014, 07:14:48 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on February 28, 2014, 10:40:23 AM
Jinxy, f**k off and leave Offaly alone!

You can see Daithi Regan in the background eating a mars bar at one stage.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 05, 2014, 06:07:32 PM
http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2014/0305/sport/new-thinking-required-to-reach-global-audience-260897.html (http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2014/0305/sport/new-thinking-required-to-reach-global-audience-260897.html)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: BennyHarp on March 05, 2014, 06:14:42 PM
I think this is a good development in Britain. It's difficult to facilitate the homegrown lads at times when an influx of Irish come over. This may give them something to aim for and keep them involved.

All Britain Homegrown Football Championship

In addition to the recent revamping of the All Britain Hurling Championship, the Provincial Council of Britain is delighted to announce the introduction of the All Britain Homegrown Football Championship.

The competition, to be confined to players who have come through the underage ranks within Britain, will be played in the Autumn, with the final featuring as part of a high profile double-header with All Britain Junior Club Football Final. The competition will, indeed, be played on a similiar format to the All Britain Junior club, with the winners of each County Championship progressing to play in a knockout series.

Speaking about the new addition to the fixture programme, Council Secretary Gary Kelly said "Player fall off between underage and adult ranks keeps coming up as an issue when I speak to the people about the development of our games, and it's something that all Counties are reporting. Britain sits in a unique position, compared to Ireland, whereby the majority of players playing at adult level come from having played underage in a different country. This is great for the GAA as a whole, as it means players who are forced to leave Ireland for work are not lost to the games, but it doesn't necessarily help underage development in Britain so much. Players coming through the ranks are finding it harder to progress to adult level, and it's something that needed to be addressed in order to secure the long term future of the games here"

The All Britain Competition goes into it's 3rd year in 2014, and with over 130 underage teams expected to take part in Greenford in July, there's no doubt that the numbers are there to support such a competition. "There's no doubt that the ABC has opened a lot of people eyes to the potential there is, and with the competition looking set to grow year on year, the time is right to set measures in place to ensure a long term benefit is reaped" Kelly added. "Clubs like Tir Chonaill Gaels in London have been very successful in establishing a homegrown team, and it just shows what can be done. I know some other clubs are looking at them and hope to follow the example, and we hope this competition will help the trend spread across the Province".

Indeed, the trend is spreading, and it's expected that there will be a Homegrown Football Championship in at least 5 Counties in 2014, and this should lead to a very exciting Provincial series.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on March 17, 2014, 10:01:19 AM
Ladies Football 'discovers' new fans in Hong Kong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4onE2wSqoE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4onE2wSqoE) - See a St Patrick's Day report from Discovery Bay near Hong Kong as TG4 Ladies Gaelic Football All Stars visit schools to promote their game.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 19, 2014, 01:05:22 AM
How's your Portuguese? Here's an extensive report on Gaelic football for Brazilian TV (http://bit.ly/1gyb8Zr).

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 19, 2014, 01:06:17 AM
Today's Irish Examiner:

(https://scontent-a-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/923532_769318436419608_1548485348_n.jpg)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Hardy on March 19, 2014, 11:22:02 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on March 19, 2014, 01:05:22 AM
How's your Portuguese? Here's an extensive report on Gaelic football for Brazilian TV (http://bit.ly/1gyb8Zr).



Some brilliant footage there.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: armaghniac on March 19, 2014, 06:22:10 PM
Would yon boy Deenihan know anything about GAA at all at all.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: muppet on March 19, 2014, 06:55:07 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on March 19, 2014, 06:22:10 PM
Would yon boy Deenihan know anything about GAA at all at all.

Jimmy?

Yerra nothin'.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 19, 2014, 09:07:30 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on March 19, 2014, 06:22:10 PM
Would yon boy Deenihan know anything about GAA at all at all.

Well here's what he had to say (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mcmjJqFNNg).
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on March 19, 2014, 10:30:39 PM
Quote from: Hardy on March 19, 2014, 11:22:02 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on March 19, 2014, 01:05:22 AM
How's your Portuguese? Here's an extensive report on Gaelic football for Brazilian TV (http://bit.ly/1gyb8Zr).



Some brilliant footage there.

That was exemplary. brilliant stuff.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jinxy on March 19, 2014, 11:06:45 PM
+1
Beautifully filmed and presented.
This just further convinces me that RTE's coverage is pretty lazy and unimaginative.
They make a small bit of an effort on All-Ireland final day but in general I think they could do so much more.
I don't even know what the narrator is saying, but if I was a Brazilian watching this I would think that gaelic football looks like a hell of a sport.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on March 19, 2014, 11:25:06 PM
I imagine though the game is taken from RTE footage.

I'm not sure about the footage from the youth training, farms and pubs.

But its all about how its put together and RTE could definitely do better.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jinxy on March 19, 2014, 11:49:03 PM
If RTE gave them the footage and never used it themselves, that's even worse.
They should do a review of the year, every year, using high quality material like this.
A bit like 'Final Words'.
Get the players involved to talk over the footage.

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 20, 2014, 03:18:18 AM
RTE wouldn't have a clue how to present the game to first-time viewers. Same goes for a lot of the GAA's top brass.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 20, 2014, 03:20:52 AM
Although to give credit where due, RTE has been getting better at producing nice segments like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcGZ8_1ua0I) which are very handy for international promoters like myself.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 21, 2014, 09:40:32 PM
QuoteThe [South Africa Gaels] club was founded in 2010 by Paul Carpenter, an English native who first played Gaelic football while living in Singapore. Many of the team have not travelled further than their nearest city, and for all involved it is a first trip abroad.

Full story: Vincents to host visit of S. Africa's first GAA team (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/vincents-to-host-visit-of-s-africas-first-gaa-team-262771.html)

Very similar to how soccer first spread into continental Europe. The English might have been first to write down the rules of the game, but it was non-English early adopters of the game who started some of the iconic European clubs. My book tells that story in more detail (http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Launch-Untapped-Global-Potential-ebook/dp/B00IOWN9T0).
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 24, 2014, 06:11:56 AM
Some great pictures of that South African team training here. http://www.thescore.ie/south-african-gaa-team-train-ucd-ballyboden-1376265-Mar2014/ (http://www.thescore.ie/south-african-gaa-team-train-ucd-ballyboden-1376265-Mar2014/)

I'd say they wouldn't be used to that climate. Jerseys look the part though.

(http://f3.thejournal.ie/media/2014/03/dsc_0004-630x431.jpg)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jinxy on March 24, 2014, 09:53:46 AM
Nice gesture from Carlow to give them a lend of some gear.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on March 27, 2014, 06:46:01 PM
Liam O'Neill is sounding more and more like a man who has read my book.  (I gave him an advance copy when he was in Cleveland last year.)
Quote
O'Neill says GAA could look for Olympic status

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Ireland's Olympic medal haul could be on the verge of multiplying, in the medium to long-term at least, if ambitious plans to introduce Gaelic games to the official list of included sports comes to pass.
By Paul Keane
GAA President Liam O'Neill believes plans already in the pipeline to initiate a World Cup of Gaelic games 'would be a stepping stone to that

The idea may come across as fanciful, though anyone who attended yesterday's intriguing and colourful launch of South Africa's GAA grassroots development programme at Croke Park sensed the potential.

Around a dozen South Africans broke into song, joining President O'Neill in an impromptu dance, as a mark of gratitude for the support they have received from the Association in developing the game locally.

The GAA's long-term goal is for teams from all five continents to supply teams for a World Cup of Gaelic games with O'Neill agreeing that a logical next step would be to seek official Olympic status for our national games. ....

Full story (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/oneill-says-gaa-could-look-for-olympic-status-263388.html)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on April 05, 2014, 09:03:46 PM
Well this suddenly became topical, didn't it?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on April 16, 2014, 09:48:56 AM
Skip ahead to 10:00 for a report on hurling in the schools of Toulouse and Rennes, France (http://www.tvrennes35bretagne.fr/programmes/tvr-soir-1397493000).

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on April 19, 2014, 05:15:29 AM
University of Montana Grizzlies hurling club on TV news (http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/25287513/the-grizzly-hurling-team-introducing-montana-to-something-new).
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on April 19, 2014, 10:24:19 PM
Pity they didn't include footage of championship hurling to give the audience a flavour of the game at the highest level. Watching that french report you couldn't make out what a proper game would be like.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on April 19, 2014, 10:40:28 PM
By the way, for the sake of international presentation, is it time the lads stopped tucking their camáns under their bollocks when standing for the anthem.

I know its a long held tradition that many still hold dearly. If the lads are worried perhaps we can give them cups or something to keep all their bits in place while they sing amhran na bhfiann.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on April 19, 2014, 10:48:40 PM
(http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF430/317068.jpg)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Ball Hopper on April 21, 2014, 03:55:20 AM
NHL semi-finals this weekend.  Two attractive match-ups.  Anyone have the attendance?

