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Splitting Dublin into 4 is a no brainer but until Central GAA and the other 31 Counties get some backbone and push it through we won't be seeing it.
Rural depopukation in the BMW ( and most other Counties) has been ongoing since 1845

Solves the problem of Dublin's advantages but causes or doesn't solve other problems

It is a not a valid criticism of a solution to a problem to say that it doesn't solve other problems.
What other problems does it cause?

Where do you suggest the 4 dublin teams play their home games? Croke Park I imagine.

The proud south dublin Steelers who play in the heart of the north side. Not going to be great for building a brand identity or sense of ownership of the team.

The problems it won't solve are Kildare and Meath's growing population advantages over Laois, Wexford etc.which is the same ticking time bomb Dublin's advantages were 30 years ago.

Splitting Dublin into 4 is a no brainer but until Central GAA and the other 31 Counties get some backbone and push it through we won't be seeing it.
Rural depopukation in the BMW ( and most other Counties) has been ongoing since 1845

Solves the problem of Dublin's advantages but causes or doesn't solve other problems

you'll struggle to find in official statistics.

You may struggle but I won't and I've provided them to you.

Wrong, rural population was 55% of total population in 1960. Now it is 36%. It's pretty much a straight line fall for the last 60 years.

I'm not wrong (and you quickly changed the goalposts from 35 years ago to 1960). While there was on paper a reasonable population in the north and west of the country in the 80s, there was a dreadful youth unemployment problem which meant that hordes of young people in the 20-30 age bracket emigrated, including a lot of guys who would have made decent county footballers. Those who ended up working in Dublin had to face bad roads snaking through unbypassed towns to get home for county training and games.

You are wrong. https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/IRL/ireland/rural-population

If it's 1960 or any other year since the trend is constant gradual move from rural to urban.

35 years ago there wasn't the population imbalance there is now.

There was. If anything it was worse. The only jobs for young people were, if not in Dublin, in London or New York.

Wrong, rural population was 55% of total population in 1960. Now it is 36%. It's pretty much a straight line fall for the last 60 years.

Counties are manufactured too - by the Normans and English.
For example Ballyfarnon has nothing in common with Ballyforan except being within the lines drawn on a map by some Norman back in the 1200s.
However they're embedded in us now and from a GAA viewpoint have been there since the beginning.
However the question arises are Counties the best option any more for administering GAA affairs or for fielding representative teams?

Anyone alive now has grown up with their county. The chances of changing away from a county set up is minimal. You'd lose the attachment you had for your county and I don't believe that would transfer across to a franchise team. MAybe I'm wrong but that would be my opinion.

Why do you think people in Ireland support Liverpool or man utd? There's no attachment of place..

But there is in the GAA.

Yes, but if the product is shit/completely predictable compared to the English PL or NFL which it now is then people aren't going to be interested.

Ah yeah, give intercounty 8-10 more years. If things don't come back to an even setting and it's dublin and Kerry winning every Sam in the intervening years then it's time to accept those two counties won Gaelic football and agree a move to a different competition model.

That same point could have just as easily made 35 years ago. I suspect intercounty will still be here in 35 years time.

35 years ago there wasn't the population imbalance there is now. 35 years ago there was no TV deals.

I think you need to realize the GAA have pushed into being a business from the moment they decided to redevelop croke Park.

Everything that has been happening since and will happen in the future was the slow road to professionalism that the GAA not the GPA started.

Ah yeah, give intercounty 8-10 more years. If things don't come back to an even setting and it's dublin and Kerry winning every Sam in the intervening years then it's time to accept those two counties won Gaelic football and agree a move to a different competition model.

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Becauae its strictly geography. You support your county and will be tolerated cheering on the wife or parents one.
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Or you don't because it's a waste of time and far worst than supporting an English premier league side.

Any time a game goes to extra time with players sent off in normal time but teams are allowed to restore themselves to the 15 in extra time because it's a "new game". I'd love to have been in the room when the rules makers thought that was a good idea.

Didn't Liam Hayes come back on for Meath in ET after being sent off in normal time? Or did I dream that?

I don't know to be honest but I didn't think that was legal but maybe the rule was tweaked. That's truly hilarious if it did happen.

Like on the other side if it's truly a new game then players should be allowed to re enter the game if they were sent off for two yellows. The fact that they aren't means the law is an ass.

Any time a game goes to extra time with players sent off in normal time but teams are allowed to restore themselves to the 15 in extra time because it's a "new game". I'd love to have been in the room when the rules makers thought that was a good idea.

Counties are manufactured too - by the Normans and English.
For example Ballyfarnon has nothing in common with Ballyforan except being within the lines drawn on a map by some Norman back in the 1200s.
However they're embedded in us now and from a GAA viewpoint have been there since the beginning.
However the question arises are Counties the best option any more for administering GAA affairs or for fielding representative teams?

Anyone alive now has grown up with their county. The chances of changing away from a county set up is minimal. You'd lose the attachment you had for your county and I don't believe that would transfer across to a franchise team. MAybe I'm wrong but that would be my opinion.

Why do you think people in Ireland support Liverpool or man utd? There's no attachment of place..

Because its easy. Sit at home or on a barstool, follow the soap opera. Much easier than supporting a local side.

The problem with introducing franchises is the Fermanagh man who loses his team, assuming he sticks with the GAA, is as likely to support the Central Dublin Dreadnoughts or the Kilkenny Kights as he is his local franchise his club side.

Then you really have an imbalance.

Local franchise club side? You think they could build a competition model where a local Fermanagh club play central Dublin?

That would be imbalanced.

I am saying that not all current Fermanagh fans will follow the franchise that replaces them. Some might do what soccer fans do and pick whoever is winning when they are made to choose.

Perhaps but there is also a view that being paralyzed by fear so you stick within your current situation where you haven't seen your county lift a provincial title at any grade in your lifetime makes supporting GAA a, at best, unsatisfying experience.

Take pride in your amateur volunteers, doing it for the love of their association.

https://www.otbsports.com/football/gaa-executive-pay-croke-park-averaged-e125845-2019-965684

Counties are manufactured too - by the Normans and English.
For example Ballyfarnon has nothing in common with Ballyforan except being within the lines drawn on a map by some Norman back in the 1200s.
However they're embedded in us now and from a GAA viewpoint have been there since the beginning.
However the question arises are Counties the best option any more for administering GAA affairs or for fielding representative teams?

Anyone alive now has grown up with their county. The chances of changing away from a county set up is minimal. You'd lose the attachment you had for your county and I don't believe that would transfer across to a franchise team. MAybe I'm wrong but that would be my opinion.

Why do you think people in Ireland support Liverpool or man utd? There's no attachment of place..

Because its easy. Sit at home or on a barstool, follow the soap opera. Much easier than supporting a local side.

The problem with introducing franchises is the Fermanagh man who loses his team, assuming he sticks with the GAA, is as likely to support the Central Dublin Dreadnoughts or the Kilkenny Kights as he is his local franchise his club side.

Then you really have an imbalance.

Local franchise club side? You think they could build a competition model where a local Fermanagh club play central Dublin?

That would be imbalanced.

The county system should be kept if at all possible but the GAA shouldn't be chained to it.

The purpose of competition is to find out who is the best. By that logic the Leinster championship has no purpose because we know Dublin are the best.

And if a competition had no purpose then why would you expect anyone to care about attending Leinster games.