Joe Brolly

[StGallsGAA]

....when he dislocated his shoulder playing for Armagh during a 2003 League semi-final against Laois.

"Most horrible injury I ever got," he remembers. "The pain was disgusting..... with JK holding my hand"

What a soft shoite.  I've seen fellow clubmen dislocate a shoulder and then pop it back in themselves. 

[DuffleKing]

Fair play to joe - willing to put aside his normal modesty and hatred of self promotion to step forward as the saviour of the GAA

[RedHandTom]

Great article by Joe Brolly. Some people see necessary change as radical change. That's why we're in this mess.

[heffo]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/joe-brolly/joe-brolly-the-current-era-is-the-most-depressing-in-the-history-of-the-gaa-35424042.html

Never knew that Gilroy was willing to become the director general.

He got down to the last three.

Next DG is already between two people.

[Main Street]

Great article by Joe Brolly. Some people see necessary change as radical change. That's why we're in this mess.

It's hard to tell with Joe because he just makes stuff up.
Well, he'll highlight the odd fact, isolate it from context and then make stuff up, mostly nonsense as to why it happens, who's responsible and there exists some magic genius solution that's being ignored.
Perhaps there is good stuff in Joe's article but unfortunately Joe mangles the good stuff with his messianic zeal for convenient truths and mistruths.
Joe references the 2013 ERSI report  https://www.esri.ie/pubs/RS33.pdf, the 75% drop off rate in Gaelic football. 
"75 per cent of our young women and men quit in their prime, because it's so bloody dysfunctional. All of the above have been caused by the GAA not doing its job."
I suppose we should be amazed that Joe referred to an actual respected ESRI research as a source 
However, the report itself tells a different picture and attributes the GAA drop rate, which is a constant historical  drop off rate, as due to family, work, lost interest, all common shared reasons with soccer ex-participants   Fig 7.6  page 122.
Also the recorded drop off rates, fig 7.4 page 120,  do not support his statements.

The main reason why the overall lower soccer participant drop-off rate is only 60%,  is because soccer participation is defined by the ESRI  as taking part in informal 5 aside, once a week. A very low bar indeed.
Whereas in GAA,  participation post secondary school/Univ, is mainly done in the context of a being a club member. Generally people over the age of 20 don't engage in an informal  5 a side GAA kickabout, outside the context of  being a member of a GAA club. The figures to do with numbers of GAA participants who are also club members are the highest in Irish sports.
Basketball has a high drop off participation rate because post secondary school/Uni there is little or no access to a basketball court, there is a paucity of indoor facilities in Ireland.
For all Joe's focus on schedules, competitions,  GAA hierarchy shortcomings, subscription tv.
is all that really the solution to what he perceives is the problem?

Compare the Irish experience to what exists in Scandinavian countries, where  for the most part in each town/kommune. the sports model is integration of all sports in a multi sports complex. The town sports club takes care of all sports participation and  coaching of all indoor and outdoor sports, for all citizens (both sexes) from the cradle to the grave, re athletics, tennis, swimming, football, basketball, handball, ice hockey (curling?).
Kids have to pay annual membership to their chosen sport, every kid has access to a team whether it's the u15 1st team or u15 7th team and can play i competitive leagues . The Kommune builds the facilities, the clubs are owned by the membership, the facilities are owned by the municipality. There is no segregation of sports, no overt warring between sporting codes, no faction fighting to monopolise. Kids just get access to different sports at an early age, pick the one they are good at and receive professional educated coaching from an early age in that sport. Schools are integrated with the sports club.

Let Joe give some example of GAA clubs losing members and if there any, let him examine the reasons why, with proper research.
What is the main reason? I'd hazard a guess and say migration/immigration has a huge part to play.

[bennydorano]

Good post

[Croí na hÉireann]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/joe-brolly/joe-brolly-the-current-era-is-the-most-depressing-in-the-history-of-the-gaa-35424042.html

Never knew that Gilroy was willing to become the director general.

He got down to the last three.

Next DG is already between two people.

Has Duffy got his eyes on the exit door? There for another 4 years at least I thought.

[Declan]

Compare the Irish experience to what exists in Scandinavian countries, where  for the most part in each town/kommune. the sports model is integration of all sports in a multi sports complex. The town sports club takes care of all sports participation and  coaching of all indoor and outdoor sports, for all citizens (both sexes) from the cradle to the grave, re athletics, tennis, swimming, football, basketball, handball, ice hockey (curling?).
Kids have to pay annual membership to their chosen sport, every kid has access to a team whether it's the u15 1st team or u15 7th team and can play i competitive leagues . The Kommune builds the facilities, the clubs are owned by the membership, the facilities are owned by the municipality. There is no segregation of sports, no overt warring between sporting codes, no faction fighting to monopolise. Kids just get access to different sports at an early age, pick the one they are good at and receive professional educated coaching from an early age in that sport. Schools are integrated with the sports club.

Them old Scandinavians again  -sure that would never catch on here

[Taylor]

Even though he is a Derry man he does talk sense a lot of the time. Unfortunately it is mixed in with hyperbole and complete nonsense on many occasions.

If we keep going the same way there is going to be issues.........club v county, rule changes, GPA are all headed for a big bang which means our Association will suffer.

Can Joe save us? He can certainly contribute if he stops intertwining his points with shite

[Jinxy]

Joe can't save us, unfortunately.
He's not objective or scientific enough in his approach to solving the problem.
Too much feeling, not enough fact.

[heffo]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/joe-brolly/joe-brolly-the-current-era-is-the-most-depressing-in-the-history-of-the-gaa-35424042.html

Never knew that Gilroy was willing to become the director general.

He got down to the last three.

Next DG is already between two people.

Has Duffy got his eyes on the exit door? There for another 4 years at least I thought.

On the home stretch - all senior contract renewals are for seven years. Doesn't mean anyone has to complete the term.

[Beffs]

He got down to the last three.

Next DG is already between two people.

Who are they?

[magpie seanie]

Great article by Brolly. Duffy has been a complete disaster as Director General. He has completely facilitated the takeover by the GPA (aptly described by Joe in his article) and the reversal of the balance of power from clubs to county teams. Probably the greatest GAA manager of all time, Brian Cody, clearly realises this from his comments. The county game is the icing, the club game is the cake.

[shawshank]

Joe can't save us, unfortunately.
He's not objective or scientific enough in his approach to solving the problem.
Too much feeling, not enough fact.

Ah Jinxy, Brolly's entire career as a Barrister is about fact & objectivity. His media hobby (I appreciate he gets paid for it) allows him to mix the emotion to it for effect. like seriously!!

[Jinxy]

What he does for a living is irrelevant.
There have been occasions recently where he has recounted conversations with famous 'gaels' who have subsequently cast doubt on the veracity of Joe's account.
That's when he's not quoting 'unnamed' intercounty players he bumped into at Tesco.