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on April 21, 2014, 05:15:35 AM
24,052 according to the Examiner, though I thought the crowd looked to be in the region of 30,000.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on April 21, 2014, 09:58:46 AM
Correction to my previous post, it seems the attendance was actually 20,452 which doesn't seem accurate at all from TV pictures.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 08, 2014, 02:30:45 PM
See a short video from yesterday's Peach Cup in Atlanta, their biggest ever event and a former Tipperary NHL winning captain still winning.. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeIk8l2BpDo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeIk8l2BpDo)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on June 08, 2014, 07:49:31 PM
Looks like a good time was had by all, Jerome.  Have you many videos coming?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 09, 2014, 04:08:29 PM
GAA in the USA - Special Report from the Peach Cup in Atlanta at the weekend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHPHuCT7cT8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHPHuCT7cT8)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on June 09, 2014, 05:07:01 PM
Excellent. Always interesting to hear how far people travel to get to their games. 4 hour flights from Denver and from New York. Just shows you the dedication.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 11, 2014, 04:54:40 PM
This video profile of Pat from Limerick in Texas is pretty amazing for one fact - 32 of the 38 players at training are American. Only 3 are Irish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h-DK6PDpvo&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h-DK6PDpvo&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Rossfan on June 11, 2014, 05:31:51 PM
Quote from: Any craic on June 11, 2014, 04:54:40 PM
This video profile of Pat from Limerick in Texas is pretty amazing for one fact - 32 of the 38 players at training are American. Only 3 are Irish.
Well done although the bit in bold will upset a few on this Board :-\.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on June 11, 2014, 05:40:16 PM
Yeah a nice piece and it again underlines the potential of the games to grow with non-Irish folk.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on June 11, 2014, 08:09:43 PM
I know pat doab from college. Was a good soccer player actually. Nice fella too.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 12, 2014, 05:49:51 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbmpBkNxH1o&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbmpBkNxH1o&feature=youtu.be) - The GAA reaches Honduras, Portaferry and Texas! Is there a more diverse team in the world? 
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 13, 2014, 03:41:59 AM
Video: Meet all 27 Houston Gaels at training tonight - 15 Irish, 5 American & one Englishman! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ1-B7VXDF4&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ1-B7VXDF4&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: sligoman2 on June 13, 2014, 03:53:48 AM
Looks like gaelic games are blooming in Texas.  Great to see the mixture of nationalities participating.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 13, 2014, 04:53:45 PM
VIDEO: Giant Gaelic Footballer in Texas! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9fd_D9GWDw&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9fd_D9GWDw&feature=youtu.be) See San Antonio's new recruit & preview with the Celtic Cowboys and Houston Gaels from three consecutive nights at training this week ahead of Saturday's Texas Championships.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 15, 2014, 06:30:49 PM
VIDEO: See a brilliant goal by a Corkman in yesterday's Texas Senior Final for the Celtic Cowboys win v Dallas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZKtUv5n6W4&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZKtUv5n6W4&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on June 15, 2014, 09:00:31 PM
I wonder what shape GAA in the USA might take in the (probably distant) future. I know college is the big deal in US sports especially football. I wonder would a system somewhat like the Irish one but you have State teams instead of County. Would people get behind a state as much as they would a city team?

I know this probably belongs in the realms of fantasy given the current stature of the game in the USA but I'm just curious about it.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: muppet on June 15, 2014, 09:37:14 PM
Quote from: thejuice on June 15, 2014, 09:00:31 PM
I wonder what shape GAA in the USA might take in the (probably distant) future. I know college is the big deal in US sports especially football. I wonder would a system somewhat like the Irish one but you have State teams instead of County. Would people get behind a state as much as they would a city team?

I know this probably belongs in the realms of fantasy given the current stature of the game in the USA but I'm just curious about it.

You would have to have 4 provinces, for traditional reasons.

1) New England Eireann province: consisting of just 8 teams, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut + no hopers Alaska and Hawaii.

2) Dixie: Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware,  Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee,  Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

3) The West: California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

4) The Rest.

Also, to follow Gaa tradition Dixie would have to be ruled by.... oh say......Japan.

And DC would get to play all of its games at home.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: DrinkingHarp on June 15, 2014, 11:38:08 PM
Quote from: thejuice on June 15, 2014, 09:00:31 PM
I wonder what shape GAA in the USA might take in the (probably distant) future. I know college is the big deal in US sports especially football. I wonder would a system somewhat like the Irish one but you have State teams instead of County. Would people get behind a state as much as they would a city team?

I know this probably belongs in the realms of fantasy given the current stature of the game in the USA but I'm just curious about it.

No, states are too large, city would be the biggest support. For example in Illinois, Chicago is night and day different than the rural/agricultural communities of downstate Illinois.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on June 16, 2014, 01:10:11 AM
Juice, in the book I propose an inter-city competition. Cities like New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco could field teams. You'd market these games the same way you market pro sports teams because the city is what American sports fans identify with. There's no culture of supporting representative state teams, plus there's too big a difference in size and population between states.

You're right that colleges are huge in American sport, which is one of the reasons why we're pushing the collegiate angle too.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: johnneycool on June 16, 2014, 01:12:11 PM
Quote from: Any craic on June 12, 2014, 05:49:51 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbmpBkNxH1o&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbmpBkNxH1o&feature=youtu.be) - The GAA reaches Honduras, Portaferry and Texas! Is there a more diverse team in the world?

Big Kev has let himself go badly, must be the angel dust in the steaks over there!!

Fine hurler in his day.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 16, 2014, 11:28:52 PM
VIDEO Special USA Report: 'Amazing' Texas Gaelic Football Final - Austin 4-16 Dallas 2-19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BthFATbjpEw&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BthFATbjpEw&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 20, 2014, 09:47:14 PM
Gaelic Football... tropical beaches... Cayman Islands... sure why not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz1qKZt3BRU&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz1qKZt3BRU&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on June 21, 2014, 01:24:53 AM
Tough job you've got there, Jerome!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on June 24, 2014, 12:21:22 PM
Report on the GAA website.. with some very positive comments about the GAA abroad
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2406141010-video-awesome-gaa-on-cayman-islands/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2406141010-video-awesome-gaa-on-cayman-islands/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 22, 2014, 03:41:13 PM
The lead story on the official GAA website right now is the CYC this week in New York. If you don't know what this is, watch now!
http://www.gaa.ie (http://www.gaa.ie)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 24, 2014, 06:12:10 AM
The largest youth gathering of its kind outside of Ireland was tonight in New York. See 2000 kids parade in Yonkers - they are ALL on this video..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG__zotCjs&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG__zotCjs&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 25, 2014, 11:11:57 PM
Day 2 at the CYC.. I found Mark McHugh! And Sam & Liam and other great stuff.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8EVMYt1zJM&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8EVMYt1zJM&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: sligoman2 on July 28, 2014, 04:35:18 AM
Great stuff Jerome, i spent the day out there today and it was very enjoyable despite the heat
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on July 28, 2014, 05:52:17 PM
Quote from: Any craic on July 24, 2014, 06:12:10 AM
The largest youth gathering of its kind outside of Ireland was tonight in New York. See 2000 kids parade in Yonkers - they are ALL on this video..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG__zotCjs&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG__zotCjs&feature=youtu.be)

Great stuff
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Fear ón Srath Bán on July 28, 2014, 09:31:38 PM
Quote from: ONeill on July 28, 2014, 05:52:17 PM
Quote from: Any craic on July 24, 2014, 06:12:10 AM
The largest youth gathering of its kind outside of Ireland was tonight in New York. See 2000 kids parade in Yonkers - they are ALL on this video..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG__zotCjs&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXG__zotCjs&feature=youtu.be)

Great stuff

Go h-iontach!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 31, 2014, 12:48:23 PM
Here's my video review of CYC with all the best bits and Liam O'Neill talking about a World Cup for GAA.. http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=221602 (http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=221602)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: johnneycool on July 31, 2014, 04:17:44 PM
Quote from: Any craic on July 31, 2014, 12:48:23 PM
Here's my video review of CYC with all the best bits and Liam O'Neill talking about a World Cup for GAA.. http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=221602 (http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=221602)

Could you not get the auld bollox to smile for once?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on August 01, 2014, 04:19:10 AM
And here's my book that argues why a GAA World Cup is not a good idea at this time (http://www.waitingtolaunch.com).
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: orangeman on August 01, 2014, 09:37:27 AM
It's time to split Rockland. They've far too many players and $.

:)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on August 06, 2014, 12:22:56 PM
Here's a report from the Canadian capital city where the Irish have a strong connection, going back to the Canals building and right up to the Ottawa Gaels today
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0608141034-video-the-gaa-in-ottawa/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0608141034-video-the-gaa-in-ottawa/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on August 15, 2014, 09:59:32 PM
2015 US College Hurling National Championships to be Held in Montana

The National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA) has announced that the 2015 national collegiate hurling championship tournament will be hosted at the University of Montana.

The announcement comes three months after the hugely successful 2014 tournament that was hosted by the New York GAA at Woodlawn and Gaelic Park in May, an event that was contested by seven hurling teams and five football teams in the first appearance of Gaelic football at the now four year-old competition. Iona College made history by becoming the first national collegiate Gaelic football champions. Since all of the collegiate football clubs are still concentrated in the Northeast region, the NCGAA has opted to split the 2015 national tournament between hurling and football and host them in two separate locations on different weekends. The format of the football competition which will be hosted in the Northeast will be determined by the regional committee.

