The untapped global potential of Gaelic games

Started by Eamonnca1, February 27, 2014, 06:49:40 PM

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Eamonnca1

(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.

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 where you can read a sample chapter, and gimme a like on the Facebook page.

ONeill

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'.
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

Eamonnca1

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?

theticklemister


Zulu

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?

AZOffaly

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.

Eamonnca1

Spot on.  Croke Park should be packed to the gills with tourists on St Paddy's Day for the club finals.

IolarCoisCuain

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.

IolarCoisCuain

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. :)

ONeill

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.
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

Eamonnca1

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.

Zulu

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.

ONeill

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?
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.

Eamonnca1

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.

ONeill

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.
I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.