East Belfast GAA

[imtommygunn]

Green island. Wouldn't exactly be a stronghold of Gaa or nationalism either.

I get what you are saying hs. Obviously a good thing but does seem a disproportionate amount of press. I think Linda Ervine being involved , not a slight, has ratcheted it up a bit.

Good to have someone looking at a club round the east(ish) Antrim area. That kind of territory is predominantly uvf never mind loyalist. Wonder where they would play at.

[edit] green castle not greenisland

[Rossfan]

Wouldn't any PULs thinking of  joining a GAA  Club be of the very moderate type to start with?

[imtommygunn]

I wouldn't say any of them would be in the orange order anyway... I would suspect so.

[Craigyhill Terror]

Green island. Wouldn't exactly be a stronghold of Gaa or nationalism either.

I get what you are saying hs. Obviously a good thing but does seem a disproportionate amount of press. I think Linda Ervine being involved , not a slight, has ratcheted it up a bit.

Good to have someone looking at a club round the east(ish) Antrim area. That kind of territory is predominantly uvf never mind loyalist. Wonder where they would play at.

[edit] green castle not greenisland

Valley Leisure Centre/Jordanstown as far as I know. And there's been a club smack in the middle of east Antrim for more than 50 years. Just not a football club

[imtommygunn]

I guess I meant further down than large / glenarm but fair point lol. It is obviously not easy there too. It would be very hard to start hurling from scratch - you just couldn't do it at adult level. Football you can do a bit more with.

[Craigyhill Terror]

I guess I meant further down than large / glenarm but fair point lol. It is obviously not easy there too. It would be very hard to start hurling from scratch - you just couldn't do it at adult level. Football you can do a bit more with.

True and it will be interesting to see how East Belfast go with that – it won't be easy. Kind of on that subject, Buncrana beat Burt in the Donegal Championship today, five years after they had moved up to adult level – when Burt beat them 16-17 to 1-10 – although they had been building from underage.

[BennyCake]

Out of interest... and while im sure it's not as big an issue as in the North, but would many Protestants play GAA in southern counties?

Would Protestant schools in the south play GAA much or would they tend to play "foreign sports"? Would things tend to be similar with school curricula, on the sports scene, as up here?

[marty34]

Or is there another area in the north where a new club could be formed up over the next year or two?

Population wise, probably commuter belt or edge of Belfast perhaps with a growing population.  I suppose thinking here or this East Belfast club but also the growing size of St. Enda's in Glengormley.

[Rossfan]

Out of interest... and while im sure it's not as big an issue as in the North, but would many Protestants play GAA in southern counties?

Would Protestant schools in the south play GAA much or would they tend to play "foreign sports"? Would things tend to be similar with school curricula, on the sports scene, as up here?

I'd say in the Cities Protestant schools would be rugby and hockey orientated.
Nearest to here would be Sligo grammar school which is into the rugger.
I know a few Protestants here in Ros that play gaelic football same as their neighbours.
Mind you when your about 2% of the population you kind of go with the flow. Then again their grandparents generation wouldn't have indulged in Gaelic games.

[charlieTully]

I suppose people of the PUL community might be more inclined to join a new club than walking into an established one. Clean slate, everyone starting from scratch.

Although established clubs could probably do as much outreaching by hitting the Protestant schools, and getting them involved young.

I'd say being a brand new club probably is what they have going for them. I was just wondering what other clubs could copy from them if they wanted to attract the PUL community. Starting fresh isn't really an option for them.

Does anyone have any examples of PUL members in their own clubs? I know we've a couple of underage players at the min - albeit it from very moderate families.

The Loup are the only club in Derry I can think of with a reputation of attracting PUL players. In a lot of cases it friends of Loup players attending the Rainey school in Marafelt.

Our club has good links with the local rugby club . We have a few young lads playing at under 11s and down as a result. Its something we hope to build on.

[brokencrossbar1]

The reality is that the club is trying to make a difference. I saw someone earlier saying 'what are they doing to promote the Irish language apart from having Linda Ervine there?' Give them a f**king chance and get at least a second set of jerseys!!!  Hand on heart I want to see them doing well. They are currently using a variety of fields, including the Our Lady and St Patrick's Knock school fields. I can see that being a great feeder school for them as there are a few good GAA men there helping them build some momentum.

The world evolves, our games along side it. The fewer sticks 'themmuns' have to beat us with the better.

Great colours too for the jerseys, black and amber, the colours of champions!

[MoChara]

is is tongue in cheek or notably to point out that East Belfast GAC were playing against a team named after a influential Protestant

[marty34]

The reality is that the club is trying to make a difference. I saw someone earlier saying 'what are they doing to promote the Irish language apart from having Linda Ervine there?' Give them a f**king chance and get at least a second set of jerseys!!!  Hand on heart I want to see them doing well. They are currently using a variety of fields, including the Our Lady and St Patrick's Knock school fields. I can see that being a great feeder school for them as there are a few good GAA men there helping them build some momentum.

The world evolves, our games along side it. The fewer sticks 'themmuns' have to beat us with the better.

Great colours too for the jerseys, black and amber, the colours of champions!

True, Kilkenny are the standard bearers of champions!!

[imtommygunn]

The reality is that the club is trying to make a difference. I saw someone earlier saying 'what are they doing to promote the Irish language apart from having Linda Ervine there?' Give them a f**king chance and get at least a second set of jerseys!!!  Hand on heart I want to see them doing well. They are currently using a variety of fields, including the Our Lady and St Patrick's Knock school fields. I can see that being a great feeder school for them as there are a few good GAA men there helping them build some momentum.

The world evolves, our games along side it. The fewer sticks 'themmuns' have to beat us with the better.

Great colours too for the jerseys, black and amber, the colours of champions!

Agreed. (Except for the colours bit )

[RedHand88]

Have the forms for transferring. Was talking to someone at my old club, who I havent played for since 2006, seem to think transfer deadline for the year was March.
Whats the story with this?