Brian Barry, spokesman for the Montana Grizzlies Hurling Club, the current NCGAA national hurling champions, welcomed the decision. "This is going to help us build even more on what we've started here," he said. "About six hundred people showed up to watch the first ever hurling match played in state history in Grizzlies Stadium earlier this year. Our story has been all over the local news and on television. We're confident that we can get thousands of people into this 25,000 capacity facility next year to witness our defense of our national championship title."

Eamonn Gormley, NCGAA Chairman, said that while other locations have their strengths, Montana is the right place to host the even in 2015. "This is new territory for the GAA in America," he said. "While it's important that we maintain our presence in existing locations, it's just as important that we break new ground. Kids in Montana have been inspired by what they have seen on the local TV news, and there are reports of children spontaneously playing hurling on the street with improvised hurleys fashioned from tennis racquets and hockey sticks. We have got to jump all over that and help the Grizzlies to get the sport established in the local area while the opportunity exists."

The Grizzlies have been getting calls from local schools asking how they can get hurling going. The local club has begun an outreach effort aimed at starting a youth program and getting startup spinoff clubs established in the region. There is no top flight professional sports franchise in the state of Montana, therefore the fortunes of the collegiate NCAA teams commands huge attention in the community.

Top level collegiate sports are a massive industry in the United States, their popularity on a par with that of professional leagues with attendances of 100,000 not unheard of and live television broadcasting rights sold for millions of dollars. The NCGAA, founded in 2009, aims to tap into the brand recognition of collegiate teams and to aid the process of getting hurling and Gaelic football further into the mainstream.

The 2015 NCGAA national hurling tournament will be hosted over the Memorial Day weekend, May 23 and 24.

See report on local TV on hearing the news that they would be hosting the event:
http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10475894 (http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10475894)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: ONeill on August 15, 2014, 11:46:45 PM
Quote from: Any craic on August 06, 2014, 12:22:56 PM
Here's a report from the Canadian capital city where the Irish have a strong connection, going back to the Canals building and right up to the Ottawa Gaels today
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0608141034-video-the-gaa-in-ottawa/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0608141034-video-the-gaa-in-ottawa/)

That's class.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on August 18, 2014, 01:12:44 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on August 15, 2014, 09:59:32 PM
2015 US College Hurling National Championships to be Held in Montana

The National Collegiate Gaelic Athletic Association (NCGAA) has announced that the 2015 national collegiate hurling championship tournament will be hosted at the University of Montana.

The announcement comes three months after the hugely successful 2014 tournament that was hosted by the New York GAA at Woodlawn and Gaelic Park in May, an event that was contested by seven hurling teams and five football teams in the first appearance of Gaelic football at the now four year-old competition. Iona College made history by becoming the first national collegiate Gaelic football champions. Since all of the collegiate football clubs are still concentrated in the Northeast region, the NCGAA has opted to split the 2015 national tournament between hurling and football and host them in two separate locations on different weekends. The format of the football competition which will be hosted in the Northeast will be determined by the regional committee.

Brian Barry, spokesman for the Montana Grizzlies Hurling Club, the current NCGAA national hurling champions, welcomed the decision. "This is going to help us build even more on what we've started here," he said. "About six hundred people showed up to watch the first ever hurling match played in state history in Grizzlies Stadium earlier this year. Our story has been all over the local news and on television. We're confident that we can get thousands of people into this 25,000 capacity facility next year to witness our defense of our national championship title."

Eamonn Gormley, NCGAA Chairman, said that while other locations have their strengths, Montana is the right place to host the even in 2015. "This is new territory for the GAA in America," he said. "While it's important that we maintain our presence in existing locations, it's just as important that we break new ground. Kids in Montana have been inspired by what they have seen on the local TV news, and there are reports of children spontaneously playing hurling on the street with improvised hurleys fashioned from tennis racquets and hockey sticks. We have got to jump all over that and help the Grizzlies to get the sport established in the local area while the opportunity exists."

The Grizzlies have been getting calls from local schools asking how they can get hurling going. The local club has begun an outreach effort aimed at starting a youth program and getting startup spinoff clubs established in the region. There is no top flight professional sports franchise in the state of Montana, therefore the fortunes of the collegiate NCAA teams commands huge attention in the community.

Top level collegiate sports are a massive industry in the United States, their popularity on a par with that of professional leagues with attendances of 100,000 not unheard of and live television broadcasting rights sold for millions of dollars. The NCGAA, founded in 2009, aims to tap into the brand recognition of collegiate teams and to aid the process of getting hurling and Gaelic football further into the mainstream.

The 2015 NCGAA national hurling tournament will be hosted over the Memorial Day weekend, May 23 and 24.

See report on local TV on hearing the news that they would be hosting the event:
http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10475894 (http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10475894)

Eamonn, not trying to tell you your business or anything, but would it not be better to try and host it on some of the bigger colleges? Where are Notre Dame, Boston College and all them lads?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on August 19, 2014, 05:52:41 AM
It's a good question.

If there was a team at Notre Dame then they'd be in the running for it when that part of the country becomes eligible to host the competition again (it rotates geographically each year so that the same teams don't have to travel big distances all the time).

You have to strike a balance between building up your existing base and exploring new territory. Kinda like how FIFA alternates between hosting the World Cup in Euro/Latin American strongholds and new markets where there's potential for growth (USA, Japan, Korea, S. Africa*).  The Montana lads are really making a push to get new clubs started in their region and we have to help them build that. If we act quickly and give them the support they need then there could be a whole new nest of GAA clubs in that state in a few years, where only two years ago there was nothing.

*Qatar doesn't count, we all know why that came about.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on August 22, 2014, 03:21:07 PM
First ever U12 championship in Scotland throws in tonight......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC4gAPL4rmQ&feature=youtu.be
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on August 22, 2014, 03:29:52 PM
Typo alert in the video title Zulu. And that's very serious altogether for U12 :D Building for this moment? You remind me of timmy Ryan in D'Unbelievable's sketch. Wait till next year when ye're under 14!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on August 22, 2014, 03:36:42 PM
There'll be blood on the dressing room floor tonight AZ!!! The only problem with the pre-game team rant, I mean speech, is I can't really invoke the spirit of past generations of players since they are the first  :) Still, we've worked on the two sweeper system and we're not using black cards so they've been told to pull down any player within scoring distance. Ah I'm looking forward to it now ;D
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on August 22, 2014, 03:37:39 PM
Sounds like you'd like to play! Best of luck with it. The montage is very good. Looks like a lot of good work going on there.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on August 22, 2014, 03:43:59 PM
Yeah things are improving in Scotland underage and we hope to run a boys U13 championship next year. We're bringing 28 kids to the Dublin/donegal game next week too so hopefully the atmosphere will inspire the older ones to continue into their early teens. We've lost 3 or 4 of our best players this year already which is disappointing and kind of why we are making a big deal of all competitions now as there's no guarantee they'll be there next year to make a fuss of!!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on August 22, 2014, 03:47:08 PM
Why did ye lose players? Same reasons as at home?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on August 22, 2014, 04:06:34 PM
Not sure with one or two and others are concentrating on other sports. The thing I found this year as our older kids went into secondary school is football was viewed as simply a fun game for them but not as a sport they are going to continue seriously. I'm working on changing that perception at the moment but I was caught off guard by how easily some players seemed to want to drop the sport as soon as they went to secondary. Some of them were very good and seemed to enjoy it immensely so I can only presume they saw no future in the game. The U12 is fixed at this time of year precisely to encourage 12 year olds going into secondary to keep it up for a bit longer at least.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: sligoman2 on August 24, 2014, 01:18:27 PM
Quote from: orangeman on August 01, 2014, 09:37:27 AM
It's time to split Rockland. They've far too many players and $.

:)

I would argue that rather than trying to weaken Rockland, the goal should be for the other teams to commit the time effort and cash that Rockland has.  Surely we want to go forwards and not backwards. 

Underage Football in NY is going well with the boys winning their group in division one of the feile before losing to the eventual champs (naas) and the girls winning division 3.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on August 26, 2014, 09:32:55 PM
The biggest international GAA event outside Ireland takes place this week in Boston... here's a video preview showing San Fran, Cayman, Atlanta, Texas, etc all gearing up for it..
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2608140740-video-preview-2014-north-american-finals/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2608140740-video-preview-2014-north-american-finals/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on August 30, 2014, 04:10:44 AM
Day One at the North American Finals in Boston, featuring Cayman Islands, San Diego and more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEHTWjIOjvA&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEHTWjIOjvA&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: sligoman2 on August 30, 2014, 01:18:33 PM
Brilliant stuff - great to see so many new teams
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on August 30, 2014, 07:23:46 PM
VIDEO: See 3 superb goals in Boston today by Ulster Club San Francisco in the North American Semi-finals vs Philadelphia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaPxol7ekGA&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaPxol7ekGA&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on August 31, 2014, 03:50:46 AM
Did you get much of that senior hurling semi between San Francisco Naomh Padraig and Boston Fr Tom's? Deadly game! SF made some comeback to win that by a point!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on September 03, 2014, 04:18:30 AM
Well here's my synopsis of the weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gj2VP2f910 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gj2VP2f910)

Great couple of days as usual. Some great action on the fields, nothing terribly controversial. A lot of the upcoming poster-children like Indy and Milwaukee took a few hidings, but that's because they're playing at a higher grade now.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: foxcommander on September 03, 2014, 06:05:18 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on September 03, 2014, 04:18:30 AM
Well here's my synopsis of the weekend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gj2VP2f910 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gj2VP2f910)

Great couple of days as usual. Some great action on the fields, nothing terribly controversial. A lot of the upcoming poster-children like Indy and Milwaukee took a few hidings, but that's because they're playing at a higher grade now.

