Money, Dublin and the GAA

[dublin7]

Yet the Munster championship remains a 2 horse race at best. Still Tipperary won it this year so that makes it all ok. So what if it's first time in nearly 30 years Cork or Kerry didn't win it. Important to only worry about the Leinster Championship.

The sooner people realise the days of basing the football championship on a ludicrous and unfair provincial basis the better

5 out of the 6 counties in Munster are primarily hurling counties. This will never change. Four of them don't care if Dublin win the next 20 All Irelands. They have to comfort of being the Elite teams in the AI hurling Championship. The Leinster counties bar Wexford don't have that back-up.

I suppose that's one option, just don't bother trying.

What about Leitrim and Sligo who have to play in the connacht championship just to get hammered by Mayo/Galway. Should they just focus on hurling and forget about winning anything in football as well?

Ah, I'm a bit confused here...
Maybe it's the prolonged effects of lockdown and the closure of me local but it seems we do have a football emergency on our hands.
Fair enough, I thought that has come about because one county, Dubin, has dominated  all others for the best part of a decade and the odds are that with every passing year, the rest will fall further behind.
At least, that's what I thought..
But there seems to be a solution to the crisis - according to some Dublin heads anyway. As they see it, for the good of the game in Leitrim, Mayo should be carved up to give the poor unfortunate people of the county with the smallest population in the land, a fighting chance of winning a game whenever they meet.
Now here is where my grey cells founder a bit..
In my innocence, I thought Dublin was the problem. With a third of the country's population and with games development funding that's more than all the other 31 counties get, I'd have thought something should be done to redress the imbalance ASAP.
But, according to the said Dublin heads, Mayo, Dublin's only credible opponent for most of the past decade should be carved up instead!
This will give Leitrim a chance and this in turn will solve all problems for everyone.
At least, that's what I think is being suggested.
Yeah, but what will happen if Leitrim does beat Mayo and are then drawn against Dublin in the next round?
Am I missing something?

Well if we have to split dublin to give the likes of Mayo a chance to win the All Ireland (granted they'll still find a way to self destruct or shoot themselves in the foot) then should we not split Mayo and Galway to give Leitrim and Sligo a chance to win a provincal title?

[TheGreatest]

Yet the Munster championship remains a 2 horse race at best. Still Tipperary won it this year so that makes it all ok. So what if it's first time in nearly 30 years Cork or Kerry didn't win it. Important to only worry about the Leinster Championship.

The sooner people realise the days of basing the football championship on a ludicrous and unfair provincial basis the better

5 out of the 6 counties in Munster are primarily hurling counties. This will never change. Four of them don't care if Dublin win the next 20 All Irelands. They have to comfort of being the Elite teams in the AI hurling Championship. The Leinster counties bar Wexford don't have that back-up.

I suppose that's one option, just don't bother trying.

What about Leitrim and Sligo who have to play in the connacht championship just to get hammered by Mayo/Galway. Should they just focus on hurling and forget about winning anything in football as well?

Ah, I'm a bit confused here...
Maybe it's the prolonged effects of lockdown and the closure of me local but it seems we do have a football emergency on our hands.
Fair enough, I thought that has come about because one county, Dubin, has dominated  all others for the best part of a decade and the odds are that with every passing year, the rest will fall further behind.
At least, that's what I thought..
But there seems to be a solution to the crisis - according to some Dublin heads anyway. As they see it, for the good of the game in Leitrim, Mayo should be carved up to give the poor unfortunate people of the county with the smallest population in the land, a fighting chance of winning a game whenever they meet.
Now here is where my grey cells founder a bit..
In my innocence, I thought Dublin was the problem. With a third of the country's population and with games development funding that's more than all the other 31 counties get, I'd have thought something should be done to redress the imbalance ASAP.
But, according to the said Dublin heads, Mayo, Dublin's only credible opponent for most of the past decade should be carved up instead!
This will give Leitrim a chance and this in turn will solve all problems for everyone.
At least, that's what I think is being suggested.
Yeah, but what will happen if Leitrim does beat Mayo and are then drawn against Dublin in the next round?
Am I missing something?

Well if we have to split dublin to give the likes of Mayo a chance to win the All Ireland (granted they'll still find a way to self destruct or shoot themselves in the foot) then should we not split Mayo and Galway to give Leitrim and Sligo a chance to win a provincal title?

good point sell made, what made up repsonse will come  same with Cork and Kerry, oh but Tipp, wont happen again another couple the decades .

