Emigration and the GAA

[Zapatista]

Did anyone watch Primetime lastnight? I only seen bits of it as was entertaining but it looked good.

It featured some Inter County GAA players who had to emigrate and some who were still at home but facing forced emigration. It also looked at the role of GAA clubs for the Irish abroad.

Quite sad really. Anyone with personal experience of this?

[6th sam]

Did anyone watch Primetime lastnight? I only seen bits of it as was entertaining but it looked good.

It featured some Inter County GAA players who had to emigrate and some who were still at home but facing forced emigration. It also looked at the role of GAA clubs for the Irish abroad.

Quite sad really. Anyone with personal experience of this?

Definitely a trend.Aside from emigration ,more students seem to be travelling to UK universities,and the majority of them will be lost to the club for good.In the last year  7 members of our senior panel have moved away-I never remember such a loss even in the 80s.

[drici]

Thousands Are Sailing

The island it is silent now
But the ghosts still haunt the waves
And the torch lights up a famished man
Who fortune could not save

Did you work upon the railroad
Did you rid the streets of crime
Were your dollars from the white house
Were they from the five and dime

Did the old songs taunt or cheer you
And did they still make you cry
Did you count the months and years
Or did your teardrops quickly dry

Ah, no, says he, 'twas not to be
On a coffin ship I came here
And I never even got so far
That they could change my name

Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
To a land of opportunity
That some of them will never see
Fortune prevailing
Across the western ocean
Their bellies full
Their spirits free
They'll break the chains of poverty
And they'll dance

In Manhattan's desert twilight
In the death of afternoon
We stepped hand in hand on Broadway
Like the first man on the moon

And "The Blackbird" broke the silence
As you whistled it so sweet
And in Brendan Behan's footsteps
I danced up and down the street

Then we said goodnight to Broadway
Giving it our best regards
Tipped our hats to Mister Cohan
Dear old Times Square's favorite bard

Then we raised a glass to JFK
And a dozen more besides
When I got back to my empty room
I suppose I must have cried

Thousands are sailing
Again across the ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Postcards we're mailing
Of sky-blue skies and oceans
From rooms the daylight never sees
Where lights don't glow on Christmas trees
But we dance to the music
And we dance

Thousands are sailing
Across the western ocean
Where the hand of opportunity
Draws tickets in a lottery
Where e'er we go, we celebrate
The land that makes us refugees
From fear of Priests with empty plates
From guilt and weeping effigies
And we dance

[orangeman]

Yer man Danny Sullivan is in some way of going - 1200 men employed now - was 3000.


http://www.dannysullivan.co.uk/

[haranguerer]

brilliant tune drici. Roll on 2nd dec til I hear it live!

[anglocelt39]

Indeed, no song in my opinion captures the emigration experience more closely for anybody who left from the mid-80's to now. Penned by the Bold Philip Chevron. Memories of being wedged into some Australian pub at 8am on a Thursday morning after a world cup qualifier, thinking about heading off to work and that sound pounding away in the background, arrah feckit four more VB's please.

Would wonder how the current crop of 20 somethings will cope with "real" emigration, rather than a year of "finding themselves" on cheap credit. could be difficult for those that have had it handy enough up to now. But that's for another time and thread.

[full back]

Indeed, no song in my opinion captures the emigration experience more closely for anybody who left from the mid-80's to now. Penned by the Bold Philip Chevron. Memories of being wedged into some Australian pub at 8am on a Thursday morning after a world cup qualifier, thinking about heading off to work and that sound pounding away in the background, arrah feckit four more VB's please.

Would wonder how the current crop of 20 somethings will cope with "real" emigration, rather than a year of "finding themselves" on cheap credit. could be difficult for those that have had it handy enough up to now. But that's for another time and thread.

Cant have been that difficult or "real" as you call it if you were able to forsake a day at work to keep on drinking at 8am

[anglocelt39]

Indeed, no song in my opinion captures the emigration experience more closely for anybody who left from the mid-80's to now. Penned by the Bold Philip Chevron. Memories of being wedged into some Australian pub at 8am on a Thursday morning after a world cup qualifier, thinking about heading off to work and that sound pounding away in the background, arrah feckit four more VB's please.

Would wonder how the current crop of 20 somethings will cope with "real" emigration, rather than a year of "finding themselves" on cheap credit. could be difficult for those that have had it handy enough up to now. But that's for another time and thread.

Cant have been that difficult or "real" as you call it if you were able to forsake a day at work to keep on drinking at 8am

Days like that tended to come up about once every two years and you'd make up the hours. St Pats day would take a days holidays if you wanted to go on an extended social outing

[thejuice]

I moved to England to study in 2003. I graduated in 2007. On leaving I had 5 job offers, all from England, none from Ireland. And I'm still in England. I miss being home, miss the family, miss the club and all the craic. Want to be home especially as my folks are getting older and want to be there for them.

Now I know I don't have it bad here at all, not complaining but I'd love to be able to do the work I'm doing at home. Englands alight but I;ve no great love for the place. It has a great country side, some nice rural pubs and villages though.

Ok I'm getting side tracked here, The club back home has lost about 7 lads that would all have been 1st team players (and then theres me) through emmigation. There has been pressure to amalgamate with another local club as they already are at U-16 level but neither club particularly like each other at the same time.



Anyway, here's a tune that brings it all home for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAcIpXdMrdI

[saffron sam2]

Thousands are sailing - The thread.

http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=6094.0

[supersarsfields]

Moving out to liverpool shortly myself for about 12 months with work. Will really miss the club scene next year.
But needs must!!

[haranguerer]

Indeed, no song in my opinion captures the emigration experience more closely for anybody who left from the mid-80's to now. Penned by the Bold Philip Chevron. Memories of being wedged into some Australian pub at 8am on a Thursday morning after a world cup qualifier, thinking about heading off to work and that sound pounding away in the background, arrah feckit four more VB's please.

Would wonder how the current crop of 20 somethings will cope with "real" emigration, rather than a year of "finding themselves" on cheap credit. could be difficult for those that have had it handy enough up to now. But that's for another time and thread.

Cant have been that difficult or "real" as you call it if you were able to forsake a day at work to keep on drinking at 8am

[anglocelt39]

Ah Haranguer it was Windsor Park when Alan McLoughlin got us thru to USA 94, so all things considered we were allowed a bit of slack. The TV presenter did predict a bit of a slow day on the building sites at full time, rare, great days

[pintsofguinness]

Did anyone watch Primetime lastnight? I only seen bits of it as was entertaining but it looked good.

It featured some Inter County GAA players who had to emigrate and some who were still at home but facing forced emigration. It also looked at the role of GAA clubs for the Irish abroad.

Quite sad really. Anyone with personal experience of this?

5 of our first team went to austrlia last year, no coincidence we were relegated this year 

[Zapatista]

5 of our first team went to austrlia last year, no coincidence we were relegated this year 

Most young people go to Austrilla for a year out. Do they have a return date? I think many of the young heading off to Europe and America might never come home for good. I think many of them don't realise that yet. It will have a very big effect on rural clubs. Maybe an internationl aspect to our games should be given more thought.