Good video. A lot of potential for the games outside of Ireland if only HQ would help fund it.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on September 05, 2014, 10:46:52 AM
See my North American Finals Video review here http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0509140748-video-report-north-american-finals-in-boston/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0509140748-video-report-north-american-finals-in-boston/) and here http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=223761 (http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=223761)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on September 06, 2014, 01:06:46 AM
Good stuff.  I'm not sure if I agree with Aileen Lawlor on a few things though!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on September 09, 2014, 10:06:14 PM
Here's my second & extended Video review of the North American Finals http://www.hoganstand.com/HomePage.aspx (http://www.hoganstand.com/HomePage.aspx)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: mrdeeds on September 09, 2014, 10:30:48 PM
Great to see viewing figures of GAA rise on Sky. I believe a lot of Irish watched it on Sky because of better quality HD picture.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on September 11, 2014, 02:07:17 PM
This is a cool story about a non-Irish Ladies Gaelic Football team from UCD taking part in the Fexco Asian Gaelic Games next month in Kuala Lumpur. It's sort of Global GAA in reverse...
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1109141248-video-ucd-team-make-history-at-asian-games/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1109141248-video-ucd-team-make-history-at-asian-games/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on September 16, 2014, 11:20:03 AM
Good story from New Haven where you see them using dynamite to blast through rock to get a longer GAA pitch...
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1609140849-new-haven-are-having-a-blast-/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1609140849-new-haven-are-having-a-blast-/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on September 16, 2014, 05:02:12 PM
Was it dynamite or Larry Reilly?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: sligoman2 on September 17, 2014, 03:35:40 AM
Great to see the progress made by new haven they have a good club and I wish them the best
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: johnneycool on September 18, 2014, 01:34:16 PM
If we could only get the Kiwi's to play;

http://hotelandrestauranttimes.ie/new-zealand-journalist-pens-ireland-hurling-finals-article/ (http://hotelandrestauranttimes.ie/new-zealand-journalist-pens-ireland-hurling-finals-article/)

A View from the Sideline – The All Ireland Hurling Finals

by Chris van Ryn

An arm extends high into the air. Forearm muscles crease with tension, a white-knuckled fist grips the end of a curved pale stick. Thigh muscles ripple like the powerful flank of a running horse as studded boots leave the earth.

A single player ascends towards a white ball which arcs high from the other side of the field, cutting through the air with razor blade sharpness. 82,600 heads rise in unison ... and fall, following the trajectory of the sliotar as it hurtles towards the player. Seconds later he is intercepted by a furious swarm. There is an almighty thunder from the crowd as hurleys and players collide.

This, then, is the legendary "clash of the ash" – a demonstration of the most powerful release of sporting energy I have ever seen.

The spectators' roar of approval is a wave of sound that reverberates around the vast arena. It reaches my ears where I am at the edge of the field, crouching behind the goal. I am a New Zealand photographer on a press trip. And this is my first game of hurling.

Before me 30 athletes move across a lawn three times the size of a football field, like a wave upon the ocean. I watch spellbound as the Cats dominate the first half of the game. And then I watch the Tips reach deep inside themselves as they fight for territory and reclaim their ground, in a spectacular second half.

The shrill warble of the whistle brings the game to an end. The players seem deflated, unhinged by a state of neither victory nor defeat. We are not afforded the luxury of a defining game.

The players seem to me like artists. They deliver skill, blinding speed and physical prowess in a sport which calls for each player to draw upon his own unique pool of energy. And they deliver a visceral demonstration, epitomizing the peak of human physical – and spiritual – achievement that is awe inspiring. This is all the more incredible in a sport played by amateurs. Yet, perhaps their exceptional capacity is precisely because they are amateurs. An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy.

Earlier in the week at a meeting with the GAA I had been the recipient of passionate speeches about what makes hurling special. I heard about the struggles of the Irish: the repression, the famine, the fight for independence. And I heard about the unashamed territorial sporting behaviour of county versus county.

Through my lens I saw before me a sport which has come from the forge of life's journey, the players harnessing all of history's emotions in play on the field. It is as if each player is imbued with centuries of the emotional ebb and flow of Ireland.

I had heard about the players prior to attending the game. I saw them in action. But nothing prepared me for the crowd. When the tidal wave of sound reached me it resonated with meaning. I heard that each and every one of them was down on the field playing alongside the teams. They pursued the silotar. 82,600 sets of hands swung the hurley. And in the sound of the crowd I heard the pride of the fighting Irish.

The players rose up and mingled with the audience. This was a symbiotic relationship. County against county, yet a single voice, a unified Ireland. I saw the true spirit of sport played out before me. Long may it last.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: RealSpiritof98 on September 18, 2014, 07:15:10 PM
Quote from: Any craic on September 16, 2014, 11:20:03 AM
Good story from New Haven where you see them using dynamite to blast through rock to get a longer GAA pitch...
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1609140849-new-haven-are-having-a-blast-/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1609140849-new-haven-are-having-a-blast-/)

pretty sure i played on that field on a Tour with St.Pats Armagh back in 1999, the heat was unreal but i mind the big cliff behind the goals. Good Luck to them.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 01, 2014, 04:28:20 PM
Here's a video from Day One of the Australasia State Games today in Melbourne http://www.gaa.ie/6e94d5 (http://www.gaa.ie/6e94d5) 
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on October 03, 2014, 12:03:52 AM
Would this be the start of their season now?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 04, 2014, 09:42:30 PM
Video: Pat McEneaney, Noreen O'Sullivan from Castlehaven & Jason Phelan all feature on this Finals Day report from the Australasian Championships on the GAA website http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0410141813-2014-australasian-championships-day-4/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/0410141813-2014-australasian-championships-day-4/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 10, 2014, 12:47:05 PM
Asian Games preview for tomorrow with Cora Staunton, Paraic McGrath and Denis Cleary who's brother won All Irelands with Cork years ago and his sister is Nollaig Cleary of Cork Ladies fame http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1010141158-fexco-2014-asian-gaelic-games-preview/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1010141158-fexco-2014-asian-gaelic-games-preview/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: North Longford on October 13, 2014, 09:59:51 AM
Won my 1st tournament as an international manager this weekend. Its a piece of cake....dunno what Roy Hodgsons problem is!! Great weekend in Kuala Lumpur at the Asian Gaelic Games.....
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 13, 2014, 01:14:19 PM
Asian Games Finals Day report.. http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1310141151-video-day-2-review-of-2014-asian-games/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1310141151-video-day-2-review-of-2014-asian-games/) Are you in there North Longford?!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: North Longford on October 15, 2014, 10:41:37 AM
Not in it....managed to stay out of the limelight although the camera was very close during our game. Is it possible to get a copy of any of the finals? Second highlight for me was a few quiet pints with the bomber on Friday night in a less than quiet part of KL!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 15, 2014, 11:50:06 AM
Yeah sure I'll talk to the organisers and see about putting the best stuff on a DVD in the next while, great event, fantastic Ladies Final too.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 15, 2014, 12:50:33 PM
Video: Here's an overall review of the Asian Gaelic Games last weekend in KL
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1510141218-2014-fexco-asian-games-looking-back/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1510141218-2014-fexco-asian-games-looking-back/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: North Longford on October 15, 2014, 01:43:14 PM
Its a brilliant weekend. I'd never have believed how seriously it's taken until I came out here. I've trained teams at home and there is no difference in what goes on out here Just far more work involved getting pitches and the whole organisation of the weekend trip is phenomenal.  We have a tour coordinator who will probably sleep for a week!!!.  3 times training a week, only it's in 30+degrees. All geared towards 1 weekend. I've been in co. Final dressing rooms and there was every bit as much tension with our lads on Sunday. Thankfully we kept the best till last.
ladies final was seriously tense. And our B team losing the intermediate final on a sudden death pt after xtra time was tough. A lot of them lads would have trained as much as the A team.....
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: screenexile on October 15, 2014, 02:46:48 PM
Fair play it looks like a very well run event... how could it not be with a Screen man in charge!!!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on October 15, 2014, 09:55:57 PM
GAA managers tend to wear polo shirts, but the manager of the University of Connecticut HC is taking his attire seriously by wearing a suit:

Sharp suit says so much in a GAA world without any frills (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/sharp-suit-says-so-much-in-a-gaa-world-without-any-frills-291335.html)

I interviewed his brother last year and asked "So... about your suit..." 

He answered me with a total straight face and let me know he was taking his job very seriously, said "it's just a way for me to be more competitive." I almost felt bad about asking the question!  At 3:20 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMsz75iFLqU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMsz75iFLqU)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: North Longford on October 16, 2014, 04:19:51 AM
I'd love to see the state of me in a suit after a day of 37 degrees in KL....couldn't even wear my banisteor t-shirt on Sunday because of the rancid smell of sweat coming off it from Saturday. ...was dire. Funny seeing lads taking off their jerseys between games and hanging them on a railing to try and dry the sweat off them!!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 20, 2014, 08:42:41 PM
Video report on the European Finals in Maastricht at the weekend, with Rovigo Gaelic Football and Belgium featuring prominently..   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8jT6KPMgLU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8jT6KPMgLU)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on October 21, 2014, 07:14:58 PM
Video: The GAA goes Global! From Melbourne to Asia to Maastricht, President Liam O'Neill is excited for the future.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtaM4ZU7_x4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtaM4ZU7_x4)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Denn Forever on October 22, 2014, 11:06:30 AM
Great to see others enjoying it.  Hate the title of the thread though.  It reads as if the GAA is a brand and should be making more money (I know it isn't).