[Rossfan]

The concern for Leitrim and Sligo would melt your heart
If Mayowestros is to be split in 3 to equal the playing field for Leitrim then Dublin would have to be split into 30.

The MONSTER is the problem.
How does it get resolved?

[dublin7]

The concern for Leitrim and Sligo would melt your heart
If Mayowestros is to be split in 3 to equal the playing field for Leitrim then Dublin would have to be split into 30.

The MONSTER is the problem.
How does it get resolved?

You could apply this principle to all the provinces, not just Leinster. I would say the structure of the competition is a bigger issue than Dublin winning it. They've changed the format in hurling to a league basis and it's been successful. Unfortunately asking provincial councils to make take out the provincial championships in football is like asking turkeys to vote for christmas.

[Lar Naparka]

Yet the Munster championship remains a 2 horse race at best. Still Tipperary won it this year so that makes it all ok. So what if it's first time in nearly 30 years Cork or Kerry didn't win it. Important to only worry about the Leinster Championship.

The sooner people realise the days of basing the football championship on a ludicrous and unfair provincial basis the better

5 out of the 6 counties in Munster are primarily hurling counties. This will never change. Four of them don't care if Dublin win the next 20 All Irelands. They have to comfort of being the Elite teams in the AI hurling Championship. The Leinster counties bar Wexford don't have that back-up.

I suppose that's one option, just don't bother trying.

What about Leitrim and Sligo who have to play in the connacht championship just to get hammered by Mayo/Galway. Should they just focus on hurling and forget about winning anything in football as well?

Ah, I'm a bit confused here...
Maybe it's the prolonged effects of lockdown and the closure of me local but it seems we do have a football emergency on our hands.
Fair enough, I thought that has come about because one county, Dubin, has dominated  all others for the best part of a decade and the odds are that with every passing year, the rest will fall further behind.
At least, that's what I thought..
But there seems to be a solution to the crisis - according to some Dublin heads anyway. As they see it, for the good of the game in Leitrim, Mayo should be carved up to give the poor unfortunate people of the county with the smallest population in the land, a fighting chance of winning a game whenever they meet.
Now here is where my grey cells founder a bit..
In my innocence, I thought Dublin was the problem. With a third of the country's population and with games development funding that's more than all the other 31 counties get, I'd have thought something should be done to redress the imbalance ASAP.
But, according to the said Dublin heads, Mayo, Dublin's only credible opponent for most of the past decade should be carved up instead!
This will give Leitrim a chance and this in turn will solve all problems for everyone.
At least, that's what I think is being suggested.
Yeah, but what will happen if Leitrim does beat Mayo and are then drawn against Dublin in the next round?
Am I missing something?

Well if we have to split dublin to give the likes of Mayo a chance to win the All Ireland (granted they'll still find a way to self destruct or shoot themselves in the foot) then should we not split Mayo and Galway to give Leitrim and Sligo a chance to win a provincal title?

Bedad this is getting gooder and gooder- if you know what I mean.
So you split Mayo and Galway into, say, four separate divisions in order to let Sligo and Leitrim win a Connacht title and then what?
Suppose Dublin is next up. A case pf goodnight Irene, if there ever was one.
Sligo/Leitrim winning a Connacht title won't do anything to stop Dublin hoovering up All Irelands in their annual turkey shoot.
It'll take two of their main competitors out of the running and ring fence their chances of continuing to win from here to eternity - or until the GAA goes belly up which is likely to happen sooner rather than later

[dublin7]

Yet the Munster championship remains a 2 horse race at best. Still Tipperary won it this year so that makes it all ok. So what if it's first time in nearly 30 years Cork or Kerry didn't win it. Important to only worry about the Leinster Championship.

The sooner people realise the days of basing the football championship on a ludicrous and unfair provincial basis the better

5 out of the 6 counties in Munster are primarily hurling counties. This will never change. Four of them don't care if Dublin win the next 20 All Irelands. They have to comfort of being the Elite teams in the AI hurling Championship. The Leinster counties bar Wexford don't have that back-up.

I suppose that's one option, just don't bother trying.

What about Leitrim and Sligo who have to play in the connacht championship just to get hammered by Mayo/Galway. Should they just focus on hurling and forget about winning anything in football as well?