How about "Spreading the Joy.  The Global appeal of Gaelic Games."
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: johnneycool on October 22, 2014, 01:58:41 PM
Quote from: Any craic on October 21, 2014, 07:14:58 PM
Video: The GAA goes Global! From Melbourne to Asia to Maastricht, President Liam O'Neill is excited for the future.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtaM4ZU7_x4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtaM4ZU7_x4)

Did he crack a smile yet?

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on October 22, 2014, 10:30:14 PM
Quote from: Denn Forever on October 22, 2014, 11:06:30 AM
Great to see others enjoying it.  Hate the title of the thread though.  It reads as if the GAA is a brand and should be making more money (I know it isn't).

How about "Spreading the Joy.  The Global appeal of Gaelic Games."

The title of the thread is 100% spot on. There should be millions of people around the world playing the games, they should not be languishing in obscurity.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Denn Forever on October 23, 2014, 05:35:54 PM
It was the phrase "untapped" that doesn't sit well with me i.e. the word "untapped" suggests that hasn't been exploited enough. 

To me, football, hurling etc. is a Joy so we need to spread the Joy.  It has no "Potential", it is fully formed.

Anyway, it was a semantic problem to me.  So keep doing the Trojan work and spreading the Joy.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: armaghniac on November 16, 2014, 09:21:22 PM
There was thing there on the news about Michael D visiting some GAA thing in South Africa. Some team called "Mayo" won, this indicates just how unlike Ireland abroad is!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: muppet on November 16, 2014, 09:30:02 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on November 16, 2014, 09:21:22 PM
There was thing there on the news about Michael D visiting some GAA thing in South Africa. Some team called "Mayo" won, this indicates just how unlike Ireland abroad is!

You'd better believe it.

There the Free State is Orange.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: munchkin on November 17, 2014, 09:08:46 AM
Quote from: armaghniac on November 16, 2014, 09:21:22 PM
There was thing there on the news about Michael D visiting some GAA thing in South Africa. Some team called "Mayo" won, this indicates just how unlike Ireland abroad is!
heres the clip from the news.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/player/809/659905/



Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on April 10, 2015, 06:35:17 AM
Local TV news gives an "all star" award to former servicemen adjusting to civilian life and playing hurling at the University of Montana...

http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/28766562/abc-all-stars-griz-hurlers-and-military-veterans (http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/28766562/abc-all-stars-griz-hurlers-and-military-veterans)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on April 10, 2015, 07:53:41 AM
Very good. The coach would want to sort out that auld hand passing technique though 😄
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on May 25, 2015, 04:11:45 AM
Montana Grizzlies are two-in-a-row NCGAA national college hurling champions after defeating Stanford in today's final at Grizzlies Stadium in front of a crowd of about 500.

The following teams competed this year:


Video here of the acceptance speech by Naoise Waldron, which I hope you can all view: https://www.facebook.com/5237447/videos/10106203875335943/ (https://www.facebook.com/5237447/videos/10106203875335943/)

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.848362278592060.1073741842.260506707377623&type=1 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.848362278592060.1073741842.260506707377623&type=1)

Coverage in the local paper: http://missoulian.com/sports/catch-all/montana-wins-second-straight-national-hurling-title/article_6e3c03f2-284e-5a40-ba33-8aa9f087f52d.html (http://missoulian.com/sports/catch-all/montana-wins-second-straight-national-hurling-title/article_6e3c03f2-284e-5a40-ba33-8aa9f087f52d.html)

Moves are afoot to get youth programs started in the region to build on the popularity of the collegiate team.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Oraisteach on May 25, 2015, 05:52:01 AM
Eamonn, you do amazing work, but now it's time to take your PR savior-faire on the road to sow the seeds of hurling.  You've got to be able to start a team at Notre Dame.  Big Irish connection, and a natural rivalry with Purdue/Indiana.  And also the Boston area, particularly Boston College.  Boy, it sure is easy to map out someone else's life.  Great stuff, Eamonn, and enjoyed seeing you on the TG4 show about the GAA in the US. Maith thu, a mhic.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on May 25, 2015, 07:05:58 AM
Thanks.

We're working on Notre Dame, there is a potential startup there.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on May 25, 2015, 07:07:13 AM
There were star-struck youngsters asking for player autographs after the match. True story.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on May 26, 2015, 05:10:37 PM
Here's a video report from San Diego GAA, opening with probably the coolest GAA video I have ever used! There's also hurling with the Celtic Cowboys who host the All Stars this year and Cusacks from San Fran who have the brilliant Barry John Walsh and are gunning for North American champions the Ulster Club this Summer..
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2605150913-special-video-report-from-san-diego-/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/2605150913-special-video-report-from-san-diego-/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on May 27, 2015, 10:12:18 AM
That brought back some memories Jerome. Great stuff. I played with Mick Ward out there in the late 90s. We played with Clan na Gael and won their first title, a North American Junior B :) We had 11 ex-county players on a 13 a side junior B team :) San Diego is a great spot. There's some characters over there involved in the GAA.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on May 27, 2015, 09:57:59 PM
Yes Mick is a great fella, his pub is the Ould Sod.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on May 27, 2015, 10:13:14 PM
Great spot. Spent many nights in there.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on June 10, 2015, 02:45:57 AM
"The four of us stood in the dark for 10 or so minutes waiting for the gas to finish pumping. Graeme had a feast of chocolate trail mix, Will was slumped over, Dermot was saying something in Irish, and I was waiting for the caffeine to digest so I could start my 150-mile stint of straight driving. We weren't even close to Montana."

Read on for an inspiring account of Cal's epic journey to the national college hurling championships in Montana, and what it means to play in a jersey that represents an American university:

http://www.dailycal.org/2015/06/09/highway-to-hurling/ (http://www.dailycal.org/2015/06/09/highway-to-hurling/)

This article in the campus newspaper at Cal is one of the best GAA road-trip stories I've read in a long time.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 11, 2015, 11:41:24 AM
Here's a video report on the official GAA website from the ABCs in London.. http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1107151108-2015-abcs-in-london-day-one-report/
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 12, 2015, 08:24:40 PM
If you missed the Australasia GAA Championships documentary this evening on TG4, it is now available on the official GAA YouTube channel right here... https://youtu.be/Ki4pN8Yt7fI or just go to gaa.ie and it's there on the home page
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on July 15, 2015, 10:51:51 AM
Here is a video report from the ABCs in London.. including Birmingham, Swansea, and many others in Britain GAA http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1507150859-video-all-britain-championships-review/ (http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/1/1507150859-video-all-britain-championships-review/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on August 07, 2015, 06:27:49 PM
Bit of craic from Pittsburgh.. dizzy hurling..
http://www.the42.ie/dizzy-hurling-pittsburgh-2258199-Aug2015/ (http://www.the42.ie/dizzy-hurling-pittsburgh-2258199-Aug2015/)
and here's a passionate American whose parents are from Ardara and Fanad...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72vEevzCLTQ&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72vEevzCLTQ&feature=youtu.be)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on August 16, 2015, 05:25:52 AM
Great stuff in there, Jerome. What does the number 317 represent though?

Here's my take on the CYC that we just had in San Francisco:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsSqENVZgHg
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: balladmaker on August 19, 2015, 09:35:29 PM
The reaction in Canada to Sunday's hurling semi ...

http://moving2canada.com/blog/heres-what-happened-when-canadians-watched-that-hurling-semi-final/ (http://moving2canada.com/blog/heres-what-happened-when-canadians-watched-that-hurling-semi-final/)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on September 14, 2015, 06:48:40 AM
Great stuff. Sounds just like what we've been hearing out here for years when we introduce the game to newcomers, or the comments I've been known to get on my YouTube channel. Speaking of which, here's my take on last weekend's North American finals in Chicago. Enjoy...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbTzxC2DXp8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbTzxC2DXp8)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: deiseach on September 14, 2015, 12:44:43 PM
One thing that has always stayed with me in this type of conversation - so much so that I'm sure I've mentioned it on here before but the danger of being a bore has never stopped me being a bore - was my cousin's tale of the time he brought a few Americans to a Leinster semi-final double header. It was the football they found more interesting, not the hurling. They got football quickly, and loved the unrelenting non-stop nature of the game. Hurling, on the other hand, completely baffled them. Online expressions of disbelief at what goes on in a good hurling match do not indicate a yearning to play the game, or even to watch it regularly.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on September 14, 2015, 06:41:39 PM
You're right Deiseach. I'm abroad for a few years now and while the non-Irish usually are impressed by the sports getting them to engage with the games more regularly is a bit more difficult. There are plenty of success stories but they are largely isolated and it's hard to see how we can link up teams etc. it a wider more sustainable structures. I love helping young non-Irish players playing the game and there is potential for growth but we aren't actually set up to develop the game in any meaningful way.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on September 15, 2015, 05:24:27 AM
What would you change?  Getting into the schools etc? France seems to be a good model based on the posts here by our French video blogger etc.

I think deiseach's point is that while hurling is aesthetically amazing for people who are not familiar with it, it's actually not a game a lot of them would take up. Football however, probably due to similarities with soccer and rugby and aussie rules, *is* a game that lends itself to wider adoption. I suppose, Zulu, your work in Scotland would back up that impression.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on September 15, 2015, 07:18:49 AM
Quote from: deiseach on September 14, 2015, 12:44:43 PM
One thing that has always stayed with me in this type of conversation - so much so that I'm sure I've mentioned it on here before but the danger of being a bore has never stopped me being a bore - was my cousin's tale of the time he brought a few Americans to a Leinster semi-final double header. It was the football they found more interesting, not the hurling. They got football quickly, and loved the unrelenting non-stop nature of the game. Hurling, on the other hand, completely baffled them. Online expressions of disbelief at what goes on in a good hurling match do not indicate a yearning to play the game, or even to watch it regularly.

That's the opposite of my experience, Deiseach. I don't doubt what your cousin found when he once introduced someone to the games, but my own experience is over 15 years of showing the games to first-time viewers. I find a few people that get into the football, but at least 90% prefer hurling which I find a lot easier to promote. It takes a bit longer to learn to play than football, but not that much longer. I think football is too similar to other existing sports, whereas hurling is unique enough that it inspires people who aren't even seasoned sports fans.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: twohands!!! on September 15, 2015, 09:44:00 AM
Was talking to some relatives involved in the GAA in New Zealand and there it was fairly easy to get the natives involved in the football (once it didn't clash with anything rugby related) I remember them saying that they got a huge response in terms of ladies football when it was scheduled in the off-season for the ladies rugby. There was very little interest in taking part in any hurling though.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on September 15, 2015, 10:01:26 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on September 15, 2015, 07:18:49 AM
Quote from: deiseach on September 14, 2015, 12:44:43 PM
One thing that has always stayed with me in this type of conversation - so much so that I'm sure I've mentioned it on here before but the danger of being a bore has never stopped me being a bore - was my cousin's tale of the time he brought a few Americans to a Leinster semi-final double header. It was the football they found more interesting, not the hurling. They got football quickly, and loved the unrelenting non-stop nature of the game. Hurling, on the other hand, completely baffled them. Online expressions of disbelief at what goes on in a good hurling match do not indicate a yearning to play the game, or even to watch it regularly.

That's the opposite of my experience, Deiseach. I don't doubt what your cousin found when he once introduced someone to the games, but my own experience is over 15 years of showing the games to first-time viewers. I find a few people that get into the football, but at least 90% prefer hurling which I find a lot easier to promote. It takes a bit longer to learn to play than football, but not that much longer. I think football is too similar to other existing sports, whereas hurling is unique enough that it inspires people who aren't even seasoned sports fans.

But Eamonn, in terms of takeup rates, rather than just curiousity comments, what are the percentages like. I know the effort ye put into the college games, but ye still have relatively few teams playing. Is there anybody else doing similar work with football? Based on my time over there, it is far easier to get Yanks to play football than hurling.

Hurling is a 'gee wow' sport, whereas football seems to be an 'I can play that' sport.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: didlyi on September 15, 2015, 10:29:28 AM
Football is easier to play is what your saying
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: deiseach on September 15, 2015, 10:40:35 AM
Quote from: didlyi on September 15, 2015, 10:29:28 AM
Football is easier to play is what your saying

It's easier to learn how to play.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: AZOffaly on September 15, 2015, 10:51:37 AM
Quote from: deiseach on September 15, 2015, 10:40:35 AM
Quote from: didlyi on September 15, 2015, 10:29:28 AM
Football is easier to play is what your saying

It's easier to learn how to play.


At the top level, football is just as hard to play as hurling, but I maintain it's easier to be a bad footballer, than a bad hurler.

Most people have some experience with catching a ball, kicking it etc. So you could 'fill a jersey' in Junior C and be a bad player.

However, the newness of lifting, striking, catching in hurling would make it very hard to pick a lad off the street to play, so he wouldn't even get the chance to be bad :)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Gabriel_Hurl on September 15, 2015, 03:10:40 PM
The Super 11's game is back I see

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/dublin-hurlers-to-play-galway-in-fenway-park-in-november-1.2352467
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on September 15, 2015, 09:09:53 PM
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 15, 2015, 05:24:27 AM
What would you change?  Getting into the schools etc? France seems to be a good model based on the posts here by our French video blogger etc.

I think deiseach's point is that while hurling is aesthetically amazing for people who are not familiar with it, it's actually not a game a lot of them would take up. Football however, probably due to similarities with soccer and rugby and aussie rules, *is* a game that lends itself to wider adoption. I suppose, Zulu, your work in Scotland would back up that impression.

Hard to say really we've few proper GAA pitches outside of Ireland and little chance of changing that to any great degree, by and large clubs are too far apart so it's expensive and time consuming to play games and many clubs are dependent on a handful of passionate people who may not be around a few years later. I think you would need to look at developing the games in cities rather than countries but then clubs tend to pop up where there are people interested so getting a lot of clubs up and running in a single city would be difficult.

The fact that kids abroad have no GAA heroes is also an issue as many really enjoy the game (football) but they often drop GAA in favour of other sports even when they are better at GAA and it's a game that suits them. But the other sports have visible heroes, games close to where they live, decent facilities and a social standing within the community - the GAA lacks all these in most cases abroad.

Still great satisfaction being involved in a GAA underage team made up of non-irish  :D
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on September 16, 2015, 07:14:25 PM
Internal pub leagues are the way to go. The most successful clubs (in terms of growth) in the USA all run internal leagues and the American players flock to it since they can play weekly competitive games at their own level and in their own city. The top players from across the pub league then get selected for the traveling team that goes out of town for higher level games like at invitational tournaments and the playoffs. In fact the number of tournaments going on across America has exploded in the last few years. Clubs have been very good at self-organizing the games they need.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on September 17, 2015, 11:29:35 AM
Video: UCD's non-Irish Ladies Gaelic football team is going to Shanghai.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xctnPN9RYuM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xctnPN9RYuM)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: BennyHarp on September 19, 2015, 09:41:23 AM
For want of a better place to put this. http://uk.businessinsider.com/irish-gaelic-football-nfl-2015-9?r=US&IR=T
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Gabriel_Hurl on October 02, 2015, 02:13:26 PM
60 Minutes in the US are doing a bit on hurling - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhPpiAbnAZ8
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Any craic on December 31, 2015, 03:37:39 PM
See 12 of the best scores in GAA games outside Ireland in 2015.. http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=248445 (http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=248445)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: 30mog on January 03, 2016, 01:25:58 PM
I am a Yorkshire born and bred individual with some Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire blood.  It is thought my long departed Nottingham born grandfather may have had maternal Irish blood.  But without proof I'll say I'm as English as they come.

Nowadays I can claim to be something of a sports tourist.  How does paying spectator of 23 sports at 326 venues in a dozen different countries sound?  Furthermore, I am disappointed if I miss out on a live GAA fix once a year.  I have a weekend in Cork booked for end of February.

In the case of Soccer, both codes of Rugby and NFL a similar sized playing surface is used, that helps in terms of venue availability.  In Australia they have the AFL that relies a lot on venues shared with Cricket.  And the climate of Australia is helpful to doing so.  Arguably, I can't see cricket grounds of the British Isles being available in their entirety for football in winter.  GAA also has an irregular large playing area.  However, the AFL are looking at worldwide development of the game by simply reducing the number of players to a level appropriate to the available venue.  Outside of locations with GAA owned venues the GAA could do the same.  Furthermore, even though GAA is amateur there is no reason it can't promote itself to wider audience through the media.  I think the main problem is not so much the GAA being amateur but the lack of a situation comparable to fans of FA Premiership being able to dream of their club buying Lionel Messi.  Dublin and Cork as team names could be promoted worldwide but not as long as there is a strictly regulated path regarding who may play for either.  Conclusively, only a little change of attitude could help promote playing GAA by non-Irish.  But changes of biblical proportion would be needed to make marketing gurus helpful. 

Once I read "hatred of Manchester United sells soccer more effectively than love of Manchester United".  Just about sums it up really.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on January 03, 2016, 05:31:39 PM
Quote from: 30mog on January 03, 2016, 01:25:58 PM
I am a Yorkshire born and bred individual with some Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire blood.  It is thought my long departed Nottingham born grandfather may have had maternal Irish blood.  But without proof I'll say I'm as English as they come.

Nowadays I can claim to be something of a sports tourist.  How does paying spectator of 23 sports at 326 venues in a dozen different countries sound?  Furthermore, I am disappointed if I miss out on a live GAA fix once a year.  I have a weekend in Cork booked for end of February.