Ah, I'm a bit confused here...
Maybe it's the prolonged effects of lockdown and the closure of me local but it seems we do have a football emergency on our hands.
Fair enough, I thought that has come about because one county, Dubin, has dominated  all others for the best part of a decade and the odds are that with every passing year, the rest will fall further behind.
At least, that's what I thought..
But there seems to be a solution to the crisis - according to some Dublin heads anyway. As they see it, for the good of the game in Leitrim, Mayo should be carved up to give the poor unfortunate people of the county with the smallest population in the land, a fighting chance of winning a game whenever they meet.
Now here is where my grey cells founder a bit..
In my innocence, I thought Dublin was the problem. With a third of the country's population and with games development funding that's more than all the other 31 counties get, I'd have thought something should be done to redress the imbalance ASAP.
But, according to the said Dublin heads, Mayo, Dublin's only credible opponent for most of the past decade should be carved up instead!
This will give Leitrim a chance and this in turn will solve all problems for everyone.
At least, that's what I think is being suggested.
Yeah, but what will happen if Leitrim does beat Mayo and are then drawn against Dublin in the next round?
Am I missing something?

Well if we have to split dublin to give the likes of Mayo a chance to win the All Ireland (granted they'll still find a way to self destruct or shoot themselves in the foot) then should we not split Mayo and Galway to give Leitrim and Sligo a chance to win a provincal title?

Bedad this is getting gooder and gooder- if you know what I mean.
So you split Mayo and Galway into, say, four separate divisions in order to let Sligo and Leitrim win a Connacht title and then what?
Suppose Dublin is next up. A case pf goodnight Irene, if there ever was one.
Sligo/Leitrim winning a Connacht title won't do anything to stop Dublin hoovering up All Irelands in their annual turkey shoot.
It'll take two of their main competitors out of the running and ring fence their chances of continuing to win from here to eternity - or until the GAA goes belly up which is likely to happen sooner rather than later

If you want to split up Dublin to help Mayo, why are you so against other counties getting a helping hand. Where's the line? You think it's unfair that Mayo can't beat Dublin, but it's funny to you that Mayo hammer Leitrim in connacht.

Mayo didn't win an All Ireland so everything is all about that. Leitrim, Longford, Clare for example can't compete for provincial titles, but that's irrelevant to you. Mayo can hammer any of those teams so you couldn't care less what happens to them. Mayo have won several connacht titles over the last decade so that must mean the provincials are ok and shouldn't be changed 

Why not bring in some other rules that could help Mayo but do nothing for smaller counties like introduce a new rule that own goals should no longer count or you can't change goalkeepers if a game goes to a replay.

[J70]

Not to intrude, but at least in Connacht we've had three different champions within the past four years. Sligo, starved and all as they are of success, at least can go back less than 15 years for their last one (we were on 19 years when McGuinness took over).

Dublin have won 15 of the last 16 Leinsters, and except for Meath smashing them for 5 goals on a freak day, they'd have 16/16.

The overall inequity of the county-based intercounty senior competition is a fair point, but until the last decade, it was at least competitive. And at times when a single county dominated the AI series, it wasn't based on their ludicrously large pick being harnessed. An eventual end to that dominance could always be seen, whether through simple aging or other teams rising to the challenge.

There's no such end in sight with this Dublin team.

I don't know how long it will take for the wider GAA to see the light. They might never.

But personally, I couldn't be arsed watching Dublin games anymore. I guess I'd tune in to watch Donegal put up a "brave" fight, but that's about it. And its no disrespect to the Dublin players or management themselves. I'm just not interested in non-competitive games where the outcome (and even the way the game plays out) is as predictable as the sun rising and setting. I won't be sitting down to watch Manchester City toy with Southampton or Fulham next week either, and there is far more of a chance of City dropping points in those than there is of Dublin not winning Leinster and the AI this year and next.

[Rossfan]

Nice bits of deflection trying to make it all about Rhubarbia😁
Co  Mayo plus Ballagh has about 3.5 tines the population if Leitrim.
The MONSTER has 12 times the population of Mayo/Ballagh.
8 out of last 10 AIs
15 out of last 16 Leinsters.
Thank God they stopped bothering about th'oul League a few years ago.

[dublin7]

Nice bits of deflection trying to make it all about Rhubarbia😁
Co  Mayo plus Ballagh has about 3.5 tines the population if Leitrim.
The MONSTER has 12 times the population of Mayo/Ballagh.
8 out of last 10 AIs
15 out of last 16 Leinsters.
Thank God they stopped bothering about th'oul League a few years ago.