In the case of Soccer, both codes of Rugby and NFL a similar sized playing surface is used, that helps in terms of venue availability.  In Australia they have the AFL that relies a lot on venues shared with Cricket.  And the climate of Australia is helpful to doing so.  Arguably, I can't see cricket grounds of the British Isles being available in their entirety for football in winter.  GAA also has an irregular large playing area.  However, the AFL are looking at worldwide development of the game by simply reducing the number of players to a level appropriate to the available venue.  Outside of locations with GAA owned venues the GAA could do the same. Furthermore, even though GAA is amateur there is no reason it can't promote itself to wider audience through the media.  I think the main problem is not so much the GAA being amateur but the lack of a situation comparable to fans of FA Premiership being able to dream of their club buying Lionel Messi.  Dublin and Cork as team names could be promoted worldwide but not as long as there is a strictly regulated path regarding who may play for either.  Conclusively, only a little change of attitude could help promote playing GAA by non-Irish.  But changes of biblical proportion would be needed to make marketing gurus helpful. 

Once I read "hatred of Manchester United sells soccer more effectively than love of Manchester United".  Just about sums it up really.

This is the key IMO. We really should be looking to develop an international version of football which would probably be 11 a side to work with existing facilities internationally. By internationally, I mean exclusively local teams not what we have currently. There are serious challenges to doing this though as  many Irish people driving the game worldwide would probably disagree with this. The idea that football or hurling should be played with less players and on a smaller surface wouldn't get huge support at the moment.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on January 04, 2016, 03:31:45 AM
Quote from: Zulu on January 03, 2016, 05:31:39 PM
Quote from: 30mog on January 03, 2016, 01:25:58 PM
I am a Yorkshire born and bred individual with some Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire blood.  It is thought my long departed Nottingham born grandfather may have had maternal Irish blood.  But without proof I'll say I'm as English as they come.

Nowadays I can claim to be something of a sports tourist.  How does paying spectator of 23 sports at 326 venues in a dozen different countries sound?  Furthermore, I am disappointed if I miss out on a live GAA fix once a year.  I have a weekend in Cork booked for end of February.

In the case of Soccer, both codes of Rugby and NFL a similar sized playing surface is used, that helps in terms of venue availability.  In Australia they have the AFL that relies a lot on venues shared with Cricket.  And the climate of Australia is helpful to doing so.  Arguably, I can't see cricket grounds of the British Isles being available in their entirety for football in winter.  GAA also has an irregular large playing area.  However, the AFL are looking at worldwide development of the game by simply reducing the number of players to a level appropriate to the available venue.  Outside of locations with GAA owned venues the GAA could do the same. Furthermore, even though GAA is amateur there is no reason it can't promote itself to wider audience through the media.  I think the main problem is not so much the GAA being amateur but the lack of a situation comparable to fans of FA Premiership being able to dream of their club buying Lionel Messi.  Dublin and Cork as team names could be promoted worldwide but not as long as there is a strictly regulated path regarding who may play for either.  Conclusively, only a little change of attitude could help promote playing GAA by non-Irish.  But changes of biblical proportion would be needed to make marketing gurus helpful. 

Once I read "hatred of Manchester United sells soccer more effectively than love of Manchester United".  Just about sums it up really.

This is the key IMO. We really should be looking to develop an international version of football which would probably be 11 a side to work with existing facilities internationally. By internationally, I mean exclusively local teams not what we have currently. There are serious challenges to doing this though as  many Irish people driving the game worldwide would probably disagree with this. The idea that football or hurling should be played with less players and on a smaller surface wouldn't get huge support at the moment.

I'm not so sure about that. The number of players in itself isn't sacrosanct. In the USA they've been playing 13-a-side for years to take account of smaller fields. Smaller fields work fine for football and I wouldn't have a problem with 11-a-side. Putting hurling onto a smaller field is a problem though, thanks to the distance you can hit a sliothar. In fact if hurling and Gaelic football weren't governed by the same body, football would probably already be 11-a-side by now, we only use the same huge field because of hurling. The problem with hurling Super 11s is that the number of players alone isn't what's been adjusted, they've made a ton of other changes to the point where the game is closer to lacrosse than hurling. Frankly I think 30mog has hit on something there when he mentions cricket ovals. Aren't they big enough to accommodate a regulation GAA field? If they're not being used much in the winter and if there's plenty of time for the crease to recover...
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on January 04, 2016, 03:35:54 AM
Quote from: 30mog on January 03, 2016, 01:25:58 PM
I am a Yorkshire born and bred individual with some Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire blood.  It is thought my long departed Nottingham born grandfather may have had maternal Irish blood.  But without proof I'll say I'm as English as they come.

Nowadays I can claim to be something of a sports tourist.  How does paying spectator of 23 sports at 326 venues in a dozen different countries sound?  Furthermore, I am disappointed if I miss out on a live GAA fix once a year.  I have a weekend in Cork booked for end of February.

In the case of Soccer, both codes of Rugby and NFL a similar sized playing surface is used, that helps in terms of venue availability.  In Australia they have the AFL that relies a lot on venues shared with Cricket.  And the climate of Australia is helpful to doing so.  Arguably, I can't see cricket grounds of the British Isles being available in their entirety for football in winter.  GAA also has an irregular large playing area.  However, the AFL are looking at worldwide development of the game by simply reducing the number of players to a level appropriate to the available venue.  Outside of locations with GAA owned venues the GAA could do the same.  Furthermore, even though GAA is amateur there is no reason it can't promote itself to wider audience through the media.  I think the main problem is not so much the GAA being amateur but the lack of a situation comparable to fans of FA Premiership being able to dream of their club buying Lionel Messi.  Dublin and Cork as team names could be promoted worldwide but not as long as there is a strictly regulated path regarding who may play for either.  Conclusively, only a little change of attitude could help promote playing GAA by non-Irish.  But changes of biblical proportion would be needed to make marketing gurus helpful. 

Once I read "hatred of Manchester United sells soccer more effectively than love of Manchester United".  Just about sums it up really.

A lot of good points you make there. Where I disagree with you is I think that the geographical restrictions on who you can play for actually add value to the game. Territorial allegiance is a powerful force, and a player transfer market would undermine that since teams would no longer represent their territories. This is a far better system than being able to buy talent from outside, you have to produce your own talent, which is why the GAA is such a big generator of volunteer activity. I think a professional setup, properly implemented, could retain this geographical restriction and prevent a transfer market.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on January 04, 2016, 01:20:19 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 04, 2016, 03:31:45 AM
Quote from: Zulu on January 03, 2016, 05:31:39 PM
Quote from: 30mog on January 03, 2016, 01:25:58 PM
I am a Yorkshire born and bred individual with some Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire blood.  It is thought my long departed Nottingham born grandfather may have had maternal Irish blood.  But without proof I'll say I'm as English as they come.

Nowadays I can claim to be something of a sports tourist.  How does paying spectator of 23 sports at 326 venues in a dozen different countries sound?  Furthermore, I am disappointed if I miss out on a live GAA fix once a year.  I have a weekend in Cork booked for end of February.

In the case of Soccer, both codes of Rugby and NFL a similar sized playing surface is used, that helps in terms of venue availability.  In Australia they have the AFL that relies a lot on venues shared with Cricket.  And the climate of Australia is helpful to doing so.  Arguably, I can't see cricket grounds of the British Isles being available in their entirety for football in winter.  GAA also has an irregular large playing area.  However, the AFL are looking at worldwide development of the game by simply reducing the number of players to a level appropriate to the available venue.  Outside of locations with GAA owned venues the GAA could do the same. Furthermore, even though GAA is amateur there is no reason it can't promote itself to wider audience through the media.  I think the main problem is not so much the GAA being amateur but the lack of a situation comparable to fans of FA Premiership being able to dream of their club buying Lionel Messi.  Dublin and Cork as team names could be promoted worldwide but not as long as there is a strictly regulated path regarding who may play for either.  Conclusively, only a little change of attitude could help promote playing GAA by non-Irish.  But changes of biblical proportion would be needed to make marketing gurus helpful. 

Once I read "hatred of Manchester United sells soccer more effectively than love of Manchester United".  Just about sums it up really.

This is the key IMO. We really should be looking to develop an international version of football which would probably be 11 a side to work with existing facilities internationally. By internationally, I mean exclusively local teams not what we have currently. There are serious challenges to doing this though as  many Irish people driving the game worldwide would probably disagree with this. The idea that football or hurling should be played with less players and on a smaller surface wouldn't get huge support at the moment.

I'm not so sure about that. The number of players in itself isn't sacrosanct. In the USA they've been playing 13-a-side for years to take account of smaller fields. Smaller fields work fine for football and I wouldn't have a problem with 11-a-side. Putting hurling onto a smaller field is a problem though, thanks to the distance you can hit a sliothar. In fact if hurling and Gaelic football weren't governed by the same body, football would probably already be 11-a-side by now, we only use the same huge field because of hurling. The problem with hurling Super 11s is that the number of players alone isn't what's been adjusted, they've made a ton of other changes to the point where the game is closer to lacrosse than hurling. Frankly I think 30mog has hit on something there when he mentions cricket ovals. Aren't they big enough to accommodate a regulation GAA field? If they're not being used much in the winter and if there's plenty of time for the crease to recover...