I'd have more interest in supporting the tommy murphy cup and changing the championship format so teams like Leitrim, Carlow are competing against teams of similar standard and can aim for a trophy at the end of the season rather than making changes that would only benefit teams like Kerry and Mayo

[macker15]

Not to intrude, but at least in Connacht we've had three different champions within the past four years. Sligo, starved and all as they are of success, at least can go back less than 15 years for their last one (we were on 19 years when McGuinness took over).

Dublin have won 15 of the last 16 Leinsters, and except for Meath smashing them for 5 goals on a freak day, they'd have 16/16.

The overall inequity of the county-based intercounty senior competition is a fair point, but until the last decade, it was at least competitive. And at times when a single county dominated the AI series, it wasn't based on their ludicrously large pick being harnessed. An eventual end to that dominance could always be seen, whether through simple aging or other teams rising to the challenge.

There's no such end in sight with this Dublin team.

I don't know how long it will take for the wider GAA to see the light. They might never.

But personally, I couldn't be arsed watching Dublin games anymore. I guess I'd tune in to watch Donegal put up a "brave" fight, but that's about it. And its no disrespect to the Dublin players or management themselves. I'm just not interested in non-competitive games where the outcome (and even the way the game plays out) is as predictable as the sun rising and setting. I won't be sitting down to watch Manchester City toy with Southampton or Fulham next week either, and there is far more of a chance of City dropping points in those than there is of Dublin not winning Leinster and the AI this year and next.

Outside of mayo how Connacht teams have won a championship game in Croke park in last 20 years? Connacht is poor standard.  If mayo had concentrated on peaking for later of championship 2016-19. You had poor outfits like ros peaking in June/July.

[From the Bunker]

Not to intrude, but at least in Connacht we've had three different champions within the past four years. Sligo, starved and all as they are of success, at least can go back less than 15 years for their last one (we were on 19 years when McGuinness took over).

Dublin have won 15 of the last 16 Leinsters, and except for Meath smashing them for 5 goals on a freak day, they'd have 16/16.

The overall inequity of the county-based intercounty senior competition is a fair point, but until the last decade, it was at least competitive. And at times when a single county dominated the AI series, it wasn't based on their ludicrously large pick being harnessed. An eventual end to that dominance could always be seen, whether through simple aging or other teams rising to the challenge.

There's no such end in sight with this Dublin team.

I don't know how long it will take for the wider GAA to see the light. They might never.

But personally, I couldn't be arsed watching Dublin games anymore. I guess I'd tune in to watch Donegal put up a "brave" fight, but that's about it. And its no disrespect to the Dublin players or management themselves. I'm just not interested in non-competitive games where the outcome (and even the way the game plays out) is as predictable as the sun rising and setting. I won't be sitting down to watch Manchester City toy with Southampton or Fulham next week either, and there is far more of a chance of City dropping points in those than there is of Dublin not winning Leinster and the AI this year and next.

Outside of mayo how Connacht teams have won a championship game in Croke park in last 20 years? Connacht is poor standard.  If mayo had concentrated on peaking for later of championship 2016-19. You had poor outfits like ros peaking in June/July.

Outside of Croker how many Dublin teams have won an away Championship game in the last decade?

[Rossfan]

Dublin 39,000 players -1 football team.
Connacht c33,000 players - 5 football teams.

[J70]

Not to intrude, but at least in Connacht we've had three different champions within the past four years. Sligo, starved and all as they are of success, at least can go back less than 15 years for their last one (we were on 19 years when McGuinness took over).

Dublin have won 15 of the last 16 Leinsters, and except for Meath smashing them for 5 goals on a freak day, they'd have 16/16.

The overall inequity of the county-based intercounty senior competition is a fair point, but until the last decade, it was at least competitive. And at times when a single county dominated the AI series, it wasn't based on their ludicrously large pick being harnessed. An eventual end to that dominance could always be seen, whether through simple aging or other teams rising to the challenge.

There's no such end in sight with this Dublin team.

I don't know how long it will take for the wider GAA to see the light. They might never.

But personally, I couldn't be arsed watching Dublin games anymore. I guess I'd tune in to watch Donegal put up a "brave" fight, but that's about it. And its no disrespect to the Dublin players or management themselves. I'm just not interested in non-competitive games where the outcome (and even the way the game plays out) is as predictable as the sun rising and setting. I won't be sitting down to watch Manchester City toy with Southampton or Fulham next week either, and there is far more of a chance of City dropping points in those than there is of Dublin not winning Leinster and the AI this year and next.