We are highly unlikely to get access to cricket grounds on a local level though and a lot of Irish people living abroad view GAA as a 15 a side game and want to get pitches to allow that happen rather than play 11 or 13 a side on existing soccer or rugby pitches. One of the major problems in developing the game abroad is establishing a vision of what it should look like, is it simply an extension of the game at home and largely for Irish emigrants or is it about developing the game internationally. It's probably a bit of both but it's weighted more towards the latter when it should, IMO, be weighted more towards the former.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on January 05, 2016, 04:34:14 AM
Quote from: Zulu on January 04, 2016, 01:20:19 PM
We are highly unlikely to get access to cricket grounds on a local level though and a lot of Irish people living abroad view GAA as a 15 a side game and want to get pitches to allow that happen rather than play 11 or 13 a side on existing soccer or rugby pitches. One of the major problems in developing the game abroad is establishing a vision of what it should look like, is it simply an extension of the game at home and largely for Irish emigrants or is it about developing the game internationally. It's probably a bit of both but it's weighted more towards the latter when it should, IMO, be weighted more towards the former.

Why?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Zulu on January 05, 2016, 05:27:44 PM
Sorry, I meant the other way around, we should be more focused on getting Germans, British, Chinese, American etc. playing the games abroad rather than simply providing the emigrant Irish with games. We need to do both of course but growth and (genuine) sustainability can only be achieved through getting the locals to play.

Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on January 31, 2016, 07:16:49 PM
Great story here about Berlin GAA introducing Syrian refugees to hurling and helping them to mingle.

http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/bbarry/syrian-refugees-in-berlin-are-being-introduced-to-hurling/ (http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/bbarry/syrian-refugees-in-berlin-are-being-introduced-to-hurling/)

I always thought the GAA could play a great role in helping migrants to integrate in Ireland, but this is the first time I've seen it done outside of Ireland.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: armaghniac on February 01, 2016, 12:37:21 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on January 31, 2016, 07:16:49 PM
Great story here about Berlin GAA introducing Syrian refugees to hurling and helping them to mingle.

http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/bbarry/syrian-refugees-in-berlin-are-being-introduced-to-hurling/ (http://www.punditarena.com/gaa/bbarry/syrian-refugees-in-berlin-are-being-introduced-to-hurling/)

I always thought the GAA could play a great role in helping migrants to integrate in Ireland, but this is the first time I've seen it done outside of Ireland.

The GAA outside Ireland is mostly played by badly integrated immigrants.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: bloody mary on November 14, 2018, 03:50:43 AM
Here's a report from the Middle East at the weekend, showing Sharjah Gaels, Abu Dhabi na Fianna and the Arabian Celts all going well at the Bahrain Festival..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB_VreZvEV8&t=6s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB_VreZvEV8&t=6s)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: bloody mary on November 15, 2018, 08:49:05 AM
The GAA continues to thrive in the Middle East. 'We're now 15 clubs spread over six countries and we have 106 teams'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFioQ-3ZrLg&t=19s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFioQ-3ZrLg&t=19s)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on July 10, 2019, 11:56:51 PM
Is anyone here based in Argentina or anywhere else in South America? I ask because my Spanish language translation of my Gaelic football informational video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-cvBNqh9Nk) has just blown up on Youtube with 25,000 views in the last two days. The majority of traffic is coming from Argentina, followed by Spain, followed by relatively trivial amounts coming from other Spanish speaking countries.

When I see a spike in views I usually look at the traffic source and find that someone has posted a link somewhere like Reddit. That hasn't happened this time, most of the traffic is coming from people going to Youtube and typing in "futbol gaelico" as a search term. Something must have happened down there, the game must have gotten some coverage on TV or something.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: weareros on July 11, 2019, 01:05:21 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on July 10, 2019, 11:56:51 PM
Is anyone here based in Argentina or anywhere else in South America? I ask because my Spanish language translation of my Gaelic football informational video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-cvBNqh9Nk) has just blown up on Youtube with 25,000 views in the last two days. The majority of traffic is coming from Argentina, followed by Spain, followed by relatively trivial amounts coming from other Spanish speaking countries.

When I see a spike in views I usually look at the traffic source and find that someone has posted a link somewhere like Reddit. That hasn't happened this time, most of the traffic is coming from people going to Youtube and typing in "futbol gaelico" as a search term. Something must have happened down there, the game must have gotten some coverage on TV or something.

Likely James Carr's goal. It has been viewed over 8 million times on Twitter alone. I think it began in Argentina. To them it's probably the Gaelic Games version of Maradonas goal against England.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 05:04:20 AM
The GAA's tweet (https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1147569228075208704) has a lot of Spanish language comments on it, many people asking what the sport is. I wonder how this got started.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Daddy_Cool on July 11, 2019, 05:32:32 AM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 05:04:20 AM
The GAA's tweet (https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/1147569228075208704) has a lot of Spanish language comments on it, many people asking what the sport is. I wonder how this got started.
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/james-carr-s-stunner-for-mayo-clocks-up-nearly-8-million-views-1.3951467 (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/james-carr-s-stunner-for-mayo-clocks-up-nearly-8-million-views-1.3951467)
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 05:35:31 AM
Argentinian ESPN! That would explain it. Thanks.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: thejuice on July 11, 2019, 09:59:45 AM
The name Mayo might be cause some confusion.

James Carr "El talentoso"

New nickname?
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: manfromdelmonte on July 11, 2019, 10:13:36 AM
Wait until they see Mulligans goal v the Dubs
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: brokencrossbar1 on July 11, 2019, 10:15:02 AM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on July 11, 2019, 10:13:36 AM
Wait until they see Mulligans goal v the Dubs

Funny we were talking about that the other day....Carr's goal was excellent but Mulligan's was on a different level. 
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: RedHand88 on July 11, 2019, 10:16:23 AM
Quote from: thejuice on July 11, 2019, 09:59:45 AM
The name Mayo might be cause some confusion.

James Carr "El talentoso"

New nickname?

Get that on a banner for the weekend.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: munchkin on July 11, 2019, 03:47:58 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 05:35:31 AM
Argentinian ESPN! That would explain it. Thanks.
Marca in Spain also were mentioning it on twitter and the website
http://videos.marca.com/v/0_k409c9gp-dicen-que-es-el-golazo-del-ano-en-futbol-gaelico-nadie-puede-parar-a-ese-tio?count=0&uetv_pl=futbol
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 06:07:32 PM
Quote from: munchkin on July 11, 2019, 03:47:58 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 05:35:31 AM
Argentinian ESPN! That would explain it. Thanks.
Marca in Spain also were mentioning it on twitter and the website
http://videos.marca.com/v/0_k409c9gp-dicen-que-es-el-golazo-del-ano-en-futbol-gaelico-nadie-puede-parar-a-ese-tio?count=0&uetv_pl=futbol

Thanks, Munch. That would explain the traffic from Spain. My Spanish language video typically gets 80 to 100 views a day, but it jumped to 3,000 on Sunday, 5,600 on Monday, 6,200 on Tuesday, and dropped off to 3,000 yesterday.

The English version usually gets about 800 views per day, but it's also seen a spike in the last few days, peaking at 14,000 on Monday.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: omaghjoe on July 11, 2019, 09:43:41 PM
Was a bit soccer like the way he squeezed between two defenders like they couldn't touch him.

Anyone who watches it with soccer in mind will think its a great goal but all i thought off when he did that was what shocking defending.

TBF tho it was a good goal but I thought Hurley's goal was better this weekend tho in saying that you could maybe say it was down to bad custodianship
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jayop on July 11, 2019, 09:45:16 PM
Quote from: omaghjoe on July 11, 2019, 09:43:41 PM
Was a bit soccer like the way he squeezed between two defenders like they couldn't touch him.

Anyone who watches it with soccer in mind will think its a great goal but all i thought off when he did that was what shocking defending.

TBF tho it was a good goal but I thought Hurley's goal was better this weekend tho in saying that you could maybe say it was down to bad custodianship

he hit the stanchion though and that always makes a goal look better,.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: dec on July 11, 2019, 09:53:11 PM
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on July 11, 2019, 05:35:31 AM
Argentinian ESPN! That would explain it. Thanks.

A MESSIANIC GOLAZO IN GAELIC FOOTBALL!

The talented James Carr, from Mayo, scored an incredible goal against Galway in the Gaelic Football Championship in Ireland. A sport that has its roots in that nation.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Eamonnca1 on April 30, 2020, 05:32:48 PM
Roller hurling. The possibilities are staggering!

https://www.facebook.com/Sandiegohurling/videos/530697857578893/

Bit of a unique combination of skills there!
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on August 13, 2020, 09:30:38 AM
Nice wee story about Fishermen from Ghana playing football while staying in Ardglass co Down.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-53698187/gaa-the-african-fishermen-taking-up-gaelic-football
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: armaghniac on August 14, 2020, 02:09:28 PM
Quote from: Jeepers Creepers on August 13, 2020, 09:30:38 AM
Nice wee story about Fishermen from Ghana playing football while staying in Ardglass co Down.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-53698187/gaa-the-african-fishermen-taking-up-gaelic-football

Lucky they didn't go to Kilkeel.
Title: Re: The untapped global potential of Gaelic games
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on August 14, 2020, 03:34:33 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on August 14, 2020, 02:09:28 PM
Quote from: Jeepers Creepers on August 13, 2020, 09:30:38 AM
Nice wee story about Fishermen from Ghana playing football while staying in Ardglass co Down.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-northern-ireland-53698187/gaa-the-african-fishermen-taking-up-gaelic-football

Lucky they didn't go to Kilkeel.

They might have and thats why they ended up in Ardglass lol