Outside of mayo how Connacht teams have won a championship game in Croke park in last 20 years? Connacht is poor standard.  If mayo had concentrated on peaking for later of championship 2016-19. You had poor outfits like ros peaking in June/July.

The Dubs peak for late in the Championship too, and no one in Leinster has laid a glove on them or caused them to break sweat in more than ten years.

In recent years, no else outside of Mayo and Kerry has made them even sweat, and even then, they ALWAYS come through, with the comfort level mostly only increasing as time passes.

[From the Bunker]

Question for the Dublin posters.

What will you do if Dublin easily win the next 5 Leinster and AI titles? Do you think you still go to games? Do you think will you still care? Do you think your Kids will care?

Will you miss the away supporters not going to games in numbers anymore? Who is going to go to these games?

No county is going to catch up. You can talk all you like about them getting their act together but they don't have the numbers or the financial clout. And they never will.

We have reached a point of no return.

[Hound]

The Dubs peak for late in the Championship too, and no one in Leinster has laid a glove on them or caused them to break sweat in more than ten years.

In recent years, no else outside of Mayo and Kerry has made them even sweat, and even then, they ALWAYS come through, with the comfort level mostly only increasing as time passes.

Leinster football has been mediocre/poor long before Dublin turned brilliant. We can all remember when it was a clear disadvantage for Dublin to win Leinster so easily, because usually in the QF, and if not, then always in the SF, they'd come up against a good team (who had beaten good teams to get there), and the Dubs would fall short.

Now, with rare exception, we only have to worry about Kerry and Mayo. And it's not too often that they get beaten in knockout games.

It also bears repeating that it's a miracle Dublin won 6 in a row. Mayo should have won two and Kerry really fooked away the 5 in a row game (David Moran's last gasp turnover after having a brilliant game must give him nightmares).

But nobody seems to care about the question as to why Cork, Galway, Meath, Kildare don't have teams contending most years. You hear Stevie McDonnell saying he'd love his Armagh team to have a go at this Dublin team. And he'd want to play them in Croke Park. How would the Dubs defence cope against a Tyrone forward line of Dooher-McGuigan-Cavlan-Canavan-O'Neill-Mulligan? Why do these counties not have the standard of player they used to have? In my generation Meath had two amazing teams, Mick Lyons and his cohorts, and then Darren Fay and his cohorts. The current lads might have a max of 2 or 3 who get into either team, arguably none.
Nobody seems to ask the question about how Kerry won 5 minors in a row, and what can we learn/copy from then?

Spending a load of money on GDO's around the country won't matter a jot of difference, as will quickly be proven by the East Leinster Project. Good for improving participation (where participation is low). But not a factor at elite level. And if they take a model different to Dublin, where these GDO's start coaching U14, U15, U16, be very careful that they're not pushing better coaches (parents of kids who used to be players, which is the norm up and down the country) to the backseat.
The fact of the matter is that none of the Dublin players will have been coached to any sizeable extent by a GDO. They'll have been coached by parents at their club and ex-Dublin players at the development squads. So the way some people put all the focus on the games development funding focused on young primary school children is laughable and I might say very frustrating. I've made the same point 100 times, but loud minority of moaning minnies couldnt care less and pull meaningless stats out of their arses.

Numbers are of course important to a certain extent, but it's not the key factor. It ensures we should rarely/never fall below a certain level, but doesn't make us the best - and you can look at any sport in the world for confirmation of that, not least hurling

Where numbers does help is keeping the club game strong. The organisation around adult games used to be horrendous but for the last 10 years or so has been exceptional. Calendar put out at the start of the year and stuck to reasonably rigidly. Everyone can play and therefore great buy in. Also a lot more country people playing with Dublin clubs rather than travelling home each weekend. Club league taken very seriously and makes for great competition, week-in , week-out. This is what turns decent Dublin minor players into very good senior players.

Playing Croke Park for league games has turned playing in Croke Park for championship games into a lovely advantage. You can blame Dublin fans and their pockets for this 
That's not up us to change.

No travel is a huge advantage. We do work harder on the field than most others. Some people rolleyes at that, but it's a fact. It's because we are able to train and rest better, because we don't have the hours of wasted energy travelling. Learnings from Covid should help reduce that